Compounds from vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts can combat even the most aggressive types of breast cancer, scientists have revealed.
A substance known as ‘diindolylmethane’ (DIM), which is found in all cruciferous vegetables, is the active ingredient that can beat even triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive type that affects around 20 per cent of all such victims.
Scientists from A&M Universities in Florida and Texas say that a new treatment made up of DIM is more effective and less debilitating than currently available conventional treatments such as chemotherapy.
The scientists told a major pharmaceutical conference they were “confident” that the new compound represents an effective and safe alternative.
The fact that it can combat triple-negative breast cancer is especially impressive. This type of tumour grows faster, spreads to other parts of the body earlier and is harder to detect by mammography screening, which invariably fails to spot fast-growing tumours.
Presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting & Exposition, 14-18 October, Chicago, Illinois
