Trial of Curcumin to Prevent Progression of Low-risk Prostate Cancer Under Active Surveillance
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03769766 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : December 10, 2018
Last Update Posted : January 26, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Prostate Cancer | Drug: Curcumin Drug: Placebo | Phase 3 |
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with an estimated 180,890 new cases and 26,120 deaths from prostate cancer expected in 2016 in the United States. Although the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer, the risk of death is only about 3%. A major concern regarding the utility of prostate cancer screening is the risk of over diagnosis and subsequent overtreatment. Many patients with small low grade cancers might not benefit from treatment and treatment can result in lower quality of life. A major concern for patients and physicians using active surveillance (AS) is the risk for progression of disease. Several reviews of active surveillance suggest that stage or grade progression occur in approximately 30% of patients with some patients choosing treatment due to anxiety. Overall survival in AS series is uniformly high but the need for close monitoring and anxiety associated with risk of progression has inhibited use among patients.
There are no currently accepted medications to reduce risk of progression in patients with active surveillance. With the rising use of AS, there is a role for therapies to reduce risk for progression in this population. One promising source of therapies involves use of nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. Curcumin is a widely studied nutraceutical that was first discovered about two centuries ago from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa (turmeric). Curcumin is a safe supplement and in this study we will evaluate if it reduces risk of cancer progression compared to placebo.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 291 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | placebo/active Curcumin |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Curcumin to Prevent Progression of Biopsy Proven, Low-risk Localized Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Active Surveillance |
Actual Study Start Date : | March 11, 2019 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | November 2022 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | November 2026 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: Curcumin
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Drug: Curcumin
Take medication one 500 mg pill of BCM-95 taken twice daily
Other Name: biocurcumax (BCM-95) |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Drug: placebo placebo orally twice a day Other Names: •sugar pill |
Drug: Placebo
Take medication one 500mg pill twice daily
Other Name: sugar pill |
- The primary end point is rate of disease progression. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]The primary endpoint is the number of patients who have progressed at 2 years of follow up defined as one of the following events: receipt of primary therapy for prostate cancer (eg, prostatectomy, radiation, hormonal therapy) or pathologic progression (> 4 cores involved, ≥ 50% of any core involved, or any Gleason score ≥ 7)

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 40 Years to 89 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Gender Based Eligibility: | Yes |
Gender Eligibility Description: | Patients have to have prostate cancer |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age between 40-89 years
- Biopsy proven, low-risk, localized prostate cancer (minimum of 8 cores)
- May have had biopsy within last 12 months ≤4 cores involved with cancer
- Gleason score ≤6 with no Gleason pattern 4
- Clinical stage T1c-T2a/b
- Serum PSA ≤15 ng/ml
- Life expectancy > 5 years
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any previous prostate cancer treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, oral glucocorticoids, GnRH analogues, prostatectomy)
- Concurrent or previous use within 6 months of screening of any 5α-reductase inhibitor
- Use of anabolic steroids or drugs with antiandrogenic properties
- Prostate volume >150 grams
- Patients who are taking antiplatelet, anticoagulant agents or have a history of a bleeding disorder. Patients taking 81 mg of Aspirin will be allowed to enroll with close observation
- History of gastric or duodenal ulcers or untreated hyperacidity syndromes. Patients on stable doses of GERD medication allowed.
- Patients who are currently taking Curcumin and are unwilling to stop or plan to take Curcumin during the study
- Patients with a history of gallbladder surgery or gallstones or biliary obstruction,unless patient had cholecystectomy

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03769766
Contact: Melissa Ramos | 214-645-8787 | Melissa.Ramos@utsouthwestern.edu | |
Contact: Donna Mitchell | 214-645-8787 | donna.mitchell@utsouthwestern.edu |
United States, Texas | |
UT Southwestern Medical Center | Recruiting |
Dallas, Texas, United States, 75390 | |
Contact: Yair Lotan, MD 214-645-8787 Yair.Lotan@utsouthwestern.edu | |
Contact: Melissa Ramos 214-645-8787 Melissa.Ramos@utsouthwestern.edu |
Principal Investigator: | Yair Lotan, MD | UT Southwestern Medical Center |
Responsible Party: | Yair Lotan, MD, Professor and Chief of Urologic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03769766 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
STU 012018-071 |
First Posted: | December 10, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 26, 2022 |
Last Verified: | January 2022 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
prostate cancer active surveillance curcumin |
Prostatic Neoplasms Genital Neoplasms, Male Urogenital Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Prostatic Diseases Curcumin Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal Analgesics, Non-Narcotic |
Analgesics Sensory System Agents Peripheral Nervous System Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Anti-Inflammatory Agents Antirheumatic Agents Antineoplastic Agents Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action |