Red wine compound gets green light for major cancer prevention study
Scientists start testing grape-skin chemical to prevent bowel cancer in high-risk patients. The ground-breaking NHS trial will involve 1300 people who showed early warning signs during regular screening
British health-care system kicks-off a ground breaking study where a grape-skin compound could be the next big thing in cancer prevention. The trial focuses on resveratrol - a chemical found in red wine that scientists think might help stop bowel polyps from turning bad
The University of Leicester research team wants 1‚300 people (aged 50-73) whove had polyps found during their bowel check-ups. These test-subjects will get different treatments including resveratrol aspirin metformin or just sugar pills. The resveratrol dose equals about two big wine glasses - but dont worry they wont make anyone drink actual wine
Statistics paint a not-so-nice picture: bowel cancer takes about 17000 lives each year in the UK making it the second-worst cancer killer. The disease got more attention after the well-known story of Dame Deborah James whose fund now helps with research like this
Iʼm taking part in this trial for my dad‚ to give future generations the kind of treatments he never had
The trials first volunteer David Trusler (whose dad died from bowel cancer back in the 70s) got some scary news himself: doctors found two big polyps during his check-up. Having beat prostate cancer about a decade ago hes now helping science find new ways to fight the disease
The research team - led by Prof Karen Brown - has already seen good results in mice; now its time to test real people. If everything goes well doctors might start giving these meds to high-risk patients by the end of this decade
