Sulforaphane and Biochemical Recurrence After Prostatectomy

Sulforaphane and Biochemical Recurrence After Prostatectomy

Increases in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after radical prostatectomy are common in prostate cancer survivors and are known as biochemical recurrence—a sign that cancer activity may be returning before any clinical symptoms appear.

In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 78 men (mean age 69 ± 6 years) with biochemical recurrence after prostate surgery received either 60 mg of a stabilized free form of sulforaphane (SFN), a plant compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli sprouts, daily or placebo for six months, followed by a two-month observation period.

The primary endpoint—a reduction of 0.012 log (ng/mL)/month in the log-PSA slope—was not achieved. However, several secondary findings were encouraging. Mean PSA change from baseline to month 6 was significantly lower in the SFN group compared to placebo. PSA doubling time increased by 86% in the SFN group (28.9 months) compared to placebo (15.5 months), suggesting slower disease activity. Additionally, 44.4% of SFN-treated men experienced a PSA increase >20% at six months versus 71.8% in placebo.

Treatment was well-tolerated with high compliance (96%). Adverse events were mild, mostly gastrointestinal, and not statistically different between groups.

Although sulforaphane did not meet its primary endpoint, the overall trend suggests a biologically meaningful benefit in slowing PSA progression after prostatectomy. These results support continued investigation into sulforaphane as a potential adjunct therapy in prostate cancer management.

Reference:

Cipolla BG, Mandron E, Lefort JM, et al. Effect of Sulforaphane in Men with Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2015;8(8):712-719. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-14-0459.