Research Finds that Ginger Inhibits Ovarian Tumors

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal forms of cancer affecting women. Five-year survival rates are low, and treatment that includes surgery and chemotherapy has limited benefit, while side effects can be harsh. Therefore, research continues into treatment that will improve patient prognosis and reduce the side effects associated with traditional chemotherapy drugs. In countries where diets are high in plant-derived foods like ginger, garlic, soy, chilies, and green tea, the rates of many types of cancer are lower than in the United States. Several studies have shown that the compounds in ginger root have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic activity. The authors of a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine hypothesized that ginger may inhibit the growth of ovarian tumor cells. To test their hypothesis in the lab, the authors treated ovarian cancer cells with ginger extract. What they found was that ginger may prove to be a valuable dietary factor in both prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is still poorly understood by the medical community. Some biomedical researchers believe that ovulation, a natural inflammatory process, may play a role in the development of cancer of the ovaries. Research has shown that conditions within ovarian cells that lead to cancer are likely regulated by the protein complex NF-kB (nuclear factor-kappa B), and that this pathway may be a good target for development of new cancer therapies. This study evaluated the effect of ginger on the activation of NF-kB in ovarian cancer cells. The study utilized four different cell lines originally obtained from ovarian cancer patients. Two of these were chemotherapy-resistant cell lines.