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A compound derived from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli has powerful cancer-fighting properties [Image: Renee Rendler-Kaplan - Wikimedia Commons]

Broccoli compound fights even aggressive breast cancer

Natural Health News — A compound created from vegetables including broccoli and Brussels sprouts has been shown to combat even the most aggressive type of breast cancer, according to a recent report.

Speaking at the recent American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, scientists from Florida’s and Texas’s A&M Universities say that diindolylmethane (DIM), which is found in cruciferous vegetables, is the active ingredient that can beat even triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive type that affects around 20% of all sufferers.

What is more, the new compound is more effective, and less debilitating, than current conventional treatments available, such as chemotherapy.

Impressive results

TNBC is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer; it grows faster, spreads to other parts of the body earlier, is harder to detect on a mammogram and recurs more often.

Drug treatment for TNBC is, in addition, so toxic that it can make the patient sicker and chemotherapy is generally ineffective.

The scientists say they are “confident” the new compound represents an effective and safe alternative and the fact it can combat TNBC is especially impressive.

“Targeted treatment options for TNBC are limited; current treatments, such as infusions, result in poor patient compliance and increased toxicity,” said lead author Mandip Sachdeva, PhD, from Florida A&M University.

“We are confident that the compounds we are currently working with are an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. These compounds are safer for the patient than current treatments available.”

In contrast to existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds can be taken in pill form and is safe to take daily. When taken in combination with existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds can effectively decrease the number of treatments a patient receives.