Curcumin: A Novel Way to Improve Quality of Life for Colorectal Cancer Patients?

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. Treatment of metastatic CRC consists of highly toxic chemotherapeutic drug combinations that often negatively affect patient quality of life (QoL). Moreover, chemotherapy-induced toxicity and chemotherapy resistance are among the most important factors limiting cancer treatment and can lead to the interruption or discontinuation of potentially effective therapy. Several preclinical studies have demonstrated that curcumin acts through multiple cellular pathways and possesses both anti-cancer properties against CRC and the capacity to mitigate chemotherapy-related side effects and overcome drug resistance. In this review article, we suggest that the addition of curcumin to the standard chemotherapeutic treatment for metastatic CRC could reduce associated side-effects and overcome chemotherapy resistance, thereby improving patient QoL.