Cancer treatments Zinc can stop the spread of esophageal cancer cells

Can zinc be used in the future for the treatment of esophageal cancer?

Esophageal cancer is a disease that arises from the cells of the mucosa in the esophagus. Symptoms of this cancer are usually discovered very late. Researchers from the US have now found that zinc seems to stop the growth of esophageal cancer cells. This finding could lead in the future to the development of new treatment and prevention methods for esophageal cancer.

The University of Texas researchers found in their recent study that zinc appears to be able to halt the growth of esophageal cancer cells. The researchers published the results of their study in the journal FASEB Journal, the official journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Zinc is important to the human body. Physicians found that zinc can even stop the growth of esophageal cancer cells. (Image: colnihko / fotolia.com)

How common is esophageal cancer?

Esophageal cancer is ranked number one among all human cancer deaths in sixth place, say experts from the National Cancer Institute in the US. In the United States alone, there were nearly 16,000 esophageal cancer deaths in 2016. This cancer can generally be divided into two distinct forms: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. However, esophageal cancer is relatively rare in Germany and the so-called mean age of onset is 67 years in men and 69 years in women.

Survival rate after five years is only about 20 percent

The average five-year survival for this disorder is less than 20 percent, say the doctors. The new research suggests, however, that zinc can protect the esophagus from cancer. Zinc is generally beneficial for the maintenance of human health, the experts explain.

Can zinc prevent cancer in the esophagus?

The current study was Zui Pan headed by University of Texas and specialist in esophageal cancer. The researchers wanted to investigate whether zinc has the ability to prevent the development of cancer in the esophagus and what they are based on. The experts paid particular attention to the effects that zinc supplements had on the cells.

Zinc has selective effects on esophageal cancer

The results of the study from the US show that zinc is able to selectively stop the growth of cancer cells. However, normal esophageal epithelial cells are not affected by the effects of zinc. This insight makes it possible to derive new potential treatment options. Perhaps it will even be possible to completely stop the development of the disease, the researchers hope.

Many people with cancer suffer from a lack of zinc

Many of the cancer patients have been diagnosed with zinc deficiency, says author Dr. Pan. However, both the clinical data and animal studies have shown that this mineral is very important for health and cancer prevention, the experts explain. So far, however, it is not known why the same physiological concentration of zinc in cancer cells inhibits growth, but does not lead to growth inhibition in normal cells.

There is a connection between zinc and calcium

The results of the study show that zinc inhibits so-called overactive calcium signals in cancer cells, which are not found in normal cells. Thus, zinc selectively inhibits the growth of cancer cells, explains the author. Pan on. It seems as if there is a connection between zinc and calcium. The study also shows the importance of good nutrition for humans and the potential for sprawling effects by ingesting an insufficient amount of zinc.

Which foods contain a lot of zinc?

In addition to supplements, zinc can also be absorbed through zinc-rich foods. Such foods include, for example, spinach, linseeds, beef, pumpkin seeds and seafood (for example shrimp and oysters). The consumption of these foods increases the concentration of nutrients in the human body. (As)