A modified citrus pectin marketed as PectaSol by EcoNugenics may help to slow rates of prostate cancer progression, and reduce concentrations of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a marker used to screen for prostate cancer.
 
Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in men. While there have been several diagnostic and treatment advancements in recent years, there have been limited options for men with an aggressive form of the disease known as biochemically relapsed prostate cancer.
 
In a phase II study published in Nutrients, researchers administered PectaSol to 46 patients who entered the second phase of the study, each of whom received 4.8 gram doses of the ingredient three times daily, for a total of 18 months.
 
Initially, the study enrolled 59 prostate cancer patients, and after six months, 46 patients (78%) experienced a response to treatment with the modified citrus pectin, with decreased or stabilized PSA in 34 subjects (58%). 44 subjects (75%) showed improvement in PSA doubling time with negative scans.
 
In the final arm of the study, 46 subjects were able to continue for 12 more months. Seven subjects dropped from the study due to travel distance to monthly medical visit, and purchased PectaSol independently since the treatment was effective.
 
Most of the remaining 39 subjects, at the end of the 18-month treatment period, had improvement or stabilization of PSA doubling time (90% of subjects), decreased or stable PSA (62%), and no signs of disease progression either biochemically or in scans (85%).
 
The long-term clinical trial highlights a potential non-hormonal treatment option in the management of aggressive prostate cancer – therapeutic options for this population are limited as hormonal interventions carry major risks which can shorten the window of time for treatment viability.
 
While future large-scale clinical trials are needed to validate the present results and reveal the underlying mechanism of the health benefits, “These clinical results highlight the importance of safe, non-hormonal alternatives that can half and reverse cancer,” said Dr. Isaac Eliaz, study author. “This breakthrough study demonstrates how MCP is in a class of its own as a clinically-proven, non-hormonal adjunct with substantial benefits in prostate cancer, and other areas of health.”  
 
The authors noted that one potential mechanism of action is that modified citrus pectin is a competitive inhibitor of galectin-3 protein, which is involved in cancer pathogenesis.