Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Modified citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: a phase II pilot study

Abstract

This trial investigated the tolerability and effect of modified citrus pectin (Pecta-SolĀ®) in 13 men with prostate cancer and biochemical prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure after localized treatment, that is, radical prostatectomy, radiation, or cryosurgery. A total of 13 men were evaluated for tolerability and 10 for efficacy. Changes in the prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) of the 10 men were the primary end point in the study. We found that the PSADT increased (P-value<0.05) in seven (70%) of 10 men after taking MCP for 12 months compared to before taking MCP. This study suggests that MCP may lengthen the PSADT in men with recurrent prostate cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Eliaz I . The potential role of modified citrus pectin in the prevention of cancer metastasis. Clin Pract Altern Med 2002; 2: 177ā€“179.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  2. Raz A, Lotan R . Endogenous galactoside-binding lectins: a new class of functional tumor cell surface molecules related to metastasis. Cancer Metast Rev 1987; 6: 433ā€“452.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  3. Bresalier RS et al. Expression of the endogenous galactose-binding protein galectin-3 correlates with the malignant potential of tumors in the central nervous system. Cancer 1997; 80: 776ā€“787.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  4. Raz A et al. Monoclonal antibodies to endogenous galactose-specific tumor cell lectins. EMBO J 1984; 3: 2979ā€“2983.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  5. Kidd P . A new approach to metastatic cancer prevention: modified citrus pectin (MCP), a unique pectin that blocks cell surface lectins. Altern Med Rev 1996; 1: 4ā€“10.

    Google ScholarĀ 

  6. Naik H, Kalemkerian G . Inhibition of in vitro tumor cell-endothelial adhesion by modified citrus pectin: a pH modified natural complex carbohydrate [abstr]. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research A377, 1995.

  7. Pienta KJ et al. Inhibition of spontaneous metastasis in a rat prostate cancer model by oral administration of modified citrus pectin. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87: 348ā€“353.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  8. Nangia-Makker P, Conklin J, Hogan V, Raz A . Inhibition of human cancer cell growth and metastasis in nude mice by oral intake of modified citrus pectin. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002; 94: 1854ā€“1862.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  9. Schmid HP, McNeal JE, Stamey TC . Observations on the doubling time of prostate cancer. The use of serial prostate-specific antigen in patients with untreated disease as a measure of increasing cancer volume. Cancer 1993; 71: 2031.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  10. Stamey TA et al. Prostate-specific antigen as a serum marker for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. N Engl J Med 1987; 317: 909ā€“916.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  11. Stamey TA, Kabalin JN . Prostate specific antigen in the diagnosis and treatment of adenocarcinoma of the prostate. I. Untreated patients. J Urol 1989; 141: 1070ā€“1075.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  12. Guess B et al. Using splines to detect changes in PSA doubling times. Prostate 2003; 54: 88ā€“94.

    ArticleĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  13. Pound CR et al. Natural history of progression after PSA elevation following radical prostatectomy. JAMA 1999; 281: 1591ā€“1597.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  14. Roberts SG et al. PSA doubling time as a predictor of clinical progression after biochemical failure following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Mayo Clin Proc 2001; 76: 576ā€“581.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  15. Sartor CI et al. Rate of PSA rise predicts metastatic versus local recurrence after definitive radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1997; 38: 941ā€“947.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  16. Lee RW, Hanks GE, Hanlan A . Increasing prostate-specific antigen profile following definitive radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer: clinical observations. J Clin Oncol 1997; 15: 230ā€“238.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  17. Pollack A, Zagars GK, Kavadi VS . Prostate specific antigen doubling time and disease relapse after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Cancer 1994; 74: 670ā€“678.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  18. McLaren DB, McKenzie M, Duncan G, Pickles T . Watchful waiting or watchful progression? Prostate specific antigen doubling times and clinical behavior in patients with early-untreated prostate carcinoma. Cancer 1998; 82: 342ā€“348.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  19. Gross C, Stamey TS, Hancock S, Feldman D . Treatment of early recurrent prostate cancer with 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol). J Urol 1998; 159: 2035ā€“2039.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  20. Beer TM, Lemmon D, Lowe BA, Henner DW . High-dose weekly oral calcitriol in patients with a rising psa after prostatectomy or radiation for prostate carcinoma. Cancer. 2003; 97: 1217ā€“1224.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

  21. Beer TM et al. Weekly high-dose calcitriol and docetaxel in metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2003; 21: 123ā€“128.

    ArticleĀ  CASĀ  Google ScholarĀ 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B W Guess.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guess, B., Scholz, M., Strum, S. et al. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: a phase II pilot study. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 6, 301ā€“304 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.pcan.4500679

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.pcan.4500679

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links