Drug Insight: lycopene in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer

For almost a decade researchers in the field of urology have investigated lycopene and the chemopreventive potential of the tomato. A potent antioxidant found in abundance in the tomato, lycopene has repeatedly been correlated with reduced risk of prostate cancer in numerous epidemiological and population-based studies. Researchers and clinicians continue to investigate beyond the potent antioxidant properties of lycopene for other mechanisms of action and chemotherapeutic potential. This review examines the preclinical and preliminary clinical evidence surrounding the tomato and the health claims based on lycopene. We have explored recent mechanistic insights and conclude that more clinical research is warranted. The scope and extent of scientific evidence accrued on lycopene and tomato extracts, reported molecular mechanisms of action, and its potential impact on the incidence and severity of prostate cancer are discussed.