Nanocurcumin may prevent chemo-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients

Supplementation with nanocurcumin appears to reduce the cardiotoxicity of anthracycline chemotherapy medication in breast cancer patients, suggests a study.

The researchers examined the effect of nanocurcumin capsules on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in 46 patients in a randomized clinical trial. A week prior to the initiation of doxorubicin regimen for patients with breast cancer, the control group received placebo, and the intervention group received 80 mg of nanocurcumin capsules daily for 6 months. 

The research team then evaluated echocardiography parameter changes before and after 6 months.

Left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly decreased while LV end diastolic volume (LVEDV) significantly increased in control participants, whereas no significant changes occurred in those who received nanocurcumin supplementation (LVEF: 2.62—4.23, p=0.014 vs 59.55–58.46, p=0.135; LVEDV: 77.09—80.65, p=0.023 vs 72.41–74.00, p=0.294).

Furthermore, LVEF (3.36 vs 4.13; p=0.223), LV end systolic diameter (0.12 vs 0.27; p=0.0110), and LV end diastolic diameter (—0.44 vs 0.070; p=0.269) decreased more in the control group than the curcumin group, albeit nonsignificantly.

No symptomatic cardiomyopathy and ejection fraction ratio <53 percent were noted. In addition, the LVEF reduction >15 percent was also high in the control group (p=0.020).