Curcumin delays development of medroxyprogesterone acetate―accelerated 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene―induced mammary tumors

Objective Combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) containing estrogen and progestin (medroxyprogesterone acetate [MPA]) leads to increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, compared with HRT regimens containing estrogen alone, or placebo. We previously reported that, in animal models, progestins can accelerate the development of mammary tumors by increasing VEGF levels. We furthermore showed that curcumin, an Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, specifically inhibits MPA-induced VEGF secretion from breast cancer cells in vitro. In the present study, we investigated whether curcumin inhibits DMBA-induced, MPA-accelerated tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats.