Abstract
Skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most common cancer in the USA, is a growing problem with the use of tanning booths causing sun-damaged skin. Antiproliferative effects of curcumin were demonstrated in an aggressive skin cancer cell line SRB12-p9 (P < 0.05 compared to control). Topical formulation was as effective as oral curcumin at suppressing tumor growth in a mouse skin cancer model. Curcumin at 15 mg administered by oral, topical, or combined formulation significantly reduced tumor growth compared to control (P = 0.004). Inhibition of pAKT, pS6, p-4EBP1, pSTAT3, and pERK1/2 was noted in SRB12-p9 cells post-curcumin treatment compared to control (P < 0.05). Inhibition of pSTAT3 and pERK1/2 was also noted in curcumin-treated groups in vivo. IHC analysis revealed human tumor specimens that expressed significantly more activated pERK (P = 0.006) and pS6 (P < 0.0001) than normal skin samples. This is the first study to compare topical curcumin to oral curcumin. Our data supports the use of curcumin as a chemopreventive for skin SCC where condemned skin is a significant problem. Prevention strategies offer the best hope of future health care costs in a disease that is increasing in incidence due to increased sun exposure.
Highlights
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1–1.3 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) will be detected annually
To determine whether a skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line is sensitive to curcumin, a cell proliferation assay was performed on SRB12-p9 SCC cell line
Curcumin’s growth inhibitory effects in the aggressive skin cancer cell line (SRB12-p9) were noted as early as day 2 at 20 μM (P < 0.05) curcumin compared to control
Summary
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1–1.3 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) will be detected annually. Unlike the more prevalent basal cell carcinoma (BCC), SCC is an aggressive tumor that metastasizes with a frequency as high as 12.5% [2]. Cutaneous SCC of the face often metastasizes to parotid lymph nodes, which can be detrimental to the facial nerve during treatment and nodes in the neck, as the head and neck are rich in lymphatic networks. NMSC recurrence varies from 8–16%, second lesion recurrence rates are as high as 75% within the first two years and 95% within five years [3]. This suggests a window of opportunity for chemopreventive agents to delay or prevent a recurrence or metastatic spread. Lymph node metastasis in NMSC varies from 0.1 to 28%, with a resulting
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