When searching for products that not only prevents cancer but also stops it from progressing further in patients, antioxidants are the keywords you should lookout for.
Antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage and are known to help in heart health and reduce the risk of infections and some forms of cancer. As free radicals are capable of harming cells and causing cancer, antioxidants work to combat this through neutralizing the radicals.
While the body does naturally produce antioxidants, this is not sufficient, and so externally ingested antioxidants are required. This comes in the form of fruits, vegetables and grains.
Antioxidant products are thus a popular supplement used in combating or preventing cancer. Furthermore, given its ability to protect cells, antioxidants are also used in chemotherapy products, products that are used as an adjuvant therapy for people receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Adjuvant therapy is the additional treatment following primary treatments that aim at preventing cancer from recurring.
As healthy cells are also damaged in the process of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, taking antioxidant products aid in the protection of such healthy cells. However, this has been a subject of controversy, as some believe that antioxidants may also protect the tumours that the treatment is meant to eliminate.
Cancer products should also contain substances that aid in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. For example, curcumin helps through regulating various transcription factors, growth factors and has been shown to inhibit different stages of carcinogenesis in various cancer types.
Most importantly when seeking a product that can help in slowing the growth of cancer cells, consult a doctor to ensure the safety of the product before consuming it.
References
http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutrition101/f/What-Are-Antioxidants-Good-For.htm
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/antioxidants-fact-sheet
