Blueberry extracts and cervical cancer
Taking blueberry extracts during radiation therapy for cervical cancer may be an effective way to reduce the number of cancer cells. In laboratory studies, this combination reduced cancer cells by around 70%. The work, published in the journal Pathology and Oncology Research, led researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia to conclude blueberry extracts helped to make cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy, reducing abnormal cell growth that fuels cancer development. Lead study author Dr Yujiang Fang explains cancer cells are ‘tricked’ into dying, while the development of new ones is inhibited. Further research is needed, but scientists say blueberries may be a promising part of treatment strategy for cervical and other types of cancer.