Better Living through Broccoli

About

Melanomas are aggressive, frequently metastatic tumors responsible for 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. Advanced melanoma is generally difficult to treat, and a significant portion of patients will develop distant metastases even with early intervention. Given the continually rising incidence of melanoma — despite education about minimizing exposure to sunlight — there is a need for more effective prevention, especially in high risk individuals. Our plant-based oral drug could work together with behavioral modifications to minimize the risk of melanoma. The key ingredient of our drug is sulforaphane (SFN), which is a naturally-occurring anti-cancer compound found in low concentrations in vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. Using enzymatic digestion of broccoli sprouts, we prepared capsules to provide people with a fixed quantity of SFN. In mice, this formulation and dosage delayed melanoma progression. Additionally, we identified possible SFN-related biomarkers for the progression of atypical moles to melanoma. We tested these biomarkers in a randomized, comparative study in human subjects with melanoma-dependent atypical nevi — a precursor and risk factor for melanoma.