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Topic: Natural Products and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Curcumin: an adjuvant therapeutic remedy for liver cancer

Shilpa Sharma, Anshul Tanwar, Devendra K. Gupta

Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.

ABSTRACT
The molecular signalling pathways for hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatoblastoma have been extensively studied. The
treatment of these highly vascular tumors mainly revolves around chemotherapy and surgery. Yet there is a high associated
morbidity and mortality due to advanced stages, adverse effects owing to chemotherapy and recurrence. The role of Curcumin
as an adjuvant remedy is explored in this article. Curcumin stimulates apoptosis of cancer cells, acts as anti-proliferative
agent, has anti-angiogenic action, prevents tumor invasiveness and metastasis and prevents recurrence. It also has been
proven to decrease the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents and has a synergistic anticancer action. It acts at the
molecular level and affects the various metabolic pathways involved in tumorigenesis. It also promotes healing and has anti-
inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-infective action. This natural phytocompounds has immense anti-cancer potential and
holds future promise as an adjuvant remedy to treat liver cancer.
Key words: Curcumin; hepatoblastoma; hepatocellular carcinoma; diferuloylmethane

Address for correspondence:
Dr. Shilpa Sharma, Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. E-mail: drshilpas@
gmail.com.
Dr. Shilpa Sharma is a faculty (Asst. Professor) of Pediatric Surgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
New Delhi. Her qualifications include MBBS - 1996, MS Gen Surgery -1999, MCh and DNB - Pediatric Surgery
- 2004. She is involved in the surgical care of children since last 15 years with research interests in stem
cells. She has also done PhD on stem cells from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in 2010. Her
notable awards include Dr. Shoor Vir Singh Prize, UC Chakravorty Research Award, Shanti Talwar Fellowship,
Swapan Datta Research Award, Purushotom Upadhyay Research Award for the best paper published in 2010,
James Lister fellowship of the British Association of Pediatric Surgeons in 2012 and the WOFAPS scholarship
from the World Federation of Association of Pediatric Surgeons 2014 under which she was a fellow at GOS
Hospital for Children at London, UK. She has published 56 research papers and 80 book chapters, delivered
more than 60 guest lectures and presented more than 110 papers at various national and international
conferences. She has served as an Editorial Assistant for Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
and is presently an Editorial Consultant for two International journals apart from being a reviewer of many peer
reviewed journals. She has served as Secretary of the Delhi chapter of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
from 2011-2014 and is currently the Secretary of the Research Section of the Indian Association of Pediatric
Surgeons since 2011.
Received: 25-10-2015, Accepted: 19-01-2016

INTRODUCTION and African countries. In children under five years of
age, hepatoblastoma (HB) accounts for more than 90% of
Primary liver cancer characterised by active primary hepatic malignant tumors and HCC for 12.5%. [1]
neovascularization is among the most common
lethal cancers worldwide and can occur at any age. With recent advances in diagnostic technology, the
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs in older children incidence of HCC and HB has been increasing in the past
and adults and has a high prevalence in developing Asian decades, especially in Europe and North America. Risk
[2]
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DOI: How to cite this article: Sharma S, Tanwar A, Gupta DK. Curcumin: an
10.20517/2394-5079.2015.59 adjuvant therapeutic remedy for liver cancer. Hepatoma Res 2016;2:62-
70.

62 © 2016 Hepatoma Research | Published by OAE Publishing Inc.