Dr. Omer Kucuk is a medical oncologist and professor at Emory Universtity with a major interest in nutrition and cancer prevention, Dr. Kucuk mainly treats patients with prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. Dr. Kucuk has conducted the first clinical trial to show the benefits of soy isoflavones and lycopene in prostate cancer treatment.
Nutrition and cancer therapy are Dr. Kucuk's primary research focus. He has published extensively on various nutrients and botanicals alone and in combination with chemotherapy and radiation. Dr. Kucuk has been conducting preclinical and clinical studies with soy isoflavones, lycopene and other nutritional and botanical compounds since 1996. He is investigating the effects of micronutrients and phytochemicals on biomarkers of cell growth, differentiation, metastasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA methylation and gene expression in a variety of cancers. His research also includes clinical studies on the epigenetic effects of botanicals, physical activity and relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga.
In this conversation Dr. Bergquist and Dr. Kucuk discuss:
- Integrative Medicine, its definition and history
- The role of antioxidants, vitamins and phytonutrients
- Why emphasize whole foods
- Effects of soy on patients with cancer
- Effects of lycopene
- The effects of diet, exercise and stress management on gene expression
- Effects of acupuncture, yoga and meditation
- Survivorship and recovery post-cancer
Overall conclusion is that complementary treatments, like nutrition, exercise and stress management, reduce the risk of cancer, improve the chances of survivorship and response to treament for patients diagnosed with cancer, reduce the likelihood of recurrence of cancer and improve the quality of life long-term.
Dr. Kucuk's selected publications and high impact papers from over 200 peer reviewed papers:
• Zhang S, Wang Y, Chen Z, Kim S, Chi A, Ritenour C, Wang YA, Kucuk O, Wu D. Genistein Enhances The Efficacy of Cabazitaxel Chemotherapy In Human Prostate Cancer Cells. Prostate 73:1681-1689, 2013.
• Wang Y, Zhang S, Iqbal S, Chen Z, Wang YA, Ritenour C, Kucuk O, Wu D. Pomegranate extract inhibits the bone metastatic growth of human prostate cancer. Prostate . 2013 Dec 23. doi: 10.1002/pros.22769
• Sahin K, Orhan C, Tuzcu M, Sahin N, Ali S, Bahcecioglu IH, Guler O, Ozercan IH, Ilhan N, Kucuk O. Lycopene Attenuates Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rats by Modulating Nrf-2/HO-1 and Akt/mTOR Pathways. Nutr Cancer, March 2014. PMID:24660901 (epub ahead of print)
• Souza L, Silva E, Calloway E, Kucuk O, Rossi M, McLemore ML. Genistein Protects Hematopoietic Stem Cells Against GCSF-induced DNA Damage. Cancer Prev Res. March 2014. PMID 24614013 (epublished ahead of print)
• Kucuk O, Sarkar F, Sakr W, Djuric Z, Khachik F, Pollak M, Bertram J, Grignon D,
Banerjee M, Crissman J, Pontes E, Wood DP Jr. Phase II randomized clinical trial of lycopene supplementation before radical prostatectomy. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10:861-868, 2001.
• Hussain M, Banerjee M, Sarkar FH, Djuric Z, Pollak MN, Doerge D, Fontana J, Chinni S, Davis J, Forman J, Wood DP, and Kucuk O. Soy isoflavones in the treatment of prostate cancer. Nutrition & Cancer 47:111-117, 2003.
Current Research Support
NIH- R21 CA164612-01A1 (PI: Daqing Wu). Omer Kucuk, Co-Investigator (5% effort): “EPLIN as a Molecular Target of Genistein (Soy isoflavone) in Preventing Prostate Cancer Metastasis”. 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014.
NIH R01 CA129356-0. David Schuster (PI), Omer Kucuk (Co-investigator): 18F-FACBC PET-CT for the Detection and Staging of Recurrent Prostate Carcinoma.
Pending Research Support
Small Business Technology Transfer Research grant (STTR) application NIH (PI): A dietary supplement as adjunct therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer. (Daqing Wu, MetCure, Metaclipse Therapeutic LLC)
Small Business Research grant (SBIR) application NIH (PI): A dietary supplement as adjunct therapy in castration resistant prostate cancer. (Subcontract to Daqing Wu, MetCure, LLC)