Turmeric polyphenol inhibiting NF-κB/STAT3, inducing apoptosis, curbing angio/metastasis; strong clinical signals as chemo adjunct with bioavailability focus.
Animal only — Animal studies only — no human data.
Computed deterministically from the studies’ types and reported outcomes — not written by AI, and not a claim that anything works.
Forms: Curcumin capsules (500–2000 mg, with piperine or Theracurmin)
Well-studied turmeric extract that shuts down NF-κB/STAT3 inflammation, nudges tumor cells into apoptosis, and reduces VEGF/MMPs. Bioavailability is the bottleneck—formulations like Theracurmin improve exposure. Human trials show signals across several cancers and for chemo-sensitization.
Strong — Multiple RCTs/meta-analyses for various cancers; robust adjunct data.
Curcumin, a turmeric-derived polyphenol, inhibits NF-κB and STAT3 pathways, reducing inflammation-driven tumor growth and metastasis. It downregulates anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL), upregulates pro-apoptotic Bax, and activates caspases, inducing apoptosis. Curcumin resensitizes tumor cells to platinum-based chemotherapy by inhibiting ABC transporters and DNA repair pathways. It also suppresses VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9, inhibiting angiogenesis, and modulates PI3K/Akt/mTOR to limit cell proliferation.
Curated mechanistic targets reported for this agent — how it may act on cells, not proof of a clinical effect.
Combinations reported in the literature, not a protocol or a recommendation.
Severity and how well-established each signal is are shown separately. Verify everything with your oncologist or pharmacist — absence here does not mean safe.
What has been studied, and how strong it is, by topic. A dashed cell means no studies were found for that combination — a gap, not evidence of no effect. Open a row to see its studies.
3 published studies by what they were done in. Lab and animal findings often do not carry over to people.
The kinds of sources behind this page, strongest at the top. Faint rungs show what is not here yet.
Tracking 3 published studies of Curcumin: 1 in animals, 2 reviews/other.
Reported direction across studies: 2 positive, 1 mixed.
Findings conflict — both supportive and negative/mixed results exist (see below). Human evidence is absent so far.
These counts summarize what the studies reported; they are not a measure of whether Curcumin works.
Cancers named in these studies
International journal of biological macromolecules · Jan 2025
The authors designed a new hybrid molecule called CURSAHA by fusing pharmacophores of vorinostat and curcumin. CURSAHA inhibits histone deacetylases, produces reactive oxygen species when exposed to ultrasound, and downregulates HDACs via ROS-mediated redox reactions. The compound showed antitumor activity in cell-based (in vitro) and animal (in vivo) models of breast cancer.
Studied with: ultrasound.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Sep 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed
Biomolecules · Nov 2022 · literature review (PubMed search, accessed 18 June 2022)
This paper is a literature review that collected reports on curcumin and its analogs in non-small cell lung cancer (PubMed search accessed 18 June 2022). The authors summarize reported anti-NSCLC mechanisms, review combinations of curcumin with chemotherapeutic agents, and used Discovery Studio to speculate on interactions with molecular targets. They note that many studies report anticancer effects of curcumin/analogs but that results of clinical trials have been inconsistent. The review concludes that curcumin and its analogs may be promising therapeutic agents or adjuvants for lung carcinoma despite existing challenges.
Studied with: chemotherapeutic agents.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
International journal of women's health · Apr 2019
This is a review article summarizing research on curcumin (the yellow Indian spice) and its effects in endometrial carcinoma. The review describes investigations of curcumin's potential anti-cancer activity and its roles in pathways involved in carcinogenesis. The abstract does not present original experimental data or quantitative results.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Sep 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
The latest additions to Curcumin / Theracurmin's evidence base, and anything that's been retracted.
Recently addedWhere at least one study reported a positive result, shown with the full picture, not just the wins. Positive results are more likely to be published, and most of these are early lab or animal studies that may not translate to people. This reports what studies found, not what works.
A deterministic grade of what published studies report for each: strength of evidence, the reported direction, and the largest credible effect, strongest-evidence first. This summarizes findings; it is not a claim that anything works.
Animal studies only — no human data.
Most authoritative study: A curcumin-based HDACs inhibitor for targeted sonodynamic therapy of breast cancer
No primary experimental studies yet.
Most authoritative study: Curcumin and endometrial carcinoma: an old spice as a novel agent
No primary experimental studies yet.
Most authoritative study: Curcumin and Its Analogs in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment: Challenges and Expectations
No primary experimental studies yet.
Most authoritative study: Curcumin and Its Analogs in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment: Challenges and Expectations
No primary experimental studies yet.
Most authoritative study: Curcumin and Its Analogs in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment: Challenges and Expectations
Ranges seen in adjunct / practice use: 500–8000 mg (po) Divided into 2–3 doses daily. Oncology adjunct: 1000–4000 mg/day (enhanced forms like Theracurmin for better absorption); up to 8000 mg/day in trials., No Rx required. Use bioavailable forms (e.g., with piperine/Theracurmin); take with meals. Clinician oversight for oncology; monitor LFTs at high doses..
0 ongoing · 0 completed · tracked from ClinicalTrials.gov. Recruiting is not the same as proven, and completed is not the same as positive — read the results. Not a recommendation.
Curcumin / Theracurmin is named in these protocols discussed online. Listed for transparency: being part of a protocol is not evidence that it works, and OncoForge does not endorse them.