This research study involves taking an experimental anti-cancer dietary supplement called Sulforaphane (SF) or a placebo (product without any supplement content) over a period of twelve months in order to determine if it is a useful dietary supplement for prevention of lung cancer in humans. The main goals of this research study are: 1. To learn about the effects of giving Sulforaphane (SF) to former smokers who are still at high risk of developing cancer due to their smoking history and whether or not their condition improves, stays the same or becomes worse after Sulforaphane (SF) is given. 2. To learn whether Sulforaphane (SF) might reverse some of the lung cell changes associated with future development of lung cancer.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
43
Sulforaphane (SF) is a naturally occurring substance (phytochemical) found in cruciferous vegetables.
Inactive ingredients
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Change From Baseline in Bronchial Dysplasia Index at 12 Months
To explore if daily oral dose of 120 micromole SF can modulate the changes in bronchial dysplasia from endoscopic biopsies in former smokers at high risk for lung cancer. All bronchial biopsies were formalin fixed, paraffin embedded, and H\&E stained for subsequent morphologic evaluation and classification defined by the World Health Organization The scale to score the biopsy: 1= normal; 2= reserve cell hyperplasia; 3 = squamous metaplasia; 4 = mild dysplasia; 5 = moderate dysplasia; 6 = severe dysplasia; 7 = carcinoma in situ; and 8 = invasive carcinoma. The higher the score the worse the possible outcome.
Time frame: 12 months
Cell Proliferation Marker Ki-67
The primary outcome focuses on the changes of bronchial dysplasia index with cell proliferation marker Ki-67. The determination if a daily oral dose of 120 micromole SF for 12 months can modulate the changes of bronchial dysplasia index, cell proliferation marker Ki-67. Besides the inhibition of tumor incidence and multiplicity, the use of sulforaphane can inhibit cellular proliferation markers such as Ki-67 and induction of apoptosis hallmarks of tumorigenesis. Ki-67 will be quantified as % positive cells in two slides of each tissue block. First, we calculate the average values of each of the 3 IHC markers over 6 tissue blocks within each bronchoscopy per patient separately for pre- and post-treatment. The primary analysis for these continuous measures will be a linear regression predicting post-treatment score by treatment group, controlling for pre-treatment score.
Time frame: 12 months
Apoptosis Marker TUNEL
The determination if a daily oral dose of 120 micromole SF for 12 months can modulate the changes of bronchial dysplasia index, in apoptosis marker TUNEL in bronchial biopsies in former smokers at high risk for lung cancer. TUNEL will be quantified as % positive cells in two slides of each tissue block. First, we calculate the average values of each of the 3 IHC markers over 6 tissue blocks within each bronchoscopy per patient separately for pre- and post-treatment. The primary analysis for these continuous measures will be a linear regression predicting post-treatment score by treatment group, controlling for pre-treatment score.
Time frame: 12 months
Apoptosis Marker Caspase-3
The determination if a daily oral dose of 120 micromole SF for 12 months can modulate the changes of bronchial dysplasia index, in apoptosis marker Caspase-3 in bronchial biopsies in former smokers at high risk for lung cancer. Caspase-3 will be quantified as % positive cells in two slides of each tissue block. First, we calculate the average values of each of the 3 IHC markers over 6 tissue blocks within each bronchoscopy per patient separately for pre- and post-treatment. The primary analysis for these continuous measures will be a linear regression predicting post-treatment score by treatment group, controlling for pre-treatment score.
Time frame: 12 months
Upregulated Genes Associated With Lung Cancer Risk in Bronchial Brushing Samples
Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in bronchial brushing samples. If a gene is upregulated in lung cancer (LC) tissue, the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against LC.
Time frame: 12 Months
Downregulated Genes Associated With Lung Cancer Risk in Bronchial Brushing Samples
Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in bronchial brushing samples. If a gene is downregulated in LC, the enhancing effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against LC.
Time frame: 12 months
Upregulated Genes Associated With Lung Pre-Malignant Lesions (PML) in Bronchial Brushing Samples
GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in bronchial brushing samples. If a gene is upregulated in lung pre-malignant lesions (PML), the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against PML.
Time frame: 12 months
Downregulated Genes Associated With Lung Pre-malignant Lesions (PML) in Bronchial Brushing Samples
GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in bronchial brushing samples. If a gene is downregulated in PML, the enhancing effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes also suggests a protective effect against PML.
Time frame: 12 months
Upregulated Genes Associated With Risk of Lung Cancer in Nasal Brushing Samples
Similarly, GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in nasal brushing samples. If a gene is upregulated in lung cancer (LC), the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against LC.
Time frame: 12 months
Downregulated Genes Associated With Risk of Lung Cancer in Nasal Brushing Samples
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GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in nasal brushing samples. If a gene is downregulated in lung cancer (LC), the enhancing effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes also suggests a protective effect against LC.
Time frame: 12 months
Upregulated Genes Associated With Risk of Lung Pre-malignant Lesions Cancer (PML) in Nasal Brushing Samples
GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in nasal brushing samples. If a gene is upregulated in PML. the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against PML risk.
Time frame: 12 months
Downregulated Genes Associated With Risk of Lung Pre-malignant Lesions (PML) in Nasal Brushing Samples
Similarly, GSVA algorithm was used to calculate gene set enrichment scores in nasal brushing samples. If a gene is downregulated in PML, the overexpression effect of sulforaphane (SFN) treatment on such genes suggests a protective effect against PML
Time frame: 12 months
Overall Number of Adverse Events That Occurred in the Study Population as Assessed by CTCAE v4.0
To determine the safety and toxicity of daily oral dose of 120 micromole SF in former smokers at high risk for lung cancer by monitoring and recording any potential SF-related adverse events (both expected and unexpected events). The severity is calculated by five grades: 1=mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe, 4 = life threatening, 5 = death. Events are assigned to categories of unrelated, possibly elated, probably related, and related.
Time frame: 12 Months