Antioxidants, which can be found in dietary supplements and fruits such as apples, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums and cherries, combat oxidative stress at the cellular level. Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center found a link between antioxidant-based drugs and the suppression of cancers such as mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest, or abdomen caused by asbestos exposure.

According to the study, the loss of Caveolin-1, a tumor-suppressing protein, leads to the growth of tumors and predicts cancer outcomes. Loss of Caveolin-1 leads to oxidative stress in the mesothelioma cells, promoting tumor growth.

The researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center believe that the antioxidants fight the stress and cut the fuel supply for the tumor growth. As a result, they believe that antioxidant medications could stop tumor growth in mesothelioma patients.

Symptoms of mesothelioma can appear 10-60 years after exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2,700 people in the U.S. die each year from mesothelioma.

From the July 27, 2011,Prepared Foods' Daily News.