Omer Kucuk, M.D.

Dr. Kucuk brings to Emory an impressive track record of groundbreaking research in cancer prevention through nutritional components. He has been conducting clinical trials with lycopene and soy isoflavones in combination with standard therapy for prostate cancer since 1996. Nutrition and cancer therapy is Dr. Kucuk's primary research focus.

Carotenoids, isoflavones, zinc, selenium, and folic acid are among the cancer preventing compounds found in vegetables and fruits, says Dr. Kucuk. Our current investigations focus on the effects of micronutrients and phytochemicals on biomarkers of cell growth, differentiation, inflammation and oxidative stress in a variety of cancers.

Dr. Kucuk conducted the first clinical trials with lycopene and soy isoflavones in prostate cancer and was the first to report the benefits of lycopene and soy isoflavones in treatment of prostate cancer patients. He reported that lycopene and soy isoflavones have efficacy in patients with hormone-naïve as well as hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

He was the first to report the sensitization of prostate cancer cells to chemotherapy and radiation therapy by soy isoflavones and the first to report that soy isoflavones prevent the adverse effects of radiation in prostate cancer patients.

These studies were done in collaboration with other investigators at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Future studies at Emory Winship Cancer Institute will continue to investigate the role of soy isoflavones and other nutritional compounds alone or in combination with chemotherapy and radiation in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Dr. Kucuk is conducting innovative clinical trials to investigate new approaches to prostate and bladder cancer therapy using combinations of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and nutritional agents.

He has also been very active internationally with collaborative research projects and international conferences conducted with scientists in Turkey, Israel, Brazil and Norway. He organized the First International Congress on Nutrition and Cancer in Antalya, Turkey in May 2008. He was also the first to report that dietary lycopene intake prevents leiomyoma in the Japanese quail in collaboration with veterinary researchers at Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.

Lycopene and soy isoflavones in the treatment of prostate cancer. Nutrition and Cancer, 2007,1-7.

Prostate cancer radiotherapy is enhanced by genistein in vitro and in vivo using a syngeneic orthotopic tumor model. Radiation Research, 2006,73-80.

Soy isoflavones in the treatment of prostate cancer. Nutrition and Cancer, 2003,111-117.