Therapeutic potentials of curcumin in prostate cancer: a comprehensive review of pathways and clinical prospects.

Prostate cancer (PCa), which occurs mainly in men over the age of 65, is the most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Depending on the condition, approaches like radical prostatectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and androgen-deprivation therapy may be used to treat the patient. However, none of these treatment methods are sufficient to treat PCa. Hence, significant efforts have been made to improve the quality of PCa treatment, and curcumin has demonstrated great potential as an effective treatment. Curcumin, a polyphenol found in the rhizome of turmeric, has attracted significant attention due to its effects on numerous cancer-related biological pathways. This review provides an overview of the efficacy of curcumin against prostate cancer and includes in vivo, in vitro, and human studies. The findings of this study suggest that curcumin can enhance PCa treatment by regulating several cellular signaling pathways, including androgen receptor (AR), activator protein 1 (AP-1), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), Bcl-2 family, Wnt/β-catenin, phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Akt (PI3K/Akt), and orchestrating the expression of oncogenic microRNAs and tumor suppressor microRNAs. Furthermore, research indicates that curcumin sensitizes cancer cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In conclusion, curcumin shows great promise in improving prostate cancer treatment by targeting key cancer pathways and enhancing the effects of existing therapies. While its potential is clear, further clinical studies are needed to refine its use and ensure its effectiveness in real-world applications.