Chondroitin and melanoma: How worried should you be?

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Chondroitin sulfate is among the most popular supplements in the world. It’s often taken in combination with glucosamine for joint disease — some take it for prevention, others to treat pain. And yet, evidence that it actually works at all is limited at best. One review of the evidence suggested that of the few studies of chondroitin that were positive, nearly all were funded by makers of the supplement. Despite this, millions of people take it, many of my patients swear by it, and the lack of evidence doesn’t seem to be much of a concern to them. A frequent comment I hear is: “Well, I’m not sure if it’s doing much but it can’t hurt, right?” A new study suggests that maybe it can. Can chondroitin increase melanoma risk? Researchers publishing in the medical journal Molecular Cell are raising concerns that chondroitin sulfate may encourage the development or recurrence of melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. Here’s what they found: The growth of human melanoma cells with a particular mutation (called V600E) that had been grafted onto the skin of mice was promoted when the mice consumed chondroitin sulfate. About half of human melanomas contain this mutation. Among mice fed chondroitin sulfate, these melanoma tumors were more resistant to an antitumor drug, vemurafenib, than those without the mutation. Although this research did not actually study people with melanoma, the study authors speculate that for peo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Arthritis Cancer Health Skin and Hair Care Vitamins and supplements Source Type: blogs