Strawberries May Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer April 6, 2011 -- Eating freeze-dried strawberries may help prevent esophageal cancer, according to new but preliminary research.

''Eating strawberries may be a way for people at high risk for esophageal cancer to protect themselves from the disease," says researcher Tong Chen, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus.

She presented the results of her small study at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Orlando, Fla. The study was funded by the California Strawberry Commission.

After an animal study showed strawberries might have some cancer-fighting benefits for esophageal cancer, Chen decided to study their effect in people.

She evaluated the use of freeze-dried strawberries in 36 men and women who had precancerous lesions of the esophagus.

Their average age was about 54. All were at high risk for cancer of the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. It allows food to enter the stomach for digestion.

In 2010, 16,640 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. and 14,500 people died of it, according to the American Cancer Society. Risk factors for esophageal cancer include tobacco use and the combination of smoking and drinking alcohol heavily. A diet low in fruits and vegetables may also increase risk.

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