Cancer patients who consume peanuts regularly can raise the risk of the spreading of cancer. Therefore, frequent or heavy peanut consumption needs to be avoided by some cancer patients so as to prevent metastasis of cancer. Peanut agglutinin, or PNA, is a protein that binds carbohydrates that enters your circulation of blood after you consume peanuts. In addition, it interacts with your blood vascular wall and endothelial cells that produce molecules that are called cytokines.
The cytokines MCP-1 and IL-6 promote cancer metastasis. Increased production of cytokine causes the endothelial cells to express cell surface adhesion molecules. This makes them attractive to circulate tumor cells and promote the process of metastasis.
The PNA that circulates binds to a special chain of sugar that occurs primarily on cancer and pre-cancerous cells. This interacts with a large protein that is expressed on your tumor cell surface in your bloodstream. Besides, the trigger of this interaction alters in the large protein, which results in underlying adhesion molecules on the cancer cell surface becoming exposed. This makes the cancer cells become sticky and attach themselves easily to blood vessels. It allows your cancer cells to form clumps that prolong the cancer cell survival in the circulation of the body.
Epithelial cancers can further spread to other organs as it travels through your bloodstream. Further investigation and research are required that suggest that the frequent and heavy consumption of peanuts by patients suffering from cancer are at risk of having a metastatic spread.
Therefore, there remains a possibility that PNA at high levels can have a significant effect on the circulation of tumor patients. Hence, if you are a patient suffering from cancer, it will be better if you avoid frequent or heavy consumption of peanuts.
Conclusion:-
In case you need more dietary advice as a cancer patient, you can contact Prolife Cancer Centre and Research Institute in Pune.
