What are Free Radicals and how do they contribute to Cancer

Free radicals are playing a role in gene mutations and oncogene overexpression. They are molecules that are unstable because they contain an unpaired electron. When a free radical molecule contacts the electrons of a stable molecule, the free radical molecule gains or loses electrons to achieve a stable paired-electron configuration. In the process, however, the electron balance of the stable molecule is disturbed, and the stable molecule becomes a free radical molecule. In this manner, free radicals initiate a chain reaction of destruction. Free radicals can damage DNA, protein, and fats. Indeed, free radical damage has been implicated as a major contributor to cancer, as well as to other degenerative diseases such as aging, cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, brain dysfunction, and cataracts.

Free radicals can be produced by a variety of means. They can be produced by external factors such as radiation and cigarette smoke, and by internal events such as immune cell activity and cellular respiration (cellular “breathing” of oxygen). In humans, up to 5 percent of oxygen taken in is converted to free radicals during cellular respiration. During respiration, cells consume oxygen (O2) and produce water (H2O). By products of this process include the superoxide radical (O2), which can lead to the production of the very damaging hydroxyl radical (OH) (The dot represents unpaired electrons.) The hydroxyl radical is the most toxic of all the oxygen-based free radicals.

Other important kinds of free radicals include the peroxyl and the alkoxyl radicals, both of which are involved in lipid peroxidation (oxidative damage to fats). In recent years, the term reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been adopted, since it includes the above-mentioned radicals plus hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and molecular oxygen (O2). While not free radicals in themselves, these two can easily become free radicals in the body.

The body maintains a variety of antioxidants as a multilevel defense against free radical damage. These include the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; antioxidants synthesized in the body, such as glutathione, proteins, and uric acid; and antioxidants obtained from the diet, such as flavonoids, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene. Nevertheless, antioxidant defenses are not perfect, and DNA is damaged regularly. There may be as many as 10,000 oxidative hits to DNA per cell per day in humans.12 The vast majority of these lesions are repaired by cellular enzymes. Those that are not repaired may progress toward neoplasia (the formation of cancer cells). Because of the continual bombardment of DNA and other tissues by free radicals, the body must obtain ample antioxidant supplies through the diet. Epidemiological studies support a protective role for dietary antioxidants by consistently reporting that populations who consume inadequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables are at a higher risk for cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases.

Not only can free radicals initiate cancer, they can also facilitate cancer progression. And in fact, multiple human tumor cell lines have been reported to produce ROS (especially hydrogen peroxide) in vitro.14 Under normal circumstances, few cells other than immune cells produce hydrogen peroxide. Free radical production by tumor cells may help them mutate or display other malignant properties such as tissue invasion. For example, superoxide radicals have been reported to increase the invasive capacity of rat liver cancer cells in vitro.

To be clear though, free radicals are not always bad. Only when they are overproduced or the body’s antioxidant system is overwhelmed do they cause problems.