Cruciferous vegetables consumption and lung cancer prevention: epidemiological studies and molecular mechanisms

During the last decades cancer has become a global concern and it is currently considered as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Lung cancer (LC), which is the first and foremost cause of cancer death, is mostly caused by airborne carcinogens exposures, such as cigarette smoke (CS), automobile exhaust, and coal combustion, that lead to DNA damage and mutation. Various cellular systems have been evolved to counteract this destructive process, including DNA repair and the programmed cell death machineries. However, the growing level of exposure to environmental insults of modern life requires additional protection against diseases like cancer, such as found in a daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. Here, we review studies that show LC chemopreventive effects of cruciferous vegetables and their phytochemicals, and describe the molecular mechanisms potentially involved in its prevention.