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What I didn't realize back then was the incredible importance of tomatoes. One of the primary constituents of tomatoes is a carotenoid called lycopene. Over the last several years, lycopene has been shown to be an incredible antioxidant with specific benefits for cardiovascular health along with eyes and prostate function. Two recent studies out of India illustrate the amazing power of lycopene. One study involved 54 patients with confirmed metastatic prostate cancer. As part of typical treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, the testicles are frequently removed, an operation known as an orchiectomy. In this study, patients were randomized to undergo orchiectomy alone or to undergo orchiectomy as well as to receive lycopene 2 mg twice a day. The patients were then studied for approximately two years. After six months there was a significant reduction in the level of PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen), a marker that indicates the level of prostate cancer within the body. However, those patients treated with orchiectomy and lycopene had a significantly reduced PSA compared to the orchiectomy group alone. After two years, the results were even more significant. About 40% of the patients treated with orchiectomy alone had a normal PSA level whereas 78% of those treated with orchiectomy and lycopene had a normal PSA level. In addition, bone scans performed in the orchiectomy group alone showed that 15% of the patients had a complete response whereas 30% of the patients in the orchiectomy/lycopene group no longer had any evidence of bone cancer. The authors concluded that adding lycopene to orchiectomy produced a more reliable and consistent decrease in serum PSA level; it not only shrinks the primary tumor but also diminishes the secondary tumors, providing better relief from bone pain and lower urinary tract symptoms and improving survival compared with orchiectomy alone.(2003)