Colorectal cancer is a major problem in the United States and other developed countries. A
safe and effective chemopreventive agent could reduce the burden of colorectal neoplasia.
Curcumin, is a product that is derived from Curcuma longa. It has been used for thousands of
years as a traditional remedy. Curcumin blocks a number of targets involved in tumor
initiation, promotion, and progression, and is considered a promising chemopreventive agent.
The investigators propose to enroll 40 patients after screening colonoscopy who will have
rectal biopsies at baseline and after 4 weeks of curcumin 4 grams per day. The investigators
will use microarray analysis to identify genes that are modified by curcumin that could be
used as biomarkers in future chemoprevention studies. The study will also evaluate
tolerability and toxicity.