A trial to see if dietary supplements can affect abnormal cervical cells (CRISP-1)

This trial tried to find out if a dietary supplement could help abnormal cervical cells return to normal. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

A cervical smear test can pick up different stages of ‘abnormal cells’ on the neck of the womb (the cervix). As these cells are ‘pre cancerous’, the treatment you have can prevent cervical cancer. What you have depends on whether the cells show borderline, mild, moderate or severe changes (dyskaryosis).

If you have moderate or severe cell changes, you will then have a colposcopy. This is a close examination of your cervix. If you have borderline changes, you will probably have another smear test 6 months later, or you may have a colposcopy. If you have mild changes you will either have another smear test 6 months later or a colposcopy.

A supplement called diindolylmethane (pronounced di-in-doll-ile-me-th-aine), called DIM for short, is found in vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Research has shown that DIM may change pre cancerous cells back to normal cells.

In this trial, women who had borderline or mild cervical cell changes took a form of DIM, called BioResponse DIM, every day for 6 months. The aim of this trial was to see if DIM helped abnormal cells return to normal.