Summary:
Curcumin is used to treat various health conditions, most commonly with oral formulations. When ingested, its clinical use is limited by poor bioavailability, solubility, rapid metabolism, and clearance. Intravenous (IV) administration has been suggested as a method to overcome some of these limitations. IV curcumin is used by some integrative cancer practitioners with goals of improving cancer outcomes and quality of life. Our search yielded 6 studies including one randomized controlled trial, three phase 1 studies of safety and pharmacokinetics (PK), and 2 case reports. One of the phase I studies was conducted in healthy adults but is included due to a paucity of data. There is insufficient data to establish efficacy, safety, dosage, and drug interactions for IV curcumin in cancer care at this time. Preliminary data suggests IV curcumin is likely safe when used at the studied doses and formulations. More high-quality research is warranted with standardization of curcumin formulations, doses, scheduling, and cancer patient population.