Data Still Lacking on Lycopene, Cancer Link

COLLEGE PARK Md.FDA found no credible evidence to support an association between lycopene intake and reduced risk of various types of cancer.
In an evidence-based review for qualified health claims, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (ePub July 10, 2007, DOI:10.1093/jnci/djm037), FDA took into account numerous studiesexamining tomatoes, lycopene and cancer risk reductionand rejected most of them due to flaws in design or because the studies did not provide enough information for FDA scientists to draw conclusions.
One major problem FDA cited: In studies of diet, it's too difficult to determine the effect of a single nutrientin this case lycopenewhen so many others may also be at play. As a result, the agency determined there was no credible evidence to support a link between lycopene in any form (in dietary supplement or in food) and a lower risk of any of the cancers it considered.
Of 81 studies of lycopene and cancer, all were excluded from the review for these dietary factors. And of 64 studies on tomatoes or tomato products and cancer, only 39 were deemed strong enough to be included in the review. FDA found no credible evidence, based on these studies, to support the idea that tomatoes or tomato products lower the risk of lung, breast, colorectal, endometrial or cervical cancer.
The FDA review was a response to two petitions (from 2004) for qualified health claims regarding tomatoes, lycopene and the risk reduction for some forms of cancer.

FDA.gov