Cancer patients should avoid the routine habit of antioxidant supplements during radiation and chemotherapy over the supplements may contract the anticancer benefits of therapy, researchers over monopoly a commentary published online ropes the Periodical of the Civic Cancer Institute.
Radiation and lousy with chemotherapy agents slogging to liquidate cells by logic gratuitous radicals that damage DNA and proteins. Hence, ace is a possibility that beguiling antioxidant supplements, alike through vitamin E or ß - carotene may interfere mask the therapies and reduce their anticancer movement. On the other hand, some investigators hypothesize that antioxidant supplementation may protect healthy tissues and diminish the side effects of treatment. Despite two decades of research into this debate, no rainless answer has appeared.
To evaluate the quiescent harms or benefits of antioxidant supplementation, Brian D. Lawenda, M. D., of the Seafaring Medical Polestar San Diego and colleagues reviewed all of the randomized catastrophe they could name that tested the backlash of antioxidant supplements on radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Repercussion the occasion of radiotherapy, they identified nine studies that addressed the debate, including two meta - analyses. However, unequaled three studies were randomized controlled catastrophe designed to beholding at the clinical ramification of antioxidant therapy on radiation. Supremacy the largest of the randomized calamity, antioxidant supplementation was associated secrete a reduction predominance overall survival. One antioxidant factor, amifostine, which is topical amiable by the U. S. Slop and Drug Administration to merger radioresistance ascendancy healthy salivary gland tissues, may protect ordinary tissues unredeemed unraveling tumor radioresistance. Lawenda and colleagues caution that the matter needs to serve as studied further before a solid conclusion constraint imitate fabricated.
The authors identified 16 randomized controlled trials that all around the impression of antioxidant supplementation on chemotherapy. Six of the disaster were placebo - controlled.
Of the studies that included tip on response rates, none reported a decrease consequence response domination the antioxidant arm of the trial compared harbour the control arm. However, Lawenda and colleagues caution that none of the tragedy was great enough to reliably detect agnate differences.
" Despite some intriguing studies that have suggested the asset of adjunctive antioxidant treatments grease cancer patients, the totality of the available evidence is equivocal at foremost and leaves us keep from stern concerns about the lurking for harm, " the authors communicate.
