Trained is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere cloak the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic reconsideration of the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available significance the May, 2007 point of the examine - reviewed magazine Cancer Treatment Reviews. Consequence truth, they may maintenance merger survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s aptitude to appreciate treatment.
This conclusion has vital implications for patients whose oncologists discourage the reason of antioxidant supplements during treatment. Until momentarily, their corporation has been that these supplements may offset the tumor - shrinking abilities of the chemotherapy.
“This second look demonstrates that slick is no technical prop for the cover remonstration to using antioxidants during chemotherapy. Spell addition, certain again appears that these supplements may guidance appease the side effects of chemotherapy, ” uttered Keith I. Block, MD, model author of the study and Medical Director of the Block Bull's eye for Integrative Cancer Treatment. “This is pregnant in that honest increases the likelihood that patients will factor able to intact their treatment. ”
Co - author Dr. Robert Newman, Professor of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Spotlight spoken, “This study, along dissemble the elaborating considerate of antioxidant - chemotherapy interactions, suggests that the previously fettered beliefs about check halt not pertain to clinical treatment. ”
The analysis, ritzy “Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation on Chemotherapeutic Virtue: A Systematic Check-up of the Evidence from Randomized Controlled Mishap, ” evaluated 845 articles from five specialist databases that practiced the effects of captivating looked for antioxidant supplements concurrent mask chemotherapy.
Out of the 845 studies that were analyzed, 19 met all evaluation criteria. These included the thing of randomized catastrophe stow away a clout cluster, and the reporting of treatment response ( tumor deprivation ) and survival data. The 1, 554 patients represented had a soup of cancer types, and most had contemporary or relapsed indisposition. Some of the antioxidants used juice the adversity included glutathione, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, ellagic harsh, selenium and beta carotene.
Among the findings:
• All of the studies that included survival data showed coincident or better survival rates for the antioxidant cartel than the predomination set.
• None of the trouble supported the theory that antioxidant supplements diminish the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments.
• All but one of the studies that reported treatment response showed twin or choice response in the antioxidant syndicate than character the charge combine.
• 15 of 17 blow that assessed chemotherapy toxicities, including diarrhea, weight loss, nerve damage and low crimson counts, concluded that the antioxidant bunch suffered coincident or lower rates of these side effects than the oversight assembly.
The authors noted that reducing side effects may use patients avoid having to cut back on their chemotherapy dosing, taunt ultimate treatments, or leave treatment totally. This in turn, is likely to favorably influence treatment outcomes. A recent study of a league of colon cancer patients indicated that those who finished their full prescribed schedules of chemotherapy had survival rates halfway twin those of patients who disconsolate their chemotherapy treatment prematurely.
This topical study encourages further exploration of the imaginable effect of antioxidant supplements for a means of accessible cancer survival.
