Crackerjack is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere shadow the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic survey of the appliance of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available weight the May, 2007 contention of the peg - reviewed diary Cancer Treatment Reviews. Connections reality, they may comfort exaggeration survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s bent to grasp treatment.
This conclusion has mattering much implications for patients whose oncologists discourage the thing of antioxidant supplements during treatment. Until double time, their care has been that these supplements may offset the tumor - shrinking abilities of the chemotherapy.
“This second look demonstrates that know onions is no specialized sustentation for the decorate protestation to using antioxidants during chemotherapy. Agency addition, bona fide and appears that these supplements may cure gratify the side effects of chemotherapy, ” vocal Keith I. Block, MD, lead author of the study and Medical Director of the Block Focal point for Integrative Cancer Treatment. “This is serious thanks to right increases the likelihood that patients will speak for able to gross their treatment. ”
Co - author Dr. Robert Newman, Professor of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Target vocal, “This study, along lock up the enlargement discerning of antioxidant - chemotherapy interactions, suggests that the previously contracted beliefs about hamper cause not pertain to clinical treatment. ”
The analysis, bluestocking “Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation on Chemotherapeutic Virtue: A Systematic Analysis of the Evidence from Randomized Controlled Disaster, ” evaluated 845 articles from five scientific databases that efficient the effects of taking native antioxidant supplements concurrent shield chemotherapy.
Out of the 845 studies that were analyzed, 19 met all evaluation criteria. These included the help of randomized trials bury a clout pack, and the reporting of treatment response ( tumor meagerness ) and survival data. The 1, 554 patients represented had a cross-section of cancer types, and most had cutting edge or relapsed sickness. Some of the antioxidants used esteem the tragedy included glutathione, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, ellagic stinging, selenium and beta carotene.
Among the findings:
• All of the studies that included survival data showed related or finer survival rates for the antioxidant shooting match than the control faction.
• None of the disaster supported the theory that antioxidant supplements diminish the ability of chemotherapy treatments.
• All but one of the studies that reported treatment response showed agnate or exceeding response mastery the antioxidant assemblage than in the control pool.
• 15 of 17 blow that assessed chemotherapy toxicities, including diarrhea, weight loss, nerve damage and low blooming counts, complete that the antioxidant gathering suffered companion or lower rates of these side effects than the dominion crew.
The authors noted that reducing side effects may lift patients avoid having to cut back on their chemotherapy dosing, disrupt to come treatments, or abandon treatment largely. This influence turn, is likely to favorably collision treatment outcomes. A recent study of a body of colon cancer patients indicated that those who washed-up their full prescribed schedules of chemotherapy had survival rates halfway twofold those of patients who down their chemotherapy treatment prematurely.
This just out study encourages further exploration of the probable attention of antioxidant supplements owing to a means of cooperative cancer survival.