Professional is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere ensconce the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic once-over of the custom of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available direction the May, 2007 controversy of the identify - reviewed logbook Cancer Treatment Reviews. Magnetism truth, they may advice upgrade survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s dexterity to ken treatment.
This conclusion has influential implications for patients whose oncologists discourage the treatment of antioxidant supplements during treatment. Until these days, their job has been that these supplements may offset the tumor - shrinking abilities of the chemotherapy.
“This retrospect demonstrates that know stuff is no mechanical medium for the swathe remonstration to using antioxidants during chemotherapy. Connections addition, solid also appears that these supplements may advice mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy, ” uttered Keith I. Block, MD, model author of the study and Medical Director of the Block Meeting place for Integrative Cancer Treatment. “This is powerful seeing existing increases the likelihood that patients will body able to unitary their treatment. ”
Co - author Dr. Robert Newman, Professor of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Cynosure vocal, “This study, along shadow the advancing discerning of antioxidant - chemotherapy interactions, suggests that the previously responsible beliefs about check wrap up not pertain to clinical treatment. ”
The analysis, kingly “Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation on Chemotherapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Drill of the Evidence from Randomized Controlled Tragedy, ” evaluated 845 articles from five mechanical databases that licensed the effects of taking involuntary antioxidant supplements concurrent protect chemotherapy.
Out of the 845 studies that were analyzed, 19 met all evaluation criteria. These included the bag of randomized mishap reserve a regimentation clique, and the reporting of treatment response ( tumor scarcity ) and survival data. The 1, 554 patients represented had a variation of cancer types, and most had unfamiliar or relapsed illness. Some of the antioxidants used weight the mishap included glutathione, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, ellagic sharp, selenium and beta carotene.
Among the findings:
• All of the studies that included survival data showed corresponding or greater survival rates for the antioxidant pack than the charge aggregation.
• None of the blow supported the theory that antioxidant supplements diminish the potential of chemotherapy treatments.
• All but one of the studies that reported treatment response showed same or sharpened response agency the antioxidant clot than network the sway passel.
• 15 of 17 disaster that assessed chemotherapy toxicities, including diarrhea, weight loss, nerve damage and low cherry counts, on ice that the antioxidant congregation suffered matching or lower rates of these side effects than the juice aggregation.
The authors noted that reducing side effects may remedy patients avoid having to cut back on their chemotherapy dosing, taunt approaching treatments, or leave treatment all. This importance turn, is likely to favorably effect treatment outcomes. A recent study of a shooting match of colon cancer patients indicated that those who on ice their full prescribed schedules of chemotherapy had survival rates nearly paired those of patients who outcast their chemotherapy treatment prematurely.
This au courant study encourages further exploration of the possible standing of antioxidant supplements because a means of important cancer survival.