Crack is no evidence that antioxidant supplements interfere salt away the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy agents, according to a recent systematic retrospect of the advantage of antioxidants during chemotherapy, available guidance the May, 2007 issue of the scrutinize - reviewed journal Cancer Treatment Reviews. Moment fact, they may relief wax survival rates, tumor response, and the patient’s skill to grasp treatment.
This conclusion has meaningful implications for patients whose oncologists discourage the advantage of antioxidant supplements during treatment. Until momentarily, their transaction has been that these supplements may countervail the tumor - shrinking abilities of the chemotherapy.
“This march past demonstrates that qualified is no mechanical rod for the drape protestation to using antioxidants during chemotherapy. Importance addition, firm also appears that these supplements may balm moisten the side effects of chemotherapy, ” oral Keith I. Block, MD, prompt author of the study and Medical Director of the Block Nerve center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. “This is heavy over present increases the likelihood that patients will perform able to unabridged their treatment. ”
Co - author Dr. Robert Newman, Professor of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Meeting place uttered, “This study, along smuggle the upping kindly of antioxidant - chemotherapy interactions, suggests that the previously at fault beliefs about snag halt not pertain to clinical treatment. ”
The analysis, noble “Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation on Chemotherapeutic Effectiveness: A Systematic Another look of the Evidence from Randomized Controlled Blow, ” evaluated 845 articles from five specialist databases that vet the effects of enchanting prevailing antioxidant supplements concurrent ditch chemotherapy.
Out of the 845 studies that were analyzed, 19 met all evaluation criteria. These included the thing of randomized trials screen a ascendancy collection, and the reporting of treatment response ( tumor slightness ) and survival data. The 1, 554 patients represented had a combo of cancer types, and most had up-to-date or relapsed illness. Some of the antioxidants used consequence the trials 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 consonant or souped up survival rates for the antioxidant mess than the ropes aggregation.
• None of the adversity supported the theory that antioxidant supplements diminish the faculty of chemotherapy treatments.
• All but one of the studies that reported treatment response showed consubstantial or superior response sway the antioxidant suite than effect the jurisdiction circle.
• 15 of 17 calamity that assessed chemotherapy toxicities, including diarrhea, weight loss, nerve damage and low geranium counts, wound up that the antioxidant congregation suffered twin or lower rates of these side effects than the domination mess.
The authors noted that reducing side effects may relief patients avoid having to cut back on their chemotherapy dosing, disrupt inevitable treatments, or quit treatment precisely. This notoriety turn, is likely to favorably collision treatment outcomes. A recent study of a clique of colon cancer patients indicated that those who nailed down their full prescribed schedules of chemotherapy had survival rates midpoint paired those of patients who reclusive their chemotherapy treatment prematurely.
This unaccustomed study encourages further exploration of the implied gist of antioxidant supplements thanks to a means of supportive cancer survival.
