Antioxidants can help blunt the damage of chemotherapy

By Dr. Patrick Massey | Daily Herald Columnist Published: 3/10/2008 12:08 AM

Can antioxidants improve outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for cancer? Although the medical research is far from conclusive, there is increasing evidence judicious use of antioxidants may improve outcomes and survival in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

One of the mechanisms by which chemotherapy kills cancer cells is believed to be through the production of very destructive molecules called free radicals. These free radicals can cause damage to the cell membrane as well as the DNA.

Unfortunately, chemotherapy is not specific enough to only attack cancer cells. Many healthy cells are also damaged or killed. Antioxidants help to protect against the damage caused by these free radicals.

It has been theorized that, during chemotherapy, the use of antioxidants may actually help to protect tumor cells as well as healthy cells. Although this may be theoretically valid, there have been very few studies to support this line of thinking. Over the past 20 years, there has been an increasing awareness within the medical community that the judicious use of antioxidants may actually be beneficial for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

A recent, published review of the medical literature on the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy yielded interesting results. This article, published in Cancer Treatment Reviews, was a collaborative effort spearheaded by Dr. Keith Block, a nationally recognized expert in cancer and alternative medicine, and researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago and the world-renowned M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The researchers reviewed 845 articles in the medical literature; 19 were found to be of good scientific and clinical quality and were included. The studies evaluated the effect of a number of antioxidants -- including vitamin C, vitamin E and N-acetylcysteine -- on several parameters of clinical success including survival and overall toxicity. None of the studies demonstrated that the use of antioxidants during cancer treatment had any negative consequences on the specific cancer therapy. Indeed, those who used antioxidants during their cancer therapy had overall increased survival, better response to the medical therapies and fewer side effects and toxicities.

Sometimes doctors must limit chemotherapy because the patient can't tolerate the side effects. The nausea, fatigue, bone marrow suppression, insomnia and bowel problems can be significant. Evidence suggests patients who complete an entire course of chemotherapy have significantly greater survival. Studies have also suggested that the use of antioxidants may reduce side effects and allow a patient to complete an entire course of chemotherapy. Some research even suggests that fish oil and resveratrol (a bioflavonoid from purple grapes) may actually improve the effectiveness of some types of chemotherapy.

There is much more research to be done, but there will come a day when specific antioxidants are given in conjunction with chemotherapy. Until that time, talk with your oncologist or consult a medical expert in this area. In Illinois, there are a number of local medical physicians with fellowship training in complementary and alternative medicine.