HER2 Support Group Forums - Antioxidants during radiation therapy

Study findings suggest antioxidants do not interfere with radiation treatment

The Society of Integrative Oncology's Third International Conference held in Boston is the site of a presentation that will be given during the weekend of November 11-12 concerning the finding of researchers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America that consuming antioxidants during radiation therapy may not interfere with treatment.

It has been a longtime concern that antioxidant supplements, due to their ability to protect tissues from free radicals, could also protect cancerous tumors from the intended destructive effects of ionizing radiation when taken before or during treatment.

The study compared prostate cancer patients given radiation therapy who did not take antioxidant supplements with those who used green tea extract, melatonin, high potency multivitamins, and vitamins C and E. The researchers found that prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a prostate cancer marker, did not differ between the two groups, showing that the supplements did not impede the effects of radiation.

Lead author Timothy Birdsall, ND, who is vice president of integrative medicine for Cancer Treatment Centers of America commented, "In cancer treatment today, we have to look beyond the traditional focus of treating only the tumor. Cancer patients will be the first to tell you that's not enough. The integrated, whole person approach to cancer is highly valued, so much so that cancer patients and their caregivers are seeking out complementary or alternative therapies on their own."

"This study provides evidence that antioxidants as a complementary therapy in cancer treatment do not interfere with external beam radiation therapy," he concluded. "Antioxidants are one of many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that are crucial in today's fight against cancer."