Anyone know if vitamins/supplements/antioxidants interfere with radiation therapy?

Question

I recently finished radiation therapy to the brain for a small cell tumor (5cm/5cm, left hemisphere) and I wish to fight it w/ other options as well.

Will vitamins reduce to effectiveness of the radiation delivered to my brain?

What about anti-oxidants like Flaxseed, grapeseed extract, selenium(which I'm told is a particularly potent free radical scavenger), and others?

What about Taurine and Colostrum which are said to be respectively protective of the brain and promote healing? Would those lessen the effects of the radiation treatment?

I keep getting differring responses from my oncologist, radiotherapist, neurosurgeon and my pharmacist!! Very confusing.

Any help, answers or suggestions will be greatly appreciated! S/he who takes the time and energy to help as much as possible will be rewarded with a "best answer" rating and my everlasting gratitude! I know it isn't much, but it's all I have to give.

Thanks a lot, everyone!

Steve

Answer 1

You can go to Entrez PubMed and research this issue, but I'm afraid you won't find any conclusive evidence one way or the other. There has not been adequate research to form a definitive answer, but you will find tons of 'opinions' that have been submitted as documentation both pro's and cons'.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed

I think you need to discuss this with your primary oncologist. You hired him for his expertise and experience in treating cancer. If you are dissatisfied with the direction his treatment has given you, than perhaps it is time to change doctors. The primary consideration should be to find an oncologist that you totally trust with your life. It does not sound like you have that type of trust in his opinion, so maybe you need that change?

I know many people who once they complete their traditional treatment of chemotherapy and radiation will go through a detox process and begin a maintenance phase using complementary treatment and diets. There is no conclusive evidence that this prevents the cancer from reoccuring, but it makes them feel better to be able to try and control their health once again. And, who knows maybe there is some benefit to it.

My son has a very rare sarcoma. The only long term survivors of his disease have used tradional treatment exclusively. I really do wish there was a simple answer, but there is not.

Find a primary oncologist that is not bothered by complementary treatments and will be willing to work with you regardless. Both MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan Kettering offer complementary treatment services. Perhaps they could advise you.

MD Anderson: Complementary/Integrative Medicine Education Resources
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/CIMER/

Memorial Sloan Kettering: Integrative Medicine
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/1979.cfm

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov/

Good luck with your research and best of health to you.

Answer 2

I can tell you that we tell patients not to take vitamin E during Radiation Treatments, I'm told that E may be associated with an increased risk of recurrence. Also...Radiation is used to destroy cells while antioxidants repair cells. It sounds like they would work against each other. Having said that this is an area that needs more research and the researchers out there don't agree with each other. That is probably why you are hearing different views from the professionals you are dealing with. Good luck to you!

Answer 3

I've done a short search of litterature on the subject of antioxidants only to find uter confusion, so no wonder health professionals are confused !

The main problem is the classification 'antioxidant'. It covers so many classes of chemically different compounds. I'm ready to bet a lot of money that they:
-have different mechanisms of action
-have other activities (sometimes known, many times unknown)

The problem is that flavonoids, which seem to act in synergy with chemotherapy, are classed in this same (too) broad class as beta-carotene, which seems detrimental. By focusing on the 'antioxidant' effect, people forget the main effect of all those compounds on the body, and also their associated side-effects (because like any chemicals, they have side-effects; 'natural' substances are NOT devoid of side-effects).

I'm afraid you have to research the litterature on the actual compound, or class of compound, rather than the misleading class of 'antioxidant'. In my opinion this highly inapropriate classification should be abandonned by scientists to avoid confusing health professionals & the public.

Answer 4

The best thing you could do is see an alternative medicine practitioner for that advice. An acupuncturist could also help. A regular MD isn't going to have the level of info that an alternative medicine practitioner would about supplements.

In the mean time, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, Brazil nuts (very high in selinium and omega 3 oils), B-complex vitamins, antioxidants and fish oil.

Answer 5

So little research has been done on these interactions. The discovery of new interactions between herbals and medicines are being discovered all the time. The view is that it is better to be safe than sorry.
Anyway, it is not good to take high amounts of anti-oxidants. A recent large study has shown high levels of anti-oxidants actually increase your risk of death.

Answer 6

DO NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES!!!! Talk to your oncologist first...My father has had every treatment available for his lymphoma- including radiation- the dr was very strict about what he could and couldn't use.
I hope that you are better....good luck.

Answer 7

Floresence= natural medicine+ vitamins only in mexico or try it to buy on line

Answer 8

No you can not.