CAM Conference
Add Your Knowledge posts written by Ann Fonfa, advocate
Evidence ‘Equivocal’ for Antioxidants in Cancer
Treatment – Jun 21,2008
As a patient advocate, I deplore the fact that a full 15 years after my own diagnosis, we still do not have usable information (in the view of these authors) to definitely say if it is okay to combine antioxidants with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
This is SO unfair to people with cancer. On the other hand, there is no meaningful evidence showing danger, just guesswork. Is that enough to tell patients to avoid commplementary use of vitamins, acupuncture, homeopathy, or the like during therapy that is KNOWN to be harmful to patients – that is conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
There is plenty of level 2 and 3 evidence as to the value of fresh and organic produce, avoiding JUNK food (soda, fried foods, white flours, etc.) that people can read and react to. We wish they would – read it that is. We support the idea of combining healthy lifestyle/nutrition/exercise/relaxtion/detoxification and the use of supplements.
We also want to point out that vitamin E succinate is considered the appropriate antioxidant with radiation therapy not d-alpha tocopherol. Avoid N-acetyl cisteine at this time. There are studies on this.
Ann Fonfa President www.annieappleseedproject.org
MedPageToday.com
Evidence ‘Equivocal’ for Antioxidants in Cancer
Treatment – Jun 21,2008
As a patient advocate, I deplore the fact that a full 15 years after my own diagnosis, we still do not have usable information (in the view of these authors) to definitely say if it is okay to combine antioxidants with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
This is SO unfair to people with cancer. On the other hand, there is no meaningful evidence showing danger, just guesswork. Is that enough to tell patients to avoid commplementary use of vitamins, acupuncture, homeopathy, or the like during therapy that is KNOWN to be harmful to patients – that is conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
There is plenty of level 2 and 3 evidence as to the value of fresh and organic produce, avoiding JUNK food (soda, fried foods, white flours, etc.) that people can read and react to. We wish they would – read it that is. We support the idea of combining healthy lifestyle/nutrition/exercise/relaxtion/detoxification and the use of supplements.
We also want to point out that vitamin E succinate is considered the appropriate antioxidant with radiation therapy not d-alpha tocopherol. Avoid N-acetyl cisteine at this time. There are studies on this.
Ann Fonfa President www.annieappleseedproject.org
MedPageToday.com
