Vitamin pills may cut effects of cancer drugs

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Vitamin pills may cut effects of cancer drugs Last Updated: 11:10PM BST

27/05/2008

 

Vitamin supplements could reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatments,

experts have warned. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment kill tumours by

inducing the creation of free radicals – destructive molecules which damage DNA

and proteins.

Antioxidants mop up free radicals, which is generally beneficial to health.

But supplements such as vitamin E and beta carotene may also reduce the potency

of anti-cancer treatments, according to US researchers.

Dr Brian Lawenda, from the Naval Medical Centre in San Diego, California,

reviewed evidence from a number of trials.

 

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Of three randomly controlled radiotherapy studies, one investigation showed

that antioxidant supplements were associated with lower survival rates.

No chemotherapy trials reported lower survival rates for patients on

antioxidants, but the researchers said none of the studies was sufficiently

large to spot such differences.

The scientists wrote in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute: " Despite

some intriguing studies that have suggested the benefit of adjunctive

antioxidant treatments in cancer patients, the totality of the evidence is

equivocal at best and leaves us with serious concerns about the potential for

harm. "