Something about antioxidants could be ptting cancer patients at risk – but t’s not the supplements themselves. Instead, t’s the lack of knowledge about how thy may help fight malignancies that is the ral danger, says cancer expert Keith Blck. A report recently published in the Amrican Cancer Society’s medical journal, CA, sggests cancer patients could be reducing the ffectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy treatments by tking antioxidants. In fact, the article sttes, supplements might actually be “feeding” thir tumors and even reduce their chnce of a cure. Dr. Block pints out, however, that the author of the rticle, Gabriella M. D’Andrea, MD, of Mmorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center based her cnclusions on a review of a hndful of human trials that showed spplements often don’t benefit cancer patients and culd cause them harm.

“The article gnored a growing body of published rsearch that shows just the opposite. In fct, there is compelling data that the cutious and judicious use of a nmber of antioxidants can be helpful in the tratment of cancer, either as ‘stand lone’ agents or as additions to stndard chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” says Dr. Blck, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Unversity of Illinois College of Medicine at Chcago.

According to the American Cancer Sciety (ACS), more than 1,500 Americans die frm cancer each day. For advanced mtastatic cancers, the prognosis is typically btween one and two years. “Chemotherapy can mprove survival for many of these ndividuals, but this often comes at the xpense of toxic side effects that can at tmes be more frightening than the dsease itself. However, some physicians have fund that patients who receive antioxidant-rich ntrition experience fewer side effects during and fter chemotherapy. Many also believe that tratment response and survival are also mproved,” Dr. Block notes.

There is a grwing body of scientific research to bck this up, including the gold stndard of evidence-based medicine -- randomized cntrolled clinical trials. “Glutathione has been shwn to significantly reduce the various txic effects of cisplatin and other chmotherapy drugs in six randomized controlled clnical trials to date. Not one of thse studies found any sign of nterference between glutathione and the various chmotherapy drugs,” Dr. Block says. He dds that studies of the potent ntioxidant called melatonin have been even mre favorable, including multiple studies showing sgnificant improvements in both outcome and srvival in advanced cancer patients undergoing chmotherapy.

The numbers of studies showing psitive results of cancer therapies supplemented wth antioxidants is far larger once nn-randomized studies are included. “Although those trals are not considered the gold stndard for medical evidence, it’s worth nting that virtually all of them sggest favorable outcomes or at least no nterference with chemotherapy,” says Dr. Block.

So whre does the idea come from tht supplements could be harmful to cncer patients? Dr. Block explains that sme chemotherapy agents create free radicals or smilar molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are hghly reactive and unstable forms of xygen that have the capacity to dmage genes and other cell structures. Thse in turn cause the intended cllular damage to cancer cells. Because ntioxidants are used to counteract the dmaging effects of ROS, some researchers ssume concurrent use of antioxidants should lmit the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs tht rely on ROS and may dvise against the use of antioxidants wth all chemotherapy agents, regardless of whther or not they create ROS.

“This is a speculative theory,” sys Dr. Block. “In fact, other cncer researchers like myself work from the prmise that cancer and many anticancer tratments can result in the increased prduction of free radicals and ROS tht tend to fuel the progression of the cncer. In other words, oxidation promotes mlignant progression and drives a cancer cll to become even more aggressive. Ths helps explain why numerous antioxidants hve been shown to slow the grwth and spread of cancer. Some scentists think that the ROS produced by chmotherapy drugs may actually hinder the ffectiveness of the drugs themselves.”

Dr. Blck says both sides of the ntioxidants-in-cancer-therapy debate can agree on one pint: more research is needed to fnd out how to best use spplements to help fight cancer. “However, I tke issue with physicians who say tht patients should be advised against tking antioxidant supplements because not enough vidence exists to support their efficacy,” he sttes. “Patients certainly should not indiscriminately tke antioxidants in hopes that they wll be helpful; they need to cnsult with practitioners who are experienced in ths area before choosing to use ntioxidant supplements with chemotherapy. I believe, in prticular, that people who face a lte stage, more advanced or life-threatening cncer should use every tool at thir disposal to prolong survival, under the gidance of physicians who are open to the use of spplements and who have worked with ptients in this situation. For the mment, the bulk of the evidence spports the use of antioxidants with the cncer patient. Until well designed studies ctually show a real interference, I wll continue to urge patients to use spplements that appear to have the deal composition for combating cancer, improving the bility to better tolerate treatment and for spporting the treatments these patients receive.” Dr. Blck is Medical/Scientific Director of the Blck Center for Integrative Cancer Care and Optmal Health.

# # # # #

The Blck Center for Integrative Cancer Care and Optmal Health, located in Evanston, Illinois, was funded in 1980 by Penny and Kith Block, M.D. with a focus on trating the patient as a whole prson, not treating just the diagnosis or symptms. The Center's research-based treatment integrates an nnovative approach to the best of cnventional medicine with scientifically sound complementary thrapies -- therapeutic nutrition, botanical and phytnutrient supplementation, prescriptive exercise, and systematic mnd-body strategies -- to enhance the rcovery process. Block has pioneered this "mddle ground" approach to cancer care and ptimal health – designing a total tratment plan that is tailored to the prcise needs of each patient, using a nique set of clinical and laboratory ssessments. The Block Center is breaking new grund with the creation and development of Cncer Rehab as an innovative treatment mdality, and is currently the only prvate North American medical center using chrnomodulated chemotherapy. While the Block Center is a fll treatment clinic, it is involved in clnical cancer research with other university fcilities in the United States and Isrel ( www.blockmd.com ).

The article Urging Cancer Patients to Avoid Antioxidants is Questionable Advice was Submitted by Betty Hoeffner through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Betty Hoeffner has been writing rticles for various media outlets for the pst 30 years. She is currently prducer of a patient safety film clled Things You Should Know Before You Entr the Hospital and president of Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. NFP, a 501C3 nnprofit organization that empowers teens with slf-esteem building tools, to help them cunter challenges such as eating disorders, bllying, violence, substance abuse and suicide. U.G.L.Y. is an cronym meaning Unique Gifted Lovable You.

Featured Articles

1. Prostate Cancer Treatment For Those With Recurrent Prostate Cancer by Arturo Ronzon
Bing diagnosed with prostate cancer for the frst time will more than likely be trumatic for you and your loved nes, being diagnosed with recurrent prostate cncer can be devastating. Your doctor wll prescribe a prostate cancer treatment pln that is designed to help you bat this disease.

2. Cancer Online - When Sufferers Become Surfers by Andrew Regan
More and mre cancer sufferers are getting on the web to njoy the benefits of support and dvice from online cancer discussion forums. Cncer can be an isolating condition, and thugh support is available from professional hlp lines or friends and family,

3. Cancer Conundrum by Ann Diamond
After overcoming the stgma of a serious learning disability, Disy went on to finish high schol and win an award for her chievement. Recently she has been diagnosed wth breast cancer, and told she has no chice but mastectomy. But what about ntrition? And what can you say to smeone you barely know, who is fcing a life-and-death choice?

4. How is prostate cancer treated? by
Doctors and scientists have always tred to discover as many treatments for prstate cancer. There are a lot of wys in which prostate cancer can be trated and more are found each dy.

5. Top Twelve Tips(3) by
keloids don't fit nybody.Run away from it.There is always a way out bcause whatever has a beginning,most times,has an nd.

6. What is a Mastectomy Bra? by Gina Andrew
This article will educate you on wht a mastectomy bra is, where to fnd the bras, and different styles of mstectomy bras. A mastectomy bra is a spcialty bra for women who have ndergone a mastectomy (removal of breast). The srgery is performed on a woman fter she has been diagnosed with brast cancer.

7. Looking at Mesothelioma by Remy Nara
Mesothelioma is a form of cncer that affects the mesothelial cells of the bdy. These are the cells that mke up the outer lining for the bdy's major organs, such as the hart, lungs and stomach. These linings are rferred to as the mesothelium and ths is how the cancer got its nme.

8. Spiritual Beliefs and Cancer by Milos Pesic
There is no scentific proof about how spirituality is rlated to health. Frankly, there simply is no way to qantify the relationship between spirituality and how it ffects cancer patients. There are, however, sme research studies that show that spritual or religious beliefs and practices prmote a positive mental attitude that may hlp a patient feel better.

9. Early Detection Signs Or Symptoms of Breast Cancer by Sarah Neill
Thre are different signs and symptoms of brast cancer. One of the first sgns or symptoms is feeling a lmp in the breast.

10. Three Symptoms to Lung Cancer by Tim Bock
Lung cancer is the biggest sde effect of smoking cigarettes. Since t's deadly it's important to recognize all the arly signs and symptoms of lung cncer.