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Use of Antioxidants During Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Should Be Avoided

Dr. D’Andrea is Assistant Clinical Member, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

The term "complementary and alternative methods" (CAM) refers to products and regimens that individuals may employ either to enhance wellness, relieve symptoms of disease and side effects of conventional treatments, or cure disease. CAM articles provide evidence-based information on promising complementary and alternative methods, and inform clinicians of methods that may harm patients.

Many patients being treated for cancer use dietary supplements, particularly antioxidants, in the hope of reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Some researchers have claimed, furthermore, that antioxidants also increase the effectiveness of cytotoxic therapy and have explicitly recommended their use. However, mechanistic considerations suggest that antioxidants might reduce the effects of conventional cytotoxic therapies. Preclinical data are currently inconclusive and a limited number of clinical studies have not found any benefit. Clinicians should advise their patients against the use of antioxidant dietary supplements during chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Such caution should be seen as the standard approach for any unproven agent that may be harmful.

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