Title:Antioxidant Supplementation on Cancer Risk and During Cancer Therapy: An Update
VOLUME: 15 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Tomris Ozben
Affiliation:Akdeniz University, Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Biochemistry, 07070 Antalya, Turkey.
Keywords:Antioxidants, Cancer, Chemotherapeutic agents, Oxidative stress, Radiation, Reactive oxygen species,
Supplements.
Abstract:Radiation and some chemotherapeutic agents used in conventional cancer treatment generate
reactive oxygen species (ROS), and a high ROS level diminishes cellular antioxidant capacity and leads to
apoptosis and cancer cell death. Antioxidant supplements are consumed widely by cancer patients in order to
prevent toxic side effects of cancer treatment to normal tissues and organs. However, the effects of antioxidant
supplementation in cancer therapy were largely disappointing. There is still no consensus on the efficacy
and safety of dietary antioxidant supplementation during conventional cancer therapy. In some studies, antioxidant
supplements did not reduce the risk for cancer or prevent tumour growth; at the contrary, these interventions resulted
in some cases to be harmful to the patients. Therefore, a guidance on antioxidant supplementation based on large
clinical trials is urgently needed in order to obtain the best possible care and to avoid risky treatments for cancer patients.
