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Chemo-protection & enhancement?

  

CAM & Life Style or Side Effects > Chemo-protection & enhancement?

Last update: 01/28/2004  

Biologics | Chemo-protective drugs | Chemo-enhancing drugsAntioxidants? | Fish oil? | Glutamine/Whey? | Melatonin?

The abstracts within do not demonstrate proof of benefit or absence of risk.  
See Evaluating Medical Claims & Data for details.
 

Chemotherapy - systemic treatment with a variety of chemical agents - is commonly used to treat patients with lymphomas and other cancers.  For lymphomas, chemotherapies are often particularly effective. 

Chemo-protective: a quality of some drugs, foods, or lifestyles that may protect healthy tissue from the toxic effects of anticancer drugs, or carcinogens in the environment.

                                 Topic Search: PubMed | Web  and see Diet & Exercise

Chemo-enhancement: a property of some drugs, foods, or lifestyles that may increase the effectiveness of anticancer drugs by increasing uptake of the drugs into cancer cells, or making the cells more sensitive to the effects. 

Note:
it is always possible that interventions with chemo-protective & -enhancing properties may have unintended adverse consequences when used when receiving treatments. Only well- designed clinical trials can provide the data for informed use. 

IMPORTANT: Discussion of the use of supplements with your physicians is particularly important when undergoing treatment.

The purpose of this page is to provide links to reputable sources of information on practices that may protect them from side effects and/or enhance the effects of chemotherapy. We hope the summary and sources will assist patients in consultations with their doctors to make better-informed decisions. 

Biologics:

Biologics, with trade names such as Neumega®, Neupogen®, and Procrit® can help to restore blood counts, and protect you from many side effects associated with chemotherapy. Importantly, these new therapies can help to keep you on treatment schedule, which could be important to how effective your treatment will be.  
See Biologics for details.

 

Safer drugs formulations and chemoprotectives: 

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Amifostine - protect the kidneys against the harmful effects of the cancer-fighting drug cisplatin - MedlinePlus
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Liposome versions of chemotherapy agents *may* reduce side effects without compromising efficacy.

Chemo-enhancing drugs:

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Xcytrin - (motexafin gadolinium) (investigational)


 
Antioxidants?
Antioxidants use with chemotherapy is a controversial subject. Please consult with your physician before self-administering antioxidants or any supplement, especially during treatment.  
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Some recent studies suggest that antioxidants may enhance chemotherapy; and that oxidative stress can interfere with chemotherapy induced apoptosis.  Importantly, high doses of one antioxidant, Vitamin C, results in oxidative effects  (opposite of antioxidant).  This adds to the complexity and confusion for both patients and physicians.  

Related studies:
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Chamomile to help prevent or heal mucositis?- See Chamomile
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Oxidative stress interferes with cancer chemotherapy: inhibition of lymphoma cell apoptosis and phagocytosis. Blood. 2000 Jul 1;96(1):307-13. PMID: 1089146 - PubMed
"If oxidants have the same effect on drug-induced apoptosis in vivo as they do in vitro, then the overall effectiveness of chemotherapy might be improved by coadministering antioxidants with the chemotherapeutic agents." - Quote from full text of cited study.
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Detailed Study of Anti-Oxidants - Lamson, MS, ND and Brignall, ND
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Induction of apoptosis by chemotherapeutic drugs without generation of reactive oxygen species. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2002 Jan 15;397(2):262-72. PMID: 11795881 - PubMed
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Neuroprotective effect of vitamin e supplementation in patients treated with Cisplatin chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Mar 1;21(5):927-31. PMID: 12610195 - PubMed
Also see  Medscape free login req.
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Vitamin E [topical]  in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Am J Med 1992;92:481–4.  abstract
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Also see Silymarin
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Worrisome supplements - Fred Hutchinson CRC
This link describes concerns with antioxidant use.
Fish Oil?
 
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There is some scientific data suggesting that supplementing with fish oil (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) might enhance the efficacy of some chemotherapy agents and that it might protect against some side effects..

CAUTION: Fish oil consumption may increase the risk of bleeding in susceptible individuals, and interactions with other chemotherapy agents is not well known.

See Fish oil & Lymphoma - abstracts
Glutamine 
Whey Protein?
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Glutamine may compliment chemotherapy and lessen side effects.

CAUTION: Glutamine might stimulate the growth of some types of malignant cells, therefore it may not be wise to supplement with this amino acid during watch & wait status.

Related studies:
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Oral supplementation with whey proteins increases plasma glutathione levels of HIV-infected patients. Eur J Clin Invest. 2001 Feb;31(2):171-8. abstract
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Total parenteral nutrition with glutamine in bone marrow transplantation and other clinical applications (a randomized, double-blind study) JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1993 Sep-Oct;17 abstract
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Oral and parenteral glutamine in bone marrow transplantation: a randomized, double-blind study -  JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1999
Melatonin?
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Melatonin is a natural hormone, normally created by the pineal gland. It is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light.  It regulates the human biological clock. Melatonin is a highly important antioxidant, it may also modulate immune function.

Related studies:
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Melatonin: reducing the toxicity and increasing the efficacy of drugs.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2002 Oct;54(10):1299-1321. PMID: 12396291 - PubMed
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Melatonin as an effective protector against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2002 Jul;283(1):H254-63. PMID: 12063298 - PubMed
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Cyclophosphamide plus somatostatin, bromocriptin, retinoids, melatonin and ACTH in the treatment of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas at advanced stage: results of a phase II trial. Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 2001 Apr;16(2):171-7.  PMID: 11385964 - PubMed
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Melatonin decreases bone marrow and lymphatic toxicity of adriamycin in mice bearing TLX5 lymphoma. Life Sci. 1998;63(19):1701-13. PMID: 9806226 - PubMed
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Lymphocyte Changes in Lymphoma Patients Receiving Melatonin Plus Chop Chemotherapy. Click here, then Go to slide 72. (link changed)
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Melatonin restores and enhances the human type B tonsillar lymphocyte subset in recurrent acute tonsillitis. Neurosci Lett. 1998 May 15;247(2-3):131-4. 
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Lymphocyte Changes in Lymphoma Patients Receiving Melatonin Plus Chop Chemotherapy.  Year: 2000 Printable Version ASCO Abstract No: 72 (link fixed Nov_25_02)
 
Disclaimer:  The information presented on Lymphomation.org is not intended to be a substitute for 
professional medical advice or to replace your relationship with a physician.
For all medical concerns,  you should always consult your doctor. 
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