CAM
& Life Style
or Side Effects > Chemo-protection
& enhancement?
Last update: 01/28/2004
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Biologics
| Chemo-protective drugs | Chemo-enhancing
drugs | Antioxidants? |
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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Chemo-enhancing drugs:
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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:
| 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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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
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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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Worrisome
supplements - Fred Hutchinson CRC
This link describes concerns with antioxidant
use.
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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.
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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
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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:
| 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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| Lymphocyte Changes in Lymphoma Patients Receiving Melatonin Plus Chop Chemotherapy.
Year: 2000 Printable Version ASCO Abstract No: 72
(link fixed Nov_25_02)
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