Lymphoma, Chemotherapy, & Antioxidants
Using antioxidants during chemotherapy is an important and controversial question among health care providers, patients, and their support teams. In previous issues of Avenues, we have researched this subject thoroughly for prostate, breast, lung, colon, and ovarian cancers. In this article, we turn our focus to lymphoma, conducting a systematic search for published research that would support or discourage the use of antioxidants in combination with chemotherapy.
Ovarian Cancer, Chemotherapy, & Antioxidants
Chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of ovarian cancer work, in part, by inducing even higher levels of oxidative stress to attack cancer cells. This increased oxidative stress also causes chemotherapy related side effects. Oncologists have been concerned that antioxidants, which can decrease oxidative stress, can therefore also decrease chemotherapy treatment effectiveness or increase resistance to chemotherapy. However, no substantial clinical research has emerged to support the assertion that antioxidants are contraindicated during chemotherapy.
Colon Cancer, Chemotherapy, & Antioxidants
Although not commonly addressed in clinical consultation, scientific evidence suggests that combining certain chemotherapy treatments with specific antioxidants at defined dosages can improve drug effectiveness or may reduce side effect severity in the treatment of colon cancer.
Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy, & Antioxidants
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests combining specific chemotherapy treatments for lung cancer with certain antioxidants at defined dosages can help improve drug effectiveness or reduce the severity of side effects. In this evidence-based review article, Johanna Altgelt, an associate researcher at the Pine Street Foundation, searched through thousands of peer-reviewed, published studies and discusses how antioxidants may enhance or, in some cases, inhibit the therapeutic action of specific chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of lung cancer.
Breast Cancer: Advances in Diagnosis & Treatment
There has been significant progress in the diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer this past year. In this article, guest author Gwendolyn Stritter, MD, discusses some of the latest research and observes how there is increasingly "more information about which herbs, supplements, and other alternative/complementary approaches can minimize treatment side effects and possibly even reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence."
Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, & Antioxidants
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests combining certain chemotherapy treatments with certain antioxidants at specific dosages can help improve drug effectiveness or reduce the severity of side effects. In this evidence-based review article, we searched through thousands of peer-reviewed, published studies and discuss how antioxidants may enhance or, in some cases, inhibit the therapeutic action of specific chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of breast cancer.
Talking to Your Children About Your Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment
This article discusses how to talk to children about cancer diagnosis and treatment. The author, Michael Haas, MA, MFT, writes how "explaining cancer to a child is difficult and requires thoughtfulness, compassion, and some understanding of how children of different ages deal with trauma."
Your Mind and Cancer Treatment: Understanding and Addressing Cognitive Decline
Often called "chemobrain," patients going through various cancer treatments can sometimes experience cognitive dysfunction, such as slowed thinking, memory problems, and poor coordination. In the first of two new articles in our Becoming Your Own Advocate series, we address the issue of cognitive dysfunction by discussing its causes and offering various solutions that can help prevent or minimize its effects.
Information That Could Save Your Life
Guest contributor Marie Savard, MD, wants "each of us to take medical matters literally into our own hands" by compiling and maintaining a complete set of our own medical records. In the second new article in our Becoming Your Own Advocate series, Dr. Savard describes why a complete set of records is important and offers tips for how to go about finding and requesting copies.