#53840 10-07-2006 04:16 PM | Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 | Hi all!
During treatment they said don't take antioxidents as they promote cell growth, possibly bad cells too.
How comfortable are you taking antioxidents now, after treatment?
Do you take suppliments at all? and what?
Thanks LisaB
My Dad (Sam) at age 69 dx SCC Base of Tongue T1N2C Well-Diff - March 2006.
35 IMRT rads & 3 Cisplatin chemos - Apr-June/06. Nodes shrunk 50% Dr's suggest ND. Negative PET - he declined ND.
March/07 Had Bilateral ND. No Cancer!! Doing Well!
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#53841 10-08-2006 05:51 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 | I take a multivitamin every day, as well as 500mg of Vitamin C. I honestly can't remember how long after my treatment I went on this regimen, but I've been on it for a good many years and haven't even had a cold in ages. My diet also tends to be high in fruits, vegetables, grains and seafood (but occasionally includes things like a Whopper with fries!).
I also take calcium supplements daily, since bone density is starting to be an issue for me.
My oncologist regularly checks with me about my vitamin/supplement routine and seems to think I don't need anything else at this point.
Cathy
Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989
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#53842 10-08-2006 07:49 AM | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 624 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 624 | Our radiation oncologist asked Barry to stop taking Vitamins E and C during treatment. She wanted him to continue taking selenium (not an antioxidant, but a necessary component of the immune system which has been found to have positive benefits in head/neck cancer). He also could continue taking vitamin D. After about three weeks after end of treatment, she OK'd resumption of C & E although Barry doesn't routinely tak C now as he is eating enough natural fruits and veggies. He also takes lycopene and calcium, and teh E he takes is gamma-E.
Gail
CG to husband Barry, dx. 7/21/05, age 66, SCC rgt. tonsil, BOT, 2 nodes (stg. IV), HPV+, tonsillectomy, 7x carboplatin, 35x tomoTherapy IMRT w/ Ethyol @ Johns Hopkins, thru treatment 9/28/05, HPV vaccine trial 12/06-present. Looking good!
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#53843 10-08-2006 01:45 PM | Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 | Gail I just Googled Selenium and here's what I found, on one site anyhow:
'Although most research suggests that selenium prevents cancer, one study found an increased risk of a type of skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) in people taking selenium supplements.17 The National Academy of Sciences recommends that selenium intake not exceed 400 mcg per day, unless the higher intake is monitored by a healthcare professional.'
My Dad (Sam) at age 69 dx SCC Base of Tongue T1N2C Well-Diff - March 2006.
35 IMRT rads & 3 Cisplatin chemos - Apr-June/06. Nodes shrunk 50% Dr's suggest ND. Negative PET - he declined ND.
March/07 Had Bilateral ND. No Cancer!! Doing Well!
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#53844 10-08-2006 03:50 PM | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 | Lisa,
Thanks for the link about Selenium. I've been taking 200 mcg/day for years. In fact, my wife just picked up a bottle today as I ran out of it last week.
It is going back to the store, tomorrow.
Jerry
Jerry
Retired Dentist, 59 years old at diagnosis. SCC of the left lateral border of the tongue (Stage I). Partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed, 4/6/05. Nodes all clear. No chemo no radiation 18 year survivor.
"Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger"
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#53845 10-08-2006 04:04 PM | Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 | Well look into it further and ask the pharmacist. It's so confusing; they tell us things are good for us, then they say they are bad for us. Confusing or what!
My Dad (Sam) at age 69 dx SCC Base of Tongue T1N2C Well-Diff - March 2006.
35 IMRT rads & 3 Cisplatin chemos - Apr-June/06. Nodes shrunk 50% Dr's suggest ND. Negative PET - he declined ND.
March/07 Had Bilateral ND. No Cancer!! Doing Well!
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#53846 10-09-2006 01:20 AM | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 624 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 624 | Don't take one bit of information and overreact -- there are many studies linking low serum Selenium levels with increased risk and severity of head and neck and other cancers, and conversely, other studies showing that Se supplementation during therapy increases the immune response and tumor-killing capabilities of your white blood cells. Why? Selenium is a "micronutrient" and a vital part of the glutathinone component of your immune system. Lack of Se has long been linked, for example, to increased rates and severity of prostate cancer (why men are told by almost every PC expert to take 200 mcg/day Se). Se can be obtained from food, such as nuts, but if you live in an area where soils are deficient this becomes more difficult. The entire US east coast, as well as large portions of the north- and midwest have Se-deficient soils where supplementation may be needed. However, NEVER take more than 200 mcg/day or you can risk Se poisoning which manifests itself first in nail, skin and hair problems.
Barry was taking 200 mcg/dy of Se because he had had one "iffy" prostate biopsy (none since, but...) His MO thought he should continue that through treatment and cited several studies.
Here is one important one, but if you do a google for "selenium and head and neck cancer" you will get a lot more.
Selenium and immunocompetence in patients with head and neck cancer. Kiremidjian-Schumacher L, et al. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2000 Feb;73(2):97-111.
This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study aimed to determine whether oral intake of 200 microg/d of sodium selenite, a dose within the safe and adequate daily intake (50-200 microg/d) recommended by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, will abrogate depressed or enhance normal-level immune functions of patients receiving therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Subjects were given one selenium/placebo tablet/d for 8 wk, beginning on the day of their first treatment for the disease (e.g., surgery, radiation, or surgery and radiation) and their immune functions were monitored. Supplementation with selenium (Se) during therapy resulted in a significantly enhanced cell-mediated immune responsiveness, as reflected in the ability of the patient's lymphocytes to respond to stimulation with mitogen, to generate cytotoxic lymphocytes, and to destroy tumor cells. The enhanced responsiveness was evident during therapy and following conclusion of therapy. In contrast, patients in the placebo arm of the study showed a decline in immune responsiveness during therapy, which was followed, in some patients, by an enhancement, but the responses of the group remained significantly lower than baseline values. The data also show that at baseline, patients entered in the study had significantly lower plasma Se levels than healthy individuals, and patients in stage I or II of disease had significantly higher plasma selenium levels than patients in stage III or IV of disease.
Note two things : 1) The patients taking Se during therapy had better immune responses and 2) the patients with lowest Se serum levels (indicating they were deficient in this nutrient) had the worse cancers. The latter point is made in at least 3-4 other papers I "googled" a few minutes ago, similar results to the more numerous prostate cancer/Se studies.
Gail
CG to husband Barry, dx. 7/21/05, age 66, SCC rgt. tonsil, BOT, 2 nodes (stg. IV), HPV+, tonsillectomy, 7x carboplatin, 35x tomoTherapy IMRT w/ Ethyol @ Johns Hopkins, thru treatment 9/28/05, HPV vaccine trial 12/06-present. Looking good!
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#53847 10-09-2006 06:00 AM | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | A month after treatment, the dietitian put me on Zinc, Vit C, Vit E(now a no-no some say) and a multi vitamin like Centrum for quicker healing. I also take Vit B-50, good for hair and nails, and Calcium+D. I too haven't had a cold in years.
Take care, Eileen
---------------------- Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
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#53848 10-09-2006 03:56 PM | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 | Thanks Gail.
I will be checking with my Doc.
Jerry
Jerry
Retired Dentist, 59 years old at diagnosis. SCC of the left lateral border of the tongue (Stage I). Partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed, 4/6/05. Nodes all clear. No chemo no radiation 18 year survivor.
"Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger"
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#53849 10-09-2006 09:46 PM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 218 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 218 | It seems that there is contradictory evidence about the advantages of taking vitamins and anti-oxidants. This story from the OCF news section has a reasonable summary of current research. http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/news/story.asp?newsId=1197 The last line of the article: "A lot of people are passionate about their vitamins," says Dr. Miller of the National Institute on Aging. "I don't know where they get it from, but it's not based on scientific evidence." My suggestion would be to check with a medical oncologist about vitamin supplements and the general topic of chemo-prevention. - Sheldon
Dx 1/29/04, SCC, T2N0M0 Tx 2/12/04 Surgery, 4/15/04 66 Gy. radiation (36 sessions) Dx 3/15/2016, SCC, pT1NX Tx 3/29/16 Surgery
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