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
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
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
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.'
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
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!
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
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
Thanks Gail.
I will be checking with my Doc.
Jerry
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
Well I guess a good multi vitamin is good for him to take and just get antioxidents in food.
It just makes me uncomfortable to suggest antioxidents, considering the reasoning they gave us in the first place.
Thanks
Re; the link removed on Selenium:
I don't know anything about Selenium or that site. I happened to Google it and found it (on the 2nd page, 4 down from the top) if you are looking for it. The website appears to be a medical encylopedia.
Take care.
For dietary supplements try International Bibliographic Database on International Dietary Supplements. For general info. try the Agency for Quality Healthcare Research. The NIH has a great CAM site. There are other databases that require access privileges and the net is not always the best source.Additionally, there are always so many confounding factors in eitology and in physiology that one always has to weigh in on there own with their doctors assistance provided they too do the research.
I am curious about anyone else here who is taking curcumin. I finally found a place that sells pills which I can take using a g tube and I think I'm going to ad it to the (few) supplements I take (I also take vit.D+calcium and some extra vit. C and B vitamins). Apparently, it isn't abosrbed well by the body but if it is taken with piperine (a chemical from black pepper) much more is absrobed. But piperine can apparently also increase abosrption of other meds you are taking.
Is anyone taking curcumin and are you doing it with or without piperine?
Nelie