Hi Nelie --

I have read the paper that reports the negative impacts of alpha-tocopherol and it is certainly a cause for concern -- although other papers contradict it. (So what else is new? -- I'm a scientist, it happens all the time...)

BUT -- a conservative approach is best when dealing with such a potentially serious issue and you were right to have stopped your Vitamin E intake during treatment.

Interestingly enough, the prostate cancer experts say that it is the gamma isomer, not the alpha, that confers anti-prostate cancer protection. That is, taking alpha-E isn't doing much good in any case (for PC, at least).

The use of alpha-E as a topical application of the mouth during radiotherapy (not swallowed, just as a coating) was shown in one study to significantly reduce severity and duration of mucositis compared to a placebo (Head and Neck ,2004;26:313