Hi,
I've posted an interesting article in the news section of the web site about the use of vitamin and anti-oxidants by cancer patients and the inconclusive results of a number of studies.

If you're taking vitamins and other supplements, you can read about it here:

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/news/story.asp?newsId=1119

- Sheldon

Hmmm- reading that article brought to mind my Grandmother's advice to me long ago. It was "Live well till you die".

I know I am tired, but isn't this saying that you are not supposed to taking vitamins etc. when you are undergpoing treamtent or have active cancer? If so, what's new. I was told this in 1997 first diagnosis. They put me on an vitamin and zinc regimen after all clear. If nothing else, I havn't had a cold since.

Eileen

I was wondering the same thing as Eileen when I saw the article. I started taking vitamin C supplements (along with a multivitamin) several years after my cancer treatment was finished, and I haven't had a cold in probably a decade.

Cathy

Yep, This is the advice I was given when I was undergoing treatment--take no supplements except a multivitamin (which I esssentially got in my day's worth of "Jevity" consumption once I was usuing the tube).

But I was under the imporession that the logic of that was just that antioxidents could actually protect the cancer cells--the way my MO exaplained it was that both chemo and radiation kill cancer cells more easily than normal cells because the cancer cells grow at an abnormal rate--if antioxidants slow the growth down, the treatment may be less effective.

But this article sumarizes some research that suggests antioxidants aren't good to take in large doses at any point and could actually increase cancer occurences over time, even when you have no cancer to begin with. That's new and a little disturbing.

Obviously there's a lot not known still!