It is known that people with cancer are using antioxidant vitamins at high rates. It is not
known if these vitamins are safe to use during cancer treatment. It is not known if common
vitamins and minerals used by many cancer patients will interfere with cancer treatments by
reducing the effectiveness of the cancer therapy. Preliminary studies that look at the
addition of antioxidants during cancer therapy show us that antioxidants could play a
significant role in the management of cancer.
Antioxidants are vitamins and other nutrients that help to decrease inflammation in the body
by stopping free radicals or oxidants. Common antioxidants include vitamins E, C, and A,
beta-carotene, and glutathione. Some doctors who treat cancer are now using antioxidants with
chemotherapy while others believe they should not be used with cancer treatment.
The purpose of this study is to try and understand if it is safe efficacious to add
antioxidant nutritional supplements to traditional chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy
during the treatment of cancer.