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Research: THOMAS-SCHOEMANN and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 212
Abstract
THOMAS-SCHOEMANN and COLLEAGUES, Hopital Cochin, service de pharmacie, Paris, France. schoemann.audrey@gmail.com analyzed among French cancer patients the prevalence of CAM use, focusing on antioxidants (AO) that could interfere with antitumor agents.
Background
Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been reported to be more and more frequent among cancer patients in USA. The aim of this study was to analyze among French cancer patients the prevalence of CAM use, focusing on antioxidants (AO) that could interfere with antitumor agents.
Methodology
Seventy-nine patients, treated by antitumor chemotherapy in oncology day care unit, participated to an interview (medium age 60 years old).
Results
CAM use was reported by 42% of patients: mostly antioxidants (AO) (24%) (selenium, green tea and vitamins ACE, more specifically), but also relaxation, acupuncture, hypnosis (19%) and homeopathy (15%). Among patients using CAM, 66% of them indicated that their physicians were not aware of this use and 47% of them thought that CAM use was safe. Nevertheless, for seven patients who have taken AO, previous in vitro and preclinical studies suggested interactions with antitumor chemotherapy. Therefore, CAM use and, more specifically, AO use is common among cancer patients treated by antitumor chemotherapy in France. Nevertheless, AO could generate interactions with conventional treatment.
Conclusion
Clinical studies are warranted to evaluate these interactions, and adequate communication with patients is needed.
References
Thomas-Schoemann A, Alexandre J, Mongaret C, Azibi S, Dauphin A, Goldwasser F, Lemare F. [Use of antioxidant and other complementary medicine by patients treated by antitumor chemotherapy: a prospective study]. [French] Bulletin du Cancer. 98(6):645-53. Jun 2011.
Comment
The suggested is mooted by the authors that use of antioxidants might interview with conventional cancer chemotherapy treatments. Similar hypothetical suggestions regarding vitamin C’s interaction with methotrexate were subsequently tested and proven to be groundless. The actions of antioxidants including selenium, green tea and vitamin C are thought to help ameliorate the highly toxic side effects of chemotherapy, particularly in the low doses generally available in supplement form.
