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[crecco]

Vitamin C May Interfere With Chemotherapy
Sunday October 12, 2008
High doses of Vitamin C have been suggested to help boost the immune system and help your body battle everything from the common cold to cancer. New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York suggests that taking high doses of Vitamin C during chemotherapy may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

There were two parts to this study. First, a laboratory study showed that when cancer cells were exposed to high doses of Vitamin C before being exposed to chemotherapy the chemotherapy drugs killed 30-70 percent fewer cancer cells. Second, mice with artificially stimulated cancerous tumors were either given high doses of Vitamin C or observed without treatment. Tumors grew much faster in those mice who received the high dose Vitamin C.

In looking to explain these results it turns out that the very processes that Vitamin C helps in healthy cells also work in cancer cells. Vitamin C protects mitochondria, the energy centers of both normal and cancer cells. Also, Vitamin C seems to accumulate in much higher levels in cancer cells than normal cells. Therefore, when high doses are taken there is reason to believe that this can interfere with potentially life saving treatment.

Does this mean that you should not take Vitamin C or any other antioxidants during treatment? The overall picture is not clear, but this study is disturbing and suggests caution to those that might be overzealous in alternative treatments. This study did not look at low dose or dietary supplementation, which is more moderate and less likely to have a counterproductive effect. However, it may be more prudent to hold off on any higher dose antioxidant consumption until AFTER treatment is finished.

[silver&gold]

I recently read  a simular report from Cancer research UK. Before I started chemo I was told that I must not take any vitamins or supplements of any kind, the reason being that the liver has too much to process with chemo and can,t cope with processing anything else.

Angie

[marie3B]

I was told the same thing.  I was only allowed to take calcium and magnesium during treatment.  Marie

[Jan214]

My onc knows that I practically live on fresh fruit, and he has asked me to eat less of it for several days before and several days after chemo.  His exception to that is cranberries in any form.  With that Rutgers study showing that cranberry juice helps kill cancer cells maybe the IV OJ should be replaced with cranberry juice.  
Thanks Chris, Jan

[marie3B]

Yes.  Cranberry juice, the 100% cranberry kind, was what got me through chemo.  Marie

[Jan214]

Actually, in that Rutger's study they used different brands of juices straight off the grocer's shelves and they found that Cranberry juice that contained as little as 27% cranberry juice was still just as effective.  So, that would mean that you wouldn't need huge mega doses which is probably best. What's that old saying about to much of a good thing....  I know mega doses are a big trend, but with all the meds we are on wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to tax our system with huge doses of supplements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

[JC145]

As I  have mentioned several times before, I drank 27% cranberry juice (sometimes cut with a little water) beginning with my first chemo treatment and still drink it 5 out of 7 days a week.  I also like dried cranberries on my salad every day (in place of tomatoes).  Sometimes, I just munch on cranberries.  Cranberries .. a good thing.  Judy

[Cindy809]

Chris, how are you?  I haven't been here for a long time.  Donna has been on my mind and in my prayers.  I've been lurking here and keeping up with everyone.  I agree with taking Vit C after treatment.  It does seem counterproductive to take it during treatment.  I'm just waiting for a break from this chemo.  It would be nice to put some healthy antioxidants back into my body.  Thank you for the information.  I have heard this before.  There is a gal from the ovca.net forum that has been doing IV Vit C for about 1 year.  Unfortunately, she is now having a recurrence.  So it might have stopped progression.  Or it was going to recur anyway.  At best her body is ready for more chemo.  Talk soon, Love, Cindy

[Mary 53]

Cindy, I am not sure if we have ever "connected" on this site, but I do remember when you joined back in March. I recall that you live in VA. I am origionally from The DC area. Anyway, I was happy to see you post today since just the other day I was thinking of you and wondering how you were doing.

Mary

[crecco]

Cindy, it is good to hear from you. I hope that you are doing much better now and that your treatments are working.
  I see to many articles like this and hear too much from the Dr, that I would just be very leery of it. Since the chemo is what is keeping many of us alive, why would any of us do anything to jeopardize the way that it works?
  Love Chris

[dawnlyn]

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