Loading ...Nutrients & HealthStudy: Nutrition Supplements Aid Breast Cancer Care
Many women who need chemotherapy, surgery or radiation for breast cancer take a drug called tamoxifen. The hope is that this drug will reduce recurrence of the breast cancer. New research shows that nutritional supplements can help the drug do its job better.
Some background: Doctors monitor breast cancer recurrence or relapse by watching certain markers. Two breast cancer tumor markers are called CEA and CA 15-3.
Researchers from India studied 84 breast cancer patients. Some were not treated. Others were on 10 mg tamoxifen twice a day. And some of those on the drug also received a daily supplement of 100 mg CoQ10, 10 mg riboflavin and 50 mg niacin a day.
CEA and CA 15-3 levels were elevated in untreated breast cancer patients. Their tumor marker levels dropped with more than one year of drug therapy. But patients supplemented with CoQ10, riboflavin and niacin for 90 days also had significantly reduced marker levels.
I am not sure why the scientists chose these three particular supplements in these particular dosages to add to the drug regimen. The important point is that there appears to be nutritional factors that could reduce the risk for recurrence. Women on tamoxifen should ask their doctors about vitamin supplements.
[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D., is a practicing physician and best-selling author. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition. For the latest research on organic ways to improve your health and well-being, click here.]
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Tags: breast cancer, CoQ10, niacin, riboflavin, supplements, tamoxifen
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