Antioxidants are widely believed to help reduce the risk of certain cancers, but if taken by cancer patients undergoing cytotoxic therapy they may have a detrimental effect, according to a commentary in the Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Antioxidants,, such as vitamins A, C and E and carotenoids like beta-carotene, are believed to exert a protective effect on cells. They scavenge toxic molecules called free-radicals, which cause oxidative stress and can lead to DNA cell damage. Gabriella D’Andrea, assistant clinical member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s department of medicine, wrote in the journal that oncologists are frequently asked what patients can do to reduce the toxicity of treatments. Surveys have shown that as many as 50 percent of cancer patients use dietary supplements.
