Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is commonly used to help destroy cancer cells. According to BreastCancer.org, radiation therapy can stop breast cancer from recurring about 70 percent of the time. In most cases, radiation therapy is well tolerated by patients and most side effects occur only in your treated area. Nutritional supplements may help to buffer the negative health effects associated with radiation therapy. Talk with your physician about the role of dietary supplements in your radiation therapy treatment plan.
Radiation Therapy Info
Radiation therapy is often effective in treating cancer because it destroys the genetic material that governs how cells grow and divide, states MayoClinic.com. Radiation therapy is not without its risks though, and side effects are common. Radiation therapy-related side effects usually depend on the dose of radiation you receive and which parts of your body were treated. MayoClinic.com notes that most radiation therapy-related side effects can be controlled and self-resolve over time.
Useful Nutritional Supplements
Several nutritional supplements may be useful in protecting your body from the harmful effects associated with radiation therapy. Certified nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," states that vitamin B-5, kelp, coenzyme Q10, lecithin, vitamin B complex and calcium and magnesium are among the most effective dietary supplements. Not all dietary supplements historically used for this purpose may be backed by extensive scientific evidence, however. Don't take any supplements without your doctor's approval.
Supplement in Focus
Vitamin B-5, also known as pantothenic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that may be a commonly prescribed dietary supplement for radiation therapy. Vitamin B-5 may help guard your body from the negative health effects associated with radiation therapy, and it helps manufacture red blood cells, sex hormones and stress hormones, states the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some studies, notes the Center, suggest that vitamin B-5 may increase your rate of wound healing following surgery.
Considerations
Radiation therapy is a potentially harmful treatment administered by health-care experts to help combat cancer or other health conditions. Although dietary supplements may help to mitigate the negative health effects associated with radiation therapy, the use of supplements should not supplant other, more conventional treatment methods. Discuss the merits and drawbacks of dietary supplements and their likely drug interactions and long-term health effects. Some supplements may not be right for you.
References
- BreastCancer.org: Radiation Therapy
- MayoClinic.com: Radiation Therapy
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B5
