Supplementation with antioxidant micronutrients and chemotherapy-induced toxicity in cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Cisplatin-induced toxicities are mainly caused by the formation of free radicals, leading to oxidative organ damage. Plasma concentrations of antioxidants decrease significantly during cisplatin chemotherapy for cancer. Forty-eight cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy were randomised in a double-blind manner to receive either supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium dissolved in a beverage or to receive a placebo beverage.

Tube feeding and bone marrow transplantation.

Background: Children undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have poor oral intake during the transplant period, caused mainly by the intensive therapy used for their conditioning. Nutritional support (NS) is almost always needed. Whenever possible, tube feeding (TF) is preferred to parenteral nutrition (PN) because its more physiologic and causes fewer complications.

Cisplatin combination chemotherapy induces a fall in plasma antioxidants of cancer patients.

Background: Antioxidants protect the body against cellular oxidative damage and thus some of the adverse effects induced by cisplatin and other cytostatic drugs.

Patients And Methods: The effect of cisplatin-combination chemotherapy on concentrations of plasma antioxidants was studied in 36 cancer patients, including osteosarcoma and testicular carcinoma patients.

Results: Eight to 15 days after the start of each cytostatic drug infusion concentrations of various plasma antioxidants were measured and compared to pretreatment values: vitamin C and E, uric acid and ceruloplasmin levels fell significantly (P < 0.