Re: selenium

My heart goes out to you...I happened upon this recently. Here's something for the nausea, anyway... Selenium's cheap, easy, and not too "out there" for those that have decided to go the allopathic route:


http://www.instituteforvibrantliving.com/literature_review/2004/10/


Selenium prevents chemotherapy side effects

Thirty-one patients with ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy (cisplatin plus cyclophosphamide) received 2 capsules 4 times a day of a nutritional supplement that provided daily 60 mg of beta-carotene, 800 mg of vitamin C, 144 mg of vitamin E, 18 mg of riboflavin, and 190 mg of niacin. For half of the patients (assigned randomly, in double-blind fashion) the supplement also provided 200 mcg/day of selenium from high-selenium yeast. After three months, the mean white blood cell count was significantly higher in the selenium group than in the no-selenium group (p < 0.0001), as a result of a smaller decrease from baseline in the selenium group. After two and three months of supplementation, the frequencies of nausea, hair loss, flatulence, abdominal pain, weakness, malaise, and loss of appetite were each significantly lower in the selenium group than in the no-selenium group. The incidences of vomiting and stomatitis were also significantly lower in the selenium group after three months, but not after two months. Selenium supplementation did not reduce the incidence of diarrhea.

Comment: In this study, supplementation with selenium reduced the chemotherapy-induced decline in white blood cell counts and reduced the incidence of side effects in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing treatment with cisplatin plus cyclophosphamide. Other studies suggest that selenium also has direct anti-cancer effects.

Oncologists have expressed concern that co-administration of selenium or other antioxidants along with chemotherapy might block the beneficial effect of the chemotherapy. It is true that many chemotherapeutic drugs induce the formation of free radicals; however, the anticancer effects of these drugs do not, in general, seem to depend on the formation of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, in certain situations, administration of antioxidants might reduce drug side effects without inhibiting the tumor-fighting actions of the drugs. As there are many different chemotherapeutic drugs and many different antioxidants, each of which has a unique pattern of biological activity, a great deal of research needs to be done to determine which antioxidants are safe and desirable to use in combination with which chemotherapy drugs.

Sieja K, Talerczyk M. Selenium as an element in the treatment of ovarian cancer in women receiving chemotherapy. Gynecol Oncol 2004;93:320-327.