This is a very controversial question, and one that most oncologists don't like to face. The issue is the following: Radiation and Chemotherapy work by developing free radicals which kill rapidly dividing cancer cells. Antioxidants get rid of those free radicals and thus might interfere with the beneficial effects of cancer treatment.

So why take anti-oxidants at all? Well, the anti-oxidants also work to scavenge and get rid of the free radicals that can cause cancer in the first place. They are a wonderful source of protection for the cells of your body. But the case is different during chemotherapy. For the most part, I advise my patients to refrain from anti-oxidant supplementation while undergoing therapy. This helps to prevent any potential interaction between the radiation or chemotherapy and the supplements. If patients want to take a basic multivitamin, then that is okay. Once finished with treatment, however, it is okay to start with the antioxidant rich supplementation.

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