07.01.09
Future research should evaluate the effects of antioxidant supplementation in combination with breast cancer treatment given prevalent use at high doses, concludes a recent study published in Cancer. Follow-up interviews of participants in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project showed that nearly 87%, or 663 of 764 participants, reported taking antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene or selenium, either through individual supplements or multivitamins. Interviews were conducted from 2002 to 2004 following the case-control study, which took place between 1996 and 1997. Of the 663 women, 401 (60.5%) reported using antioxidants during adjuvant treatment. Nearly 39% (120 of 310 women) used antioxidants during chemotherapy; 42% (196 of 464) consumed them during radiation; and 62% (286 of 462) used them during tamoxifen therapy.