Impact of Nutritional Supplements and Antioxidants in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review synthesizing randomized controlled trials, observational cohorts, and mechanistic studies.
PubMed 42123930 · doi:10.3390/nu18091328
What was done
A systematic review evaluated the literature regarding the molecular mechanisms, clinical outcomes, and translational challenges of antioxidant supplementation (including polyphenols, vitamins, and carotenoids) in breast cancer management. The authors synthesized evidence from observational cohorts, randomized controlled trials, and in vitro/in vivo mechanistic models assessing pharmacological interactions with standard antineoplastic regimens.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, pooled effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Narratively, specific agents such as Coenzyme Q10 and melatonin ameliorated treatment-related toxicities without compromising efficacy, whereas concurrent antioxidant supplementation during cytotoxic chemotherapy correlated with increased disease recurrence and mortality via reactive oxygen species neutralization. Pharmacokinetic barriers included poor natural compound bioavailability, dose-dependent hepatotoxicity, and lack of whole-food matrix standardization.
Why it matters
Broad, unguided antioxidant use during oxidative chemotherapy can counteract treatment efficacy and worsen survival outcomes. The findings advocate for precision nutritional oncology, specifically warning against concurrent antioxidant supplementation during active cytotoxic therapies.
Limits
The abstract reports no quantitative results, sample sizes, or study counts (n = ?). The review pools highly heterogeneous designs—from cell cultures and animal models to observational cohorts and trials—which limits the direct clinical certainty of the synthesized conclusions.
Cited by
- supports Taking supplemental dietary antioxidants during cancer is dangerous because it blunts reactive oxygen species signaling that causes cancer cells to die.