Vitamins and Supplements for Cancer Survivors - Fred Hutchinson Cancer … · 2018-05-10 · Vitamins and Supplements for Cancer Survivors ... Primary Cancers in Head and Neck Cancer

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(c) 2015 Northwest Natural Health A

Specialty Care Clinic

Dan Labriola ND

Lisa Price ND

Tara Stacker ND

Carrie Dennett RD, MPH

Vitamins and Supplements for

Cancer Survivors

Moving Beyond Cancer to Wellness

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Northwest Natural Health®

A Specialty Care Clinic


Specialty Care Clinic 2

Objectives

• What is new with nutrition, supplements and cancer

• What works

• What doesn’t work

• How natural medicine can affect your conventional cancer treatment



Objectives

-Learn how vitamins and supplements

can be a safe, sensible and scientific

addition to your care



Where Patients Get their Information



What’s Really Important?

• Stay strong and healthy

• Avoid interactions with treatment

– Respect the “Protected Zone”

• Prevention for the future



A Plan that works

• Maintain quality of life before, during and after treatment in every way

– Overall Health

– Cancer specific issues

• Take back control of your life. Do most or all that you could do prior to being diagnosed

• Control adverse effects from treatment

• Manage Co-morbidities



Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids

Important Benefits and Risks

• Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids are important for almost every body function from immune system to skin

• Not all omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids are the same



Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids

Important Benefits and Risks

Potential Benefits

• Reduce cancer risk

• Reduce Triglycerides

• Reduce heart attack risk

• Reduce clot formation

• Slow RA progression

• Help mood (depression and anxiety

• Helped learning impaired children

• Help atopic dermatitis

• Help with autism

Potential Risks

• Increased bleed times

• Reduced glycemic control with diabetics

• Hypervitaminosis A and D

• Rancidify easily



The Omega 3 - Flaxseed Oil

Debate

• The problems with flax oil (seeds are

OK)

– Very low conversion rate

– Some Carcinogenic results



EFA Conversion

Delta 6 desaturase

ALA (Flax Oil)

EPA

DHA

Delta 5 desaturase



Echinacea and cancer

• A great herb with many uses

• Use with caution with cancer



Echinacea and cancer

• Many species

• White blood cell stimulator

• Microbial considerations

• Unknown effects on immature immune

systems therefore not recommended

below age 14 (or pregnancy or lactation)

• Hepatic metabolism

• Counteracts immune suppression

treatment



Potential

Echinacea Side Effects

• Allergic including anaphylaxis, asthma

• Thrombocytopenia Purpurea

• Leucopenia

• Disrupted WBC differential

• Abdominal pain

• Dysuria

• Arthralgia

• Myalgia

• Dizziness

• Dry mouth



Herbal combinations

General Considerations

• Many species, actions, interactions

• Microbial considerations

• Pediatric dosage may not be

proportional to weight

• Unknown effects on metabolism,

immature immune systems,

development. Evaluate each ingredient

• Hepatic metabolism



Homeopathics

• Very low dosages, highly diluted

• Immune mediated theory of action

• Minimal evidence

• Extensive anecdotal history

• Experienced, responsible, licensed

provider

More strategies

• Quality control of natural products is

important

• Prevention is more important now than

ever

• Survivorship strategies can change

your life

• Herb and nutrition interactions are

important





Natural Product Quality Control

• DSHEA

• GRAS

• CGMPs

• No microbial or heavy metal rules

• Label accuracy?



Survivorship Strategies

Avoid Possible interactions

with cancer treatment

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation

• Surgery

• Targeted Therapies

Evidence Overview:

Antioxidants during treatment



Placebo

Antioxidants

Cancer-free Survival Ref: Bairati et al “A Randomized trial of

Antioxidant Vitamins to Prevent Second

Primary Cancers in Head and Neck Cancer

Patients” Int J Cancer 2006 Nov 1:119(9):2221-4

Years



Primary Prevention

Diet and Nutrition

• Vitamin B12

• Folate

• Vitamin D

• Fiber

• Fruits and vegetables

• Fish

• Some antioxidants



More Nutritional Treatments

• Vitamin E

• Selenium

• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus

• Zinc

• Beta carotene

• Antioxidants in general

• Consider IV delivery

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Specialty Care Clinic

Frequent Questions

Combining Complementary and

Alternative Medicine with

Conventional Therapy



Phytoestrogens

Including

Soy Isoflavones

? Safe Replacement for Hormone Therapy?

Answer: Probably the same risk as HRT

Ask for Patient Briefing Paper



Strategies that work

• Maintain quality of life before, during and

after treatment

– Cancer and treatment specific issues that can be

helped even if they existed prior to treatment

• Fatigue

• Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms

• Gas (belching, flatulence)

• Bloating

• Stomach upset

• Constipation

• Diarrhea and bowel urgency




(Continued)


after treatment


helped

• Urination urgency

• Joint and muscle aches (including fibromyalgia)

• Headaches

• Sleep quality

• Pain

• Weight gain or loss

• Headaches




(Continued)


after treatment


helped:

• Treatment side effects

• Neuropathy

• Muscle cramps

• Restless leg syndrome

• Skin rashes

• Blood sugar metabolism



Questions?

Comments?

Dan Labriola ND

Lisa Price ND

Tara Stacker ND

Carrie Dennett RD, MPH

Northwest Natural Health, A Specialty Care Clinic

7 convenient locations

206-784-9111

nwnaturalhealth.com

Documents

Vitamins and Supplements for Cancer Survivors - Fred Hutchinson Cancer … · 2018-05-10 · Vitamins and Supplements for Cancer Survivors ... Primary Cancers in Head and Neck Cancer