I am currently being treated at the Royal Marsden Sutton under Professor Gareth Morgan. Currently on Pomalidomide, PredMeth and Cyclophos (as aspirin)
Over the years i've noticed there's been a lot of hype/discussions about the benefits of taking Curcumin supplement as an aniti-cancer drug(especially on Margerets Blog) and was keen to introduce this into my diet. So I asked the Marsden if it was ok to take Curcumin whilst on my treatment.
I thought I would share the feedback with you – I was particulary shocked to read that "High doses of antioxidants are not recommended whilst a patient is on chemotherapy as they may stop the chemotherapy from working so well" ! this was news to me!
Have you been given similar advice?
Feedback from Marsden
· Preliminary research suggests that curcumin might have antioxidant and immunostimulatory effects.(1)
· High doses of antioxidants are not recommended whilst a patient is on chemotherapy as they may stop the chemotherapy from working so well.(2)
· Curcumin has antiplatelet properties, therefore in may not be appropriate if the patient has a low platelet count and is taking aspirin.(1)
· One database stated that dietary turmeric (curcumin) inhibits cyclophosphamide- induced tumour regression in animal studies.(3)
· Not recommended that a patient takes a curcumin supplement whilst on chemotherapy.
References.
1. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database accessed via http://www.naturaldatabase.com [accessed 25.7.13]
2. RMH Patient Information Leaflet – Vitamin and mineral dietary supplements (available via the intranet)
3. Memorial Sloan Kettering – About Herbs accessed via http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm [accessed 25.7.13]
