A new study suggests that a properly administered nutritional protocol including the use of turmeric-based supplements may significantly enhance the quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy.
A major side effect of chemotherapy is compromised quality of life including extreme patient fatigue. A human intervention trial led by Dr Earl Surwit, a gynecologic oncologist in Tuscon, along with herbal/supplement consultants Paul Schulick and Tom Newmark, conducted on 31 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, found that levels of fatigue were substantially reduced with the introduction of turmeric-based herbal and nutritional supplements.
The main supplements used included herbs which the researchers claim to have previously shown to complement or not disrupt chemotherapy, with the principal formulations being a herbal formula for reducing COX-2 inflammation potency and a concentrated extract of turmeric - with potency assured for the presence of curcuminoids and turmerones.
Other supplements included in the CTF protocol were DHA, a ginger/green tea tonic, garlic, probiotic selenium, holy basil and general multi-vitamins and minerals, all provided by New Chapter.
In order to assess the efficacy of the supplements, patients completed a quality of life/fatigue questionnaire called the FACIT Fatigue Index, a measure of these factors for chemotherapy patients. Changes of greater than four points were considered medically significant, and the average increase for patients on the Surwit program was 24. No patient experienced less than a four-point increase, meaning that virtually all patients experienced a significant increase in the quality of life and general fatigue reduction (ranging from 48-52 to 5-52).
"This combination of herbal and nutritional supplements substantially reduced fatigue in a population of heavily pretreated recurrent ovarian cancer patients," said Dr Surwit. "This study gives confidence to patients and oncologists that a properly supervised program of antioxidant herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and nutritional support can lead to medically significant improvements in the quality of a cancer patient's life. We are delighted with the results and believe that further studies should follow."
According to the researchers, among all the patients in the Surwit study, there was no difference in hematocrit - the ratio of packed red blood cells to the volume of whole blood - before or after the intervention. Nor was there any difference in the chemotherapy regimen prior to the nutritional protocol or after, as most patients were on the same drug regimen after the intervention.
The research will be presented at the Complementary Cancer Care Conference to be held at the Washington, D.C. Hilton Towers on Friday 11 April, 3:30-5:00 p.m. and Sunday 13 April, 11-12:30 (Herbal and Nutritional Intervention in Cancer Treatment session).