Using Supplements During Radiation Treatments: Is There A Problem?

By Keith I. Block, MD

“Know thy enemy” is an ancient concept often invoked in times of war or competition.  The idea is simply that one must study one’s foe in order to win.  The same can be said for cancer, a disease that uses multiple methods to thrive.  When an enemy uses multiple means of advancing its cause, those means must be understood and selectively targeted.  Your foe, in short, must be attacked from multiple angles.  The LOC integrative approach to cancer care does just that, addressing as many aspects of disease progression as possible.  This is best accomplished with a variety of anticancer tools, including the use of conventional strategies such as radiation treatment.  Although radiotherapy attacks the cancer with a great deal of force, it lacks specificity; meaning, it is unable to distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells.  Therefore, it may also cause significant damage to the body’s normal tissue, resulting in side effects that may linger for years.  However, the selective use of nutraceuticals is one of the ways you can improve your body’s protection against the potentially harmful effects of radiotherapy.