Impactos da utilização de compostos antioxidantes como parte da terapia nutricional do paciente oncológico em tratamento

Abstract

The word cancer refers to a range of diseases which have in common a disorderly cellular growth pattern that can locate in different parts of the human body, performing hostiles and agressive effects to the host. The carcinogenesis stages have been constantly correlated to oxidative stress. Antioxidant capacity substances, on cellular and molecular levels, appear to be effective on fighting excessive free radicals produced during the development and treatment of different cancer types. This study aimed to analyze the possible impacts of using antioxidant bioactive compounds as part of the nutrition therapy applied to the oncological patient on chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy treatment. It is a narrative bibliographical review. As selection criteria, were included articles approaching experiments performed on oncological patients aged among 20-65 years old, being of both sex (male and female), relating food sources and/or oral food suplements consumption, containing antioxidant substances used and/or consumed during chemo and/or radiotherapy treatment. Were considered as antioxidant substances the vitamins A, C and E and the minerals zinc and selenium. The findings suggest that antioxidant vitamins and minerals oral supplementation on the oncological patient mostly present positive results when it comes to softening the adverse effects generated by the chemo and radiotherapy used as antineoplastic treatment. Specifically, the results referring to oral zinc supplementation on patients being treated from head and neck cancer, presenting positive results when it comes to oral cavity conditions were numerous. Although the results from the nutrition therapy containing antioxidants applied to the patient on antioneoplastic treatment are promising, associations between every studied micronutriente and possible benefic effects must be deepened through experimental studies performed with rigorously controlled methodology, within viable conditions.The presented limitations and the great combining possibility among the nutrients and antineoplastic therapies must be considered.