The antioxidant supplement beta-carotene is safe to use during radiation therapy treatments for prostate cancer, according to a study published in the May issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
The prospective study determined that beta-carotene was not associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer death or metastases. These findings dispel the concern by some scientists that supplemental antioxidants may weaken the oxidizing effects of radiation and potentially lead to cancer recurrence (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, May 1, 2012, Vol. 83:1, pp. 28-32).
Lead author Dr. Danielle Margalit, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues followed 383 prostate cancer patients who were randomized to receive either beta-carotene or placebo from 1982 to 2003. The researchers found no significant difference in lethal outcomes between the two groups.
