Vitamin E Protects against Chemotherapy-Induced Nerve Damage
Supplementation with vitamin E in those undergoing cisplatin
chemotherapy may reduce the incidence and severity of nerve
damage (a common side effect of the drug), according to a new
study in Journal of Clinical Oncology (2003;21:927–31). This is
encouraging news for the thousands of people with cancer who
undergo cisplatin chemotherapy as part of their treatment
regimens and often suffer from permanent nerve damage. Cisplatin
is a medication used to treat various forms of cancer, including
cancer of the ovaries, lungs, stomach, throat, and testicles.
However, kidney, gastrointestinal, and nerve toxicities are
common with cisplatin and may not be reversible, even after
treatment has been discontinued. The most common side effect is
a specific type of nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy,
which can result in numbness, tingling, pain, a burning
sensation, or loss of sensation in the arms and legs. The hands
and feet are most often affected. In th