10 most popular complementary medicines may interact with cancer therapy

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to new research presented at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia's (COSA's) Annual Scientific Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, researchers at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne have found that the 10 most asked about complementary medicines all may result in drug interactions with administered with chemotherapy, radiation, or prior to surgery.

For the study, researchers identified the 10 most commonly inquired about complementary medicines by providers and patients to the hospital's Medicines Information Centre. Excluding vitamins and minerals, the 10 most commonly asked about complementary medicines were: astragalus, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, ginger, green tea, lactobacillus, licorice, milk thistle, and reishi mushroom.

The researchers note that any of those found in a normal healthy diet would not likely cause adverse effects, but higher quantities consumed in complementary medicines could. These supplemental medicines have the potential to alter the effects of chemotherapy, thereby increasing the patient's risk of toxicity or decreasing the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.

Products that contain high levels of antioxidants can potentially interact with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients should be aware that a natural product may not be safe and a complementary product does not necessarily complement standard cancer therapies.