Can Foods or Herbs Alter the Bioavailability of Chemotherapy Drugs?
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Date
2019-04-12
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Among cancer patients the use of complementary and alternative medicine to treat disease-related depression, alleviate side effects, or even improve therapeutic efficacy varies between 29% in Europe to 87% in the US.(1,2) These medicines comprise supplements, vitamins, minerals and herbs, special foods, and diets as well as massage and spiritual therapy. While vitamins and minerals are the most common complementary and alternative medicines used by cancer patients, herbal supplements rank second. Half of the time, there may be a known risk for a drug interaction, but only around one-third of patients may inform their doctor about the use of these agents.(1) Some can contain pharmacologically active compounds with the potential to alter the bioavailability of cancer drugs by influencing, for example, drug-metabolizing enzymes or transporters.
Interactions arising from concomitant use of bioactive alternatives and conventional chemotherapy could alter plasma levels of active drugs and influence therapeutic efficacy.(3,4) There are a large number of in vitro studies exploring the possible benefits of combining herbal components with anticancer agents, fewer in vivo studies, and very limited clinical data addressing efficacy and safety of combinations. Three illustrative examples include grapefruit juice, St. John’s wort and chrysin. Highlighting these examples provides a viewpoint on the current understanding and underscores pharmacological concepts relevant to a range of combinations currently used by patients or that may arise with new therapeutics.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
2 (2)
Pages / Article No.
143 - 146
Publisher
American Chemical Society
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Subject
Beverages; Cancer; Peptides and proteins; Bioavailability; Pharmaceuticals
Organisational unit
03853 - Sturla, Shana / Sturla, Shana