Can Grapeseed Extract Combat Chemo Side Effects?

Can Grapeseed Extract Combat Chemo Side Effects?

LONDON--A clinical trial still in the beginning stages isinvestigating grapeseed extract's antioxidant properties on the side effects ofhigh-dose radiotherapy given to breast cancer patients. Funded by CancerResearch UK and conducted by The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute ofCancer Research, the trial is being conducted to see if the extract's flavonoidswill reduce radiation fibrosis, a side effect that causes tissue to become hardand stiff from radiotherapy.

John Yarnold is the principal investigator for the trial. "We aim totest if grapeseed extract reverses these changes and improves patients' qualityof life," he said in a press release.

The scarring may be the result of a build-up in free radicals caused by thisparticular cancer therapy. "[Flavonoids] have antioxidant properties thatmay be superior to known antioxidants like vitamins E or C," Yarnold added."There have already been promising small scale trials with antioxidants[conducted on radiotherapy's side effects], but I believe grapeseed extract hasinteresting potential."

The trial will involve 72 patients who will be asked to undergo magneticresonance imaging (MRI) scans and give blood, urine and breast tissue samples.The six-month treatment will be randomized and placebo-controlled. If the trialproves successful, Yarnold hopes to conduct further clinical trials in whichfibrosis may cause serious medical problems.