Safety and efficacy of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and selenium supplementation in the oncology setting: A systematic review

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #ascorbic-acid #vitamin-e #dietary-supplements #neoplasms

Safety and efficacy of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and selenium supplementation in the oncology setting: A systematic review

Barnhart et al., 2024 | J Oncol Pharm Pract | Systematic Review

Citation

Barnhart A S, Anthony A L, ... Chen Amh. Safety and efficacy of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and selenium supplementation in the oncology setting: A systematic review. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2024-Jun;30(4):678-696. doi:10.1177/10781552231182362

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: With rising rates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, the exploration of CAM integration into oncology treatments is becoming increasingly prevalent. Antioxidants have been proposed as potentially beneficial to prevent or treat cancer. However, evidence summaries are limited, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recently recommended the use of Vitamin C and E supplementation for cancer prevention. Thus, the objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the existing literature on the safety and efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in oncology patients. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, using prespecified search terms in PubMed and CINAHL. Two reviewers independently reviewed titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, with a third reviewer resolving conflicts, before the included articles underwent data extraction and quality appraisal. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, nine evaluated selenium, eight evaluated Vitamin C, four evaluated Vitamin E, and three of these studies included a combination of two or more of these agents. The most frequently evaluated cancer types included colorectal cancer (n = 4), leukemias (n = 4), breast cancer (n = 3), and genitourinary cancers (n = 3). Most of the studies focused on the antioxidants' therapeutic efficacy (n = 15) or their use in protecting against chemotherapy- or radiation-induced side effects (n = 8), and one study evaluated the role of an antioxidant in protection against cancer. Findings were generally favorable among the studies, and adverse effects of supplementation were limited. Furthermore, the average score for all the included articles on the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was 4.2, indicating the high quality of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant supplements may provide benefits in reducing incidence or severity of treatment-induced side effects with limited risk for adverse effects. Large, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings among various cancer diagnoses and stages. Healthcare providers should understand the safety and efficacy of these therapies to address questions that arise in caring for those with cancer.

Key Findings

Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, nine evaluated selenium, eight evaluated Vitamin C, four evaluated Vitamin E, and three of these studies included a combination of two or more of these agents. The most frequently evaluated cancer types included colorectal cancer (n = 4), leukemias (n = 4), breast cancer (n = 3), and genitourinary cancers (n = 3). Most of the studies focused on the antioxidants' therapeutic efficacy (n = 15) or their use in protecting agai

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 4
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Ascorbic Acid
  • Vitamin E
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Neoplasms
  • Selenium
  • Antioxidants

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: vitamin-c

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09