Beuth, J., Schneider, B., Van Leendert, R., & Uhlenbruck, G. (2016). Large-scale survey of the impact of complementary medicine on side-effects of adjuvant hormone therapy in patients with breast cancer. In Vivo, 30, 73-75.
Assess effects of complementary treatment with a combination of sodium selenite, proteolytic plan enzymes, and Len culinaris lectin on side effects of hormone therapy
Women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant hormone therapy were included in the analysis. Complementary treatments were used for four weeks.
PHASE OF CARE: Active anti-tumor treatment
Retrospective observational
Symptom severity scored from 1 (no side effects) to 6 (extreme side effects)
After four weeks of treatment, mean score for arthralgia went from 4.83 to 3.23 (p < 0.001). Women also experienced less mucosal dryness (p < 0.001). There were no severe adverse effects reported.
Findings suggest that the complementary intervention assessed here may be beneficial in reducing symptoms of arthralgia induced by adjuvant hormonal therapy in women with breast cancer without significant side effects.
This study has several design limitations, but does suggest that the complementary therapy with sodium selenite, proteolytic enzymes, and L culinaris might be helpful in reducing some side effects of adjuvant hormonal therapy.