title: Effect of coenzyme Q10, riboflavin and niacin on serum CEA and CA 15-3 levels in breast cancer patients undergoing tamoxifen therapy.
abstract: In breast cancer patients, it is not the primary tumour, but its metastases at distant sites that are the main cause of death. Circulating breast cancer tumour markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) are reliable indicators of impending relapse, in which an increasing tumour marker level is associated with a very likelihood of developing recurrence. In the present study, 84 breast cancer patients were randomized to receive a daily supplement of 100 mg coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), 10 mg riboflavin and 50 mg niacin (CoRN) one dosage per day along with 10 mg tamoxifen (TAM) twice a day. Serum CEA and CA 15-3 levels were elevated in untreated breast cancer patients (group II) and their tumour marker levels significantly reduced upon tamoxifen therapy for more than 1 year (group III). Group III patients supplemented with CoRN for 45 d (group IV) and 90 d (group V) along with tamoxifen significantly reduced CEA and CA 15-3 levels. This study suggests supplementing CoRN to breast cancer patients along with tamoxifen reduces the serum tumour marker level and thereby reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALMP-GIBMS, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, and Department of Medical Oncology, Government Royapettah Hospital, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: Vummidi Giridhar
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Premkumar
authors.forename: Srinivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuvaraj
authors.forename: Kothandaraman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vijayasarathy
authors.forename: Sitthu Govindaswamy Dinakaran
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gangadaran
authors.forename: Panchanatham
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sachdanandam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003067:Coenzymes; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D009525:Niacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D003067:Coenzymes; D018396:Mucin-1; D013629:Tamoxifen; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014451:Ubiquinone; D009525:Niacin; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D012256:Riboflavin