Supplementation with selenium can influence nausea, fatigue, physical, renal, and liver function of children and adolescents with cancer.
The drugs used in chemotherapy treatments have little specificity, attack tumor cells, and also injure proliferative tissues. Knowledge of the functions of micronutrients has greatly increased, especially of Selenium (Se) that presents immunomodulatory and antitumor functions. The present study evaluated the health-related quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy for the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas (LL) and solid tumors (ST) while receiving Selenium (Se) supplementation. This is a randomized, double-blind, crossover study that evaluated the quality of life (EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire), renal and liver functions of patients supplemented with Se. There was no statistically significant alteration in LL patients. However, the fatigue and nausea scores after 30 days did decrease in this group as well as in the ST group. After 1 year supplementation with Selenium, a more noticeable decrease in the scores concerning fatigue and nausea could be observed in the ST group, when compared with the beginning of the study. The LL patients also presented a decrease in the fatigue scores and physical functions. The kidney function as well as liver function has improved after Selenium supplementation when compared with the placebo intake in LL and ST patients, more remarkably in the LL group. Supplementation with Selenium promotes the reduction of chemotherapy side effects in cancer patients, especially by improving the conditions of patients with fatigue, nausea, and impaired physical function. Renal and liver functions have also improved.
1 Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC , Santo André, Brasil .
Maria Luiza Dos Santos
ML
Vieira
Fernando Luiz Affonso
FL
Fonseca
Larissa Grossi
LG
Costa
Registila Libania
RL
Beltrame
Carolina Machado de Sousa
CM
Chaves
Jairo
J
Cartum
Sarah Isabel P M do N
SI
Alves
Ligia Ajaime
LA
Azzalis
Virginia Berlanga Campos
VB
Junqueira
Edimar Cristiano
EC
Pereria
Katya Cristina
KC
Rocha
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014131:Trace Elements; D012643:Selenium
fatigue; leukemia; liver function; nausea; neoplasia; quality of life; renal function; selenium