Radiation toxicity reduced with red wine

pitt
pitt Member Posts: 387
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Ok. So I'm starting radiation next Monday and my cousin led me to this article on drinking red wine before radiation treatment. Very interesting. As I have stated on previous threads...everything in moderation. That and the Europeans know how to live. What do you all think of this? I'm going to give it a try, especially since I have fair skin and have a tendency to burn. Here is the article for you to peruse...

Drinking wine may be the key to healthier radiation therapy. In some patients, the skin toxicity effects of radiation was reduced up to 75 per cent with moderate red wine consumption.

Women with breast cancer who undergo radiation therapy may have a new friend on their side. Red wine, when consumed in moderation, can reduce the toxic effect of the therapy on their skin.

Radiation therapy is known to leave the skin red and irritated. The effect can take up to three weeks to appear, but as many as six weeks to heal.

Researchers have found that consuming just one glass of red wine before therapy can block some of these skin burns, according to the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics as published by Reuters.

Dr. Gabriella Macchia of Catholic University in Italy, believes the test results may provide more benefit than meets the eye. According to Macchia, "If wine can prevent (radiation)-induced toxicity...it also has the potential to enhance the therapeutic benefit."

The study involved 348 women being treated with radiation therapy after surgery for breast cancer. The effects of red wine in men or with other forms of cancer has yet to be determined.

Comments

  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #2
    To drink or not
    I don't know Pitt. If it worked, it would be great. But, my oncologist told me and I have read that alcohol increases your chance of a recurrence by a huge percentage. I still drink because I choose to live a quality life and not a sober one. lol Good luck to you!

    ♠♣ Christmas Susie ♠♣
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #3
    Viva la vino!

    Viva la vino!
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #4
    lynn1950 said:

    Viva la vino!

    Viva la vino!

    Whew!
    Thank you! Now I'll feel much better about it.....Viva Vino Collapso! LOL Hugs jxxxxx
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #5
    tasha_111 said:

    Whew!
    Thank you! Now I'll feel much better about it.....Viva Vino Collapso! LOL Hugs jxxxxx

    Seriously speaking
    Red wine as well as vitamin supplements including C, A, E function as antioxidants and free radical scavenges.
    That is why its consumption is not recommended during radiation. Free radical scavenges will interfere with processes induced by radiation treatment and block physics of radiation. So too much wine will undermine radiation.
  • LC815
    LC815 Member Posts: 155
    #6
    LOL
    I am just imagining the sister who has her rads scheduled before work. Yum, yum -- Breakfast Wine!
  • Maize
    Maize Member Posts: 76
    #7
    Thanks for sharing
    Hi Pitt,
    Thanks for sharing. I don't know when I will start radiation, but I will try this. My surgery was 12/8.

    Maize
  • Maize
    Maize Member Posts: 76
    #8
    susie09 said:

    To drink or not
    I don't know Pitt. If it worked, it would be great. But, my oncologist told me and I have read that alcohol increases your chance of a recurrence by a huge percentage. I still drink because I choose to live a quality life and not a sober one. lol Good luck to you!

    ♠♣ Christmas Susie ♠♣

    :)
    Thanks for the sense of humor:)
  • Maize
    Maize Member Posts: 76
    #9
    New Flower said:

    Seriously speaking
    Red wine as well as vitamin supplements including C, A, E function as antioxidants and free radical scavenges.
    That is why its consumption is not recommended during radiation. Free radical scavenges will interfere with processes induced by radiation treatment and block physics of radiation. So too much wine will undermine radiation.

    WOW
    Look like I need to do research before drinking that glass of wine>:
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #10
    Wine and Rads....
    I'm finished with my radiation......so this doesn't really apply to me but I was told by my medical oncologist and my radiation oncologist that alcohol was a no no during both treatments.....I would check with my rads oncologist before doing this.........
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #11
    MAJW said:

    Wine and Rads....
    I'm finished with my radiation......so this doesn't really apply to me but I was told by my medical oncologist and my radiation oncologist that alcohol was a no no during both treatments.....I would check with my rads oncologist before doing this.........

    My oncologist told me no
    My oncologist told me no drinking if possible. So, I didn't drink during rads and got along great. There are also studies saying drinking does add to your chance of a recurrence. I read it on the Mayo clinic site as well as this one. I have finished rads and I do have an occasional glass of wine, but, not like I used to.

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