Integrative Healthcare Symposium

Peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of chemo-therapy with paclitaxel. Among patients experiencing pac-litaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy, L-glutamine (10 g orally three time daily for four days starting 24 hours after comple-tion of therapy with paclitaxel) produced significant reduc-tions in the severity of dysesthesias and numbness (P < 0.05). Significant reductions were also observed in motor weakness (P = 0.04), gait deterioration (P = 0.16), and interference with activities of daily living (P = 0.001).7 Vitamin E showed benefit in a small trial among cancer patients receiving paclitaxel, cisplatin, or their combination. Neurotoxicity was reported in 25 % of patients receiving vita-min E at 600 mg/day and in 73.3 % of controls (P = 0.019).8 Among agents included in Dr. Alschuler’s list for patients receiving conventional chemotherapy were ginkgo biloba, vitamin E, and L-carnitine for patients receiving carboplatin/ cisplatin; fish oil, curcumin, and green tea for patients receiv-ing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with leucovorin calcium or capecit-abine; and ribo flavin, niacin, coenzyme Q10, and melatonin for those receiving tamoxifen. Dr. Alschuler emphasized that unlike metastatic breast cancer, early breast cancer is “basically curable.” She concluded: “Early breast cancer is the time to treat aggressively with both conventional and natural agents.” Dr. Alschuler provides further detail about integrative treat-ment of breast cancer in her book.