Abstracted from Vitamins C and E Combination Fights Side Effects of Radiation Treatment for Cancers in Pelvic Area, from the website rpslmc.edu, March 21, 2001

Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat patients suffering from prostate, cervix and endometrial (inner layer of the uterine wall) cancers. The therapy is effective for killing cancer cells, but does have many side effects. A condition called proctitis may occur after patients receive radiation therapy. The symptoms of proctitis, including diarrhea, pain, bleeding and incontinence, usually clear up within a few weeks of the last radiation treatment. For some patients though, the symptoms never clear up.  A study published in the April issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology may give hope to those suffering from proctitis.

The study included 20 paticipants, ten men and ten women, suffering from chronic radiation proctitis. Each participant took one IU vitamin E tablet and one mg vitamin C tablet, three times a day for eight consecutive weeks. Participants rated the severity and frequency of their symptoms in a survey administered by researchers before and after the study.

Researchers found a significant improvement in symptoms after participants took the vitamins.  Of the 20 initial participants, thirteen reported an improvement in their lifestyle and seven reported a complete disappearance of symptoms.

After one year ten participants were assessed again to see if the improvements were sustained. All ten reported there was no return of symptoms while they continued to take the vitamins.

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C and E are attributed to the relief of proctitis symptoms. When healthy cells get damaged from radiation therapy these vitamins help repair them. Currently, a larger study is underway to further investigate these findings.