Alpha Lipoic Acid Helps Chemotherapy Work Better

Antioxidants may help chemotherapy cancer treatment.

Evidence shows that alpha lipoic acid can reduce the side effects of conventional cancer therapy. Alpha lipoic acid may also improve the effectiveness of some chemo drugs. Some examples include: ^(iv.7, 26)

Table IV.3: Effects of Alpha Lipoic Acid with Chemotherapy
CANCER TYPE	ALPHA LIPOIC ACID DOSAGE	CHEMOTHERAPY	OVERALL ACTIVITY
COLORECTAL CANCER (Advanced Metastatic)	Clinical Study 600 mg alpha lipoic acid by i.v. once a week for 3-5 weeks followed by 1800 mg/day until fully recovered (max. 6 months).	Oxaliplatin Raltitrexed	↓ Severity, intensity, and duration of peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) caused by chemo in over 50% of patients. ^(iv.7) The remaining patients did not respond to alpha lipoic acid treatment, but were not worsened by it either. The only reported adverse side effects possibly due to alpha lipoic acid were moderate stomach pain or nausea in a few patients. ^(iv.7)
GASTRIC CANCER (Advanced)	Clinical Study 600 mg alpha lipoic acid by i.v. once a week for 3-5 weeks followed by 1800 mg/day for up to 6 months.	Docetaxel Cisplatin	↓ Peripheral neuropathy within 4 weeks (on average) of treatment. ^(iv.27)
LEUKEMIA	Animal Study 16 mg/kg body weight alpha lipoic acid injection.	Doxorubicin ^(iv.13)	↑ Survival. ^(iv.26) ↓ Heart damage. ^(iv.26) ↓ Liver damage and secondary cancers in pregnant females, as well as liver damage in offspring exposed in utero. ^(iv.28)
PANCREATIC CANCER (Metastatic)	Case Report 1200 mg/day; 80 year old woman with advanced ductal adenocarcinoma.	Gemcitabine Hydroxycitrate Celecoxib Retinoic acid Melatonin Prosure (following surgery)	↑ Survival. ^(iv.5) ↓ Markers for cancer cell metabolism. ^(iv.5) ↓ Metastatic tumors in liver. ^(iv.5) ↑ Quality of life (excellent, with no complaints). ^(iv.5) ↓ Loss of weight due to cancer. ^(iv.5)
SARCOMA; WALKER CARCINOMA	Animal Study 10-40 mg/kg body weight oral alpha lipoic acid.	Cyclophosphamide	↓ Negative side effects. ^(iv.13)
	Animal Study 10-40 mg/kg body weight oral alpha lipoic acid.	Vincristine sulfate	↑ Survival. ^(iv.26) ↓ Negative side effects. ^(iv.13, 26) ↓ Drug-induced diabetes. ^(iv.26)
	Animal Study 25-100 mg/kg body weight alpha lipoic acid injection.	Cisplatin	↓ Hearing loss. ^(iv.13) ↓ Kidney damage. ^(iv.13)
VARIOUS CANCERS	Animal Studies	Bleomycin ^(iv.32) Cyclophosphamide ^(iv.26, 31)	↓ Usually irreversible lung damage. ^(iv.32-33) ↓ Drug-induced diabetes. ^(iv.26) ↓ DNA damage to sperm and testicular cells. ^(iv.31) ↓ Risk of chemo-induced male infertility and sterility. ^(iv.31)

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