Dear colleagues and friends,
The American Cancer Society's cancer journal ("CA") has agreed to e-publish
my rebuttal (attached Word document) to their well-publicized article that
warned not to mix antioxidants with cancer therapies. That original article
got exaggerated headlines telling us not to use supplements or vitamins
along with cancer therapies.
Click here for that article, in a PDF format
Reviewing the original article, there are 29 references. Two refer to the
number of cancer patients who use dietary supplements (50%), three show how
"antioxidants can protect cells from radiation and chemotherapy", and the
next five refer to evidence that antioxidants show promising evidence to
"reduce treatment-related toxicities".
The next five references show that antioxidants "can enhance the
effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy".
That's the first 15 references (out of 29) in a review article lending no
substance to the author's conclusions, and in some cases contradicting them.
The next four references refer to mechanisms and the contradictory evidence
shown in studies, mostly in vitro (test tube studies).
References 20 and 21 refer to positive clinical studies on using Vitamin C
against cancer. Several other references refer to studies showing cancer
risks in populations, which have been disputed by experts for methodology
flaws or too many variables to be definitive. They did not look at using
antioxidants or other nutrients with chemotherapy or radiation.
In fact, only one reference specifically addresses using antioxidants during
therapy and the effect on that therapy, which admittedly did not eliminate
"many confounding factors". This was supposed to be the whole point of the
article!
My rebuttal has 31 to-the-point references.
The original article and my rebuttal are both attached. When they publish my
letter on their web site, the Internet address for viewing it should be this
link: http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/eletters?lookup=by_date&days=365
Please note that I have signed the copyright to the journal for publication.
Neil Levin
-----Original Message-----
From: lauren.ransome@cancer.org [mailto:lauren.ransome@cancer.org]
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 3:58 PM
To: neil.levin@nowfoods.com
Subject: MS No.: CA-0067-05 Version 1
November 09, 2005
Neil E. Levin
NOW Foods
395 S Glen Ellyn Road
Bloomingdale, IL
60108
RE: CA-0067-05 Version 1: Cancer Patients May Very Well Tolerate the Use of
Certain Dietary Supplements
Dear Neil E. Levin,
Your eLetter has been ACCEPTED for publication in CA: A Cancer Journal for
Clinicians.
If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Ransome, Managing Editor.
Thank you for your excellent submission. I look forward to seeing your
article published online.
Sincerely,
Ted S. Gansler, MD, MBA
Editor, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 1:58 PM
To: neil.levin@nowfoods.com
Subject: CA eLetter to the Editor (Decision) (Please Reply)
Importance: High
Dear Mr. Levin,
I am pleased to inform you that your eLetter has been ACCEPTED for
publication on the journal's Web site. In the meantime, the author of the
article has been contacted to see if she is interested in posting a reply.
Before we can proceed with publication of your article, however, I will need
to receive a signed copy of the CA Copyright Assignment form, which has been
attached for your convenience. Please note that all co-authors must sign the
agreement before any articles can be posted.
You will also receive a formal decision letter, indicating that your eLetter
has been accepted, via Rapid Review, the journal's electronic manuscript
tracking system. However, in order for us to upload the article to assign
the letter a tracking number, I will need your business address and work and
fax number information. You will receive an automated message via Rapid
Review that you have been assigned a USERNAME and PASSWORD. At this point,
you do not need to do anything. This is a formality, but one that must be
done to ensure correct tracking of all of our eLetters.
For future submissions to CA, please feel free to utilize the journal's
electronic manuscript tracking system, which is very easy to use. This will
provide you with the opportunity to track where your article is in the
review process from anywhere in the world.
Thanks so very much for your excellent eLetter, and we look forward to
receipt of your faxed, signed agreement at your earliest convenience.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and thanks so very much
for your assistance with this matter.
Best wishes,
Lauren
Lauren A. Ransome
Managing Editor, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
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