Thanks Steve and Ron for reply... I have decided to keep taking the
antioxidants and soy supplements.
 Thanks, again.

 Kurt

 PSA 20 07/05/2003 @ Age 46
 Biopsy 07/18/2003 12 out 12 cores positive Gleason 3+4, T3
 Bone Scan 07/22/2003 Negative
 CT Scan 07/29/2003 Negative Spread
 Lymph Nodes Dissection and Seminal Vesicles Biopsy 08/21/2003 Negative
 Lupron started 08/29/2003
 PSA 5.8 09/23/2003
 PSA 5.2 12/24/2003
 Brachytherapy I-125 Seed Implants Scheduled for 02/18/2004
 5 weeks of EBRT Scheduled for /03/20/2004
 > Hi Kurt...Your question, do antioxidants help cancerous cells more or
 > less than normal cells during RT, has been around for a long time.
 > Since the question has been around for a while, this might mean that
 > it is a close call and probably doesn't matter too much one way or the
 > other.  Here is a recent abstract that reviews data on the subject.
 > Judging by the last sentence, it looks like the authors conclude that
 > antioxidants help...Best wishes and good health, Ron
 >
 > Cancer Treat Rev. 2002 Apr;28(2):79-91
 >
 > Pros and cons of antioxidant use during radiation therapy.
 >
 > Prasad KN, Cole WC, Kumar B, Che Prasad K.
 >
 > Center for Vitamin and Cancer Research, Department of Radiology,
 > Health Sciences Center, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
 > kedar.prasad@uchsc.edu
 >
 > Radiation therapy is one of the major treatment modalities in the
 > management of human cancer. While impressive progress like more
 > accurate dosimetry and more precise methods of radiation targeting to
 > tumor tissue has been made, the value of radiation therapy in tumor
 > control may have reached a plateau. At present, two opposing
 > hypotheses regarding the use of antioxidants during radiation therapy
 > have been proposed. One hypothesis states that supplementation with
 > high doses of multiple micronutrients including high dose dietary
 > antioxidants (vitamins C and E, and carotenoids) may improve the
 > efficacy of radiation therapy by increasing tumor response and
 > decreasing some of its toxicity on normal cells. The other hypothesis
 > suggests that antioxidants (dietary or endogenously made) should not
 > be used during radiation therapy, because they would protect cancer
 > cells against radiation damage. Each of these hypotheses is based on
 > different conceptual frameworks that are derived from results obtained
 > from specific experimental designs, and thus, each may be correct
 > within its parameters. The question arises whether any of these
 > concepts and experimental designs can be used during radiation therapy
 > to improve the management of human cancer by this modality. This
 > review has analyzed published data that are used in support of each
 > hypothesis, and has revealed that the current controversies can be
 > resolved, if the results obtained from one experimental design are not
 > extrapolated to the other. This review has also discussed the
 > scientific rationale for a micronutrient protocol that includes high
 > doses of dietary antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E succinate and
 > natural beta-carotene) which can be used adjunctively with radiation
 > therapy.
 >
 >
 >
 > "Kurt Pearson" <kpearson@surewest.net> wrote in message
news:<1023edkovi5f795@corp.supernews.com>...
 > > Hello All,
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > What are your thoughts on continuing or discontinuing anti-oxidants
and soy
 > > supplements during radiation treatment?
 > >
 > > I asked my Radiologist about this, and he said it was up to me as a
personal
 > > choice.  He said he doubted that one could take enough anti-oxidants
to
 > > protect any of the cancer cells from the radiation.
 > >
 > > I am currently taking vitamins C and E, Selenium and Genistein Soy
 > > supplements.
 > >
 > > I am due to have seed implants in a few weeks, followed by EBRT.
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >  Thanks,
 > >
 > >             Kurt
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > PSA 20 07/05/2003 @ Age 46
 > >
 > > Biopsy 07/18/2003 12 out 12 cores positive Gleason 3+4, T3
 > >
 > > Bone Scan 07/22/2003 Negative
 > >
 > > CT Scan 07/29/2003 Negative Spread
 > >
 > > Lymph Nodes Dissection and Seminal Vesicles Biopsy 08/21/2003 Negative
 > >
 > > Lupron started 08/29/2003
 > >
 > > PSA 5.8 09/23/2003
 > >
 > > PSA 5.2 12/24/2003
 > >
 > > Brachytherapy I-125 Seed Implants Scheduled for 02/18/2004
 > >
 > > 5 weeks of EBRT Scheduled for 03/20/2004
 > >
 > > Scheduled to be on Lupron for 2 years
 > >
 > > Treatments by Kaiser Permanente Northern California