Antioxidants neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage DNA and contribute to cancer initiation.

Dietary antioxidants (from fruits and vegetables) are linked to reduced cancer risk in epidemiological studies (lower rates of lung, colorectal, and breast cancer).

Great answer Khadija

The beneficial effect of antioxidants on prevention and treatment of cancer is not confirmed.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/antioxidants-fact-sheet#:~:text=Many%20of%20the%20trials%20were,nine%20trials%20are%20summarized%20below.&text=Overall%2C%20these%20nine%20randomized%20controlled,of%20ongoing%20cancer%20prevention%20research

There are numerous promising therapies, like gene therapy, immunotherapy, herbal therapy, targeted therapy, and so on.

like the attached article title:

β-Caryophyllene Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Angiogenesis

in Colorectal Cancer Models

"gene therapy, immunotherapy, herbal therapy, targeted therapy, and so on" are not related to antioxidants. β-Caryophyllene is not an antioxidant.

Hopefully the table on next title will help in this matter: A Comprehensive Review on Ocimum basilicum. However, probably, there is an indirect relationship, as more effective compounds of phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids reflect high antioxidants, which might represent high anticancer and other properties too.

There are tons of publications on the link between an antioxidant and cancer. You must be very critical reading these pubs. I'm a professional in chemistry of free radicals and don't see the way how the increased doses of antioxidants might be helpful

Cancer is a very complex disease that people from the academic discipline of chemistry do not fully understand by describing chemicals as anticancer. Cancer starts as unregulated cell proliferation; it may present with inflammation, immunosuppression leading to fatal infections, malnutrition, and metabolic disturbances etc, depending on the organs involved. Tumour biology is very complicated, and one may not necessarily refer to a particular agent as anti-cancer.

However, in the response by Galetii, no effects have been found between dietary supplements and cancer prevention because such studies are poorly controlled, as there are many confounding factors. It is true that plants as dietary supplements have powerful bioactive substances like flavonoids with antioxidant effects. Still, cancer biology is very complex, and factors like genetics and epigenetic effects contribute to the incidence of cancer.

Free Radicals (ROS) damage proteins/enzymes, and DNA, leading to cell damage and uncontrolled cell proliferation. Anti-oxidants may limit this damage, but it is also true that many anti-neoplastic agents, such as bleomycin and alkylating agents, platinum-coordinating complexes, work by causing oxidative stress, leading to cell damage in a tumour. We have previously shown (Nutrients 2022, 14, 3437. https://doi.org/10.3390/

nu14163437) that Quercetin and Naringenin combination has synergistic effects of halting BCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation by increasing oxidative stress, leading to increased apoptosis. So the relationship between antioxidants and cancer biology is very complex.

Peter Owira,

Your "in the response by Geletii, no effects have been found between dietary supplements and cancer prevention because such studies are poorly controlled, as there are many confounding factors." Have you read the provided reference, which is posted on US government site, and summarizes the results of clinical studies? You cite your own work on in vitro studies.

What you say is evident: "So the relationship between antioxidants and cancer biology is very complex." Thus, so far the beneficial effect of antioxidants on prevention and treatment of cancer is not confirmed.

I completely agree with Dr. Peter Owira, and I am grateful for the valuable information you provided.

Prof Galetii,

I indeed read the reference, hence I agreed with what you said that no evidence has so far been provided that dietary supplements are beneficial in cancer prevention. I went further to explain, probably why this is so. The other possible explanation I left out is that these anti-oxidants and many other plant extracts-derived bioactive chemicals seem to work only in their native conformation, but less so when isolated.

I quoted my work because it was surprising to find that well-known antioxidants could exert oxidative stress. Secondly, take note that all clinically applicable knowledge begins in the test tube.

Peter Owira

Friendly advise. Never misspell the name of the person you are discussing with.

"work only in their native conformation." In chemistry, conformation refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule that can be achieved through rotation around single bonds."

Commonly, the antioxidants show synergistic effect. Therefore, a single antioxidant might have a very little effect.

"antioxidants could exert oxidative stress." The pro-oxidant effect of antioxidant is well known, nothing surprising .

Dear Prof Geletii,

I am sorry to have misspelled your name. You are now engaging in semantics rather than the science that we are supposed to discuss. You seem to be pricked by my reference to Chemists, well, you are not the only one I know, and there is nothing in Medicine as an anticancer agent, rather antineoplastics. That was the issue I was addressing. Your response above conveys no scientific message at all. No further comments.

Exactly there is no concrete reference to this question.

Peter Owira

The question of this post is about the relationship between antioxidants and anticancer agents.

Yours "You are now engaging in semantics rather than the science that we are supposed to discuss."

Semantic is the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning.

Science terminology encompasses the specialized vocabulary used within scientific fields. It includes terms with precise, standardized definitions that ensure clear and consistent communication among scientists.

In medicine, an antioxidant is a substance that helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals,.

An anticancer agent also known as antineoplastic is a substance (molecule or compound) that destroys or inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Yours "there is nothing in Medicine as an anticancer agent." No further comments.

"Your response above conveys no scientific message at all." No further comments.

My answer to the main question

The antioxidant benefits in cancer treatment are not confirmed. No further comments.

I said that I am not going to comment further, but I have to break that decision to let u know that in medicine, there is nothing like an anticancer agent. We have antineoplastics. The current medicines like imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, are developed against cancer, not for direct cytotoxic effects in the sense of a chemist's delight, but they target regulatory mechanisms of neoplastic cell biology. I addressed the issue of antioxidants and cancer previously.

Generated by Google's AI: "In the context of cancer treatment, "anticancer agent" and "antineoplastic" are essentially synonymous, both referring to drugs that are used to treat cancer. The term "antineoplastic" specifically describes agents that inhibit or prevent the development and spread of neoplasms (tumors), while "anticancer" is a broader term encompassing any drug used to treat cancer."

The medicines against cancer are not obligatory based on the direct cytotoxic effects. Cytotoxicity refers to the degree to which a substance can damage or kill cells. Chemotherapy is commonly misinterpreted as using cytotoxic compounds. Imatinib is a single chemical compound with known structure, which blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis.

You are now completely engaging in semantics rather than the science that we are supposed to discuss.

If u have to consult Google AI to engage, then it means that there is a deficit in your understanding of what you are talking about. The AI content plugs are provided by people who quite often are not experts. Consult any oncology textbook or an oncologist near you, and you will never find any chemotherapeutic agent being referred to as anticancer. Chemotherapeutic agents target different aspects of cancer; hence, I said that cancer biology is very complicated. Some agents target inflammation, immunosuppression, are cell cycle disruptors, angiogenesis, metastasis, etc. Cancer chemotherapy treatment has changed from traditional agents, such as alkylating agents, that exert direct cytotoxicity to cell cycle regulators, monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, hormones, antiangiogenic agents etc. Stick to your lane and do not engage in issues that you have limited knowledge of.

Yours: "you will never find any chemotherapeutic agent being referred to as anticancer."

In oncology,

chemotherapeutic agents, also known as anticancer drugs or antineoplastic agents, are medications designed to inhibit the uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cancer cells.

You always switch form answering the title question to discussing the terminology.

You ignore other opinions and your style of writing is arrogant. While, you scientific profile is far from distinguished.

Dear Dr Yurii V Geletii...

Dear Dr. Yurii V. Geletii...

I appreciate your generous information. I am sorry for any misunderstanding of some information. It's a scientific discussion, and it may open up a variety of answers. Again, I apologise for any misunderstanding, and we are here to learn from you and others.

Dear Juma Almutaani ,

thanks. You are welcome. I hope that your question is well answered.