Multivitamins do Not Improve Radiation Therapy Related Fatigue
Multivitamins do Not Improve Radiation Therapy Related Fatigue
Multivitamins (MVi) are broadly used by cancer patients to improve overall health and energy.
 Fatigue is a common symptom in cancer patients including those receiving radiation therapy.
 We conducted a trial of MVi versus placebo in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing
 radiation therapy (Rxt) to evaluate if MVi would affect fatigue and quality of life. We
 randomized patients at the beginning of Rxt treatment to either placebo or Centrum Silver®
 (Wyeth-Whitehall laboratory). At the middle of the radiation treatments patients were
 switched from placebo to MVi and vice versa. Patients answered to the EORTC QLQ C-30 quality
 of life (QOL) and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaires at the beginning, the time of switching and
 at the end of Rxt. We found that both groups experienced significant decreases in general and
 physical fatigue at the end of the course of placebo compared to the assessment prior to this
 treatment. We also observed significant improvements in functional and symptoms in the
 patients on placebo. When we compared different groups of patients we also observed
 significantly lower rates of physical and general fatigue in the patients who had just
 finished a course of placebo as compared to patients finishing course of MVi. We conclude
 that MVi do not improve radiation related fatigue, and may in fact have a deleterious effect
 on fatigue and decrease QOL in patients with BC undergoing Rxt.
Multivitamins (MVi) are broadly used by cancer patients to improve overall health and energy.
 Fatigue is a common symptom in cancer patients including those receiving radiation therapy.
 We conducted a double blind randomized cross-over trial of MVi versus placebo in patients
 with breast cancer (BC) undergoing radiation therapy (Rxt) to evaluate if MVi would affect
 fatigue and quality of life. We randomized forty patients at the beginning of Rxt treatment
 to either placebo or Centrum Silver® (Wyeth-Whitehall laboratory). At the middle of the
 radiation treatments patients were switched from placebo to MVi and vice versa. Patients
 answered to the EORTC QLQ C-30 quality of life (QOL) and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaires at
 the beginning, the time of switching and at the end of Rxt. When we analyzed the same group
 of patients throughout the treatment periods, we found that both groups experienced
 significant decreases in general (p = 0.009; p = 0.001) and physical fatigue scores (p =
 0.031; p = 0.029) at the end of the course of placebo compared to the assessment prior to
 this treatment. We also observed significant improvements in functional (p = 0.026) and
 symptoms (p = 0.016) score scales of the QOL questionnaire in the patients on placebo. No
 significant changes were elicited with the use of MVi. When we compared different groups of
 patients we also observed significantly lower rates of physical and general fatigue in the
 patients who had just finished a course of placebo as compared to patients finishing course
 of MVi (0 vs 25% p = 0.035 for both types of fatigue). We conclude that MVi do not improve
 radiation related fatigue, and may in fact have a deleterious effect on fatigue and decrease
 QOL in patients with BC undergoing Rxt. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  >18 years old

 -  breast cancer who were to receive radiation therapy to the breast after a conservative
 surgery or after mastectomy

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  previous history of radiation therapy,

 -  chronic anemia,

 -  depression

 -  serious psychiatric disorders