Cancer increases free radicals and that certain diets can influence oxidative stress. There is little evidence about the functional effect of multi-component functional foods on oxidative stress in breast cancer.

METHODS

34 female patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer, stages IIIB and IV were enrolled in a randomised controlled trial. All patients filled out the Quality of Life questionnaire FACT-B version 4, translated in Romanian and validated, obtained from Evanston North-Western Health Care, Illinois, USA. Seventeen patients, mean age 57.84 +/- 11.2, were put on a special diet consisting of 15 ml/day balsamic vinegar from apples and honey, with seabuckthorn berry rich in carotenoids, rosemary, sage and basil extracts, to be used in salads and vegetable soups, 150 g/day whole wheat bread with 2.5% of the nutraceutic mixture VITAPAN, 15 ml/day grape seed extract rich in polyphenols (gr. 1). Seventeen patients served as control (gr. 2). Parameters of the metabolic syndrome were measured: serum lipids, IR-HOMA insulin resistance index. Oxidative stress was measured by the FORT (free oxygen radical) test. Total hydro- and liposoluble antioxidants (ACW, ACL) in serum were measured by chemo-luminometry. All investigations were done at entry and after 3 months.

RESULTS

Student's t test was applied to compare the means within group and between the 2 groups. The Physical well being subscale score of the QOL FACT-B version 4 questionnaire showed a significant difference between the 2 groups (p = 0.001). Also, functional well being subscale (p = 0.004), FACT-G (p = 0.003) and FACT-B (p = 0.002) showed significant differences on comparison. Breast Cancer Score (Additional Concerns) had a borderline significant difference (p = 0.057). Social/Family Well being subscale and Emotional well being subscale scores showed no significant difference. At inclusion, radical activity>> 310 FORT units, relevant for increased oxidative stress were present in 95.1% cases. After 3 months radical activity>> 310 FORT units were present in 52.8% cases in gr. 1.

CONCLUSIONS

A proper design of foods enriched with bioactive compounds that can lead to significant effects on health represents a promising adjuvant treatment in patients with advanced breast cancer, due to its contribution in lowering the high oxidative stress present in these patients.