Supplementation With Dietary Anthocyanins and Side Effects of Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Attention has been focused recently on the development of modalities that can protect healthy organs from the harmful effects of radiation applied during different cancer treatment schedules. As radiation-induced DNA damage involves oxidative stress, the protective role of antioxidants has been tested in different dietary studies. Previous experience by the collaborative team of the principal investigator and radiotherapists at the Catholic University of Campobasso has shown in a retrospective study that moderate wine consumption can reduce the side-effects of radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer. This effect was presumably due to the polyphenol non alcoholic fraction of wine, a finding in agreement with a cross-over intervention study in adult male volunteers, on protection by de-alcoholized red wine from ex vivo radiation-induced DNA damage. The purpose of this clinical trial will be to test the impact of supplementation with anthocyanin-enriched food on the acute and medium-term side effects of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients, in a prospective study design. Therefore a double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial will be organised by assigning patients with breast cancer scheduled for radiotherapy to a diet supplemented with an anthocyanin soluble extract.