Every year, millions of individuals are diagnosed with cancer, making it one
of the primary causes of mortality worldwide. It is estimated that around 10 million
cancer-related deaths will occur, emphasizing the enormity of the impact of this disease
on individuals and society as a whole. There are a multitude of side effects associated
with anticancer drugs, and each drug, regardless of its class, has its unique set of
adverse reactions. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
consequent accumulation of oxidative stress are significant contributors to adverse
reactions, particularly for medications directed towards DNA. This issue has prompted
the exploration of various dietary supplements to mitigate these unwanted side effects.
Among these supplements, antioxidants have become increasingly prevalent as a
chemotherapy adjuvant. Nevertheless, many cancer specialists discourage the
consumption of antioxidant-rich supplements, as they have the potential to interfere
with cancer-killing modalities that generate free radicals. There is ongoing debate
regarding whether the use of antioxidant supplements impacts the effectiveness of
cancer chemotherapy. Specific antioxidant supplements may lessen toxicities and bad
effects, according to limited evidence that is both high quality and sample size. In this
chapter, details of the role of antioxidants in cancer therapy and chemoprevention are
discussed.
Keywords: Antioxidant, NKD2, Oxidative stress, Pro-oxidants, Reactive oxygen species.
