Selected Chemotherapy Agents/Turmeric (Curcumin)
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug, changing your diet or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Important. Possible changes in your diet, medicine, or dosage should be discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.
How the interaction occurs:
Curcumin, the main component of turmeric, may prevent some chemotherapy medicines, especially those used for breast cancer, from working.
What might happen:
Your chemotherapy may not work as well against your cancer.
What you should do about this interaction:
Discuss the use of turmeric in your diet with your healthcare professional (e.g., doctor or pharmacist). Your doctor may want you to limit or avoid the use of turmeric in your diet.Your healthcare professionals may be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change your medicine or diet before checking with them first.Reference:1.Somasundaram S, Edmund NA, Moore DT, Small GW, Shi YY, Orlowski RZ. Dietary curcumin inhibits chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in models of human breast cancer. Cancer Res 2002 Jul 1;62(13):3868-75.
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