As most here know from previous posts on the topic, nutritional
oncology typically involves depriving the cancers of certain nutrients,
NOT in upping nutrition.

Since malignancies are mutants of normal cells this is not a surprise,
but here is further evidence with yet another way that supplementing
certain nutrients in already ill individuals can actually make disease
worse.

Remember that mutant p53 genetics is thought to possibly be a
contributor to the development of malignancies in ferrets since such
mutations have been found in ferrets, so supplementing antioxidants for
those individuals may be a double whammy against health and survival.

The work is not in ferrets, but the observations of worsening have been
in multiple species and this work may explain yet another reason why:

<http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24966-more-harm-than-good-antioxidants-defend-cancer-in-body.html>

A short quote:
"Further experiments on colonies of tumour cells from humans and mice
showed that they grew faster after exposure to the antioxidants.
Moreover, the activity of p53 fell dramatically, suggesting that the
antioxidants switched off the gene's ability to sense and destroy
defective cells. The effect of antioxidants on tumour growth was the
same as knocking out p53 altogether, Bergo found."

[Posted in FML 8029]