Evidence supporting the use of: Vitamin B12
For the health condition: Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects)

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Vitamin B12 is not directly used as a cancer treatment, but its supplementation is sometimes justified in the context of cancer therapy to address and reduce certain side effects, particularly those related to anemia or neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. Scientific evidence supports the use of vitamin B12 for patients who develop or are at risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, a common problem among cancer patients due to poor intake, malabsorption, or drug interactions. B12 deficiency can cause megaloblastic anemia and neurological symptoms, which may worsen quality of life during cancer treatment.

Several chemotherapeutic agents, such as pemetrexed (used in lung cancer), recommend vitamin B12 supplementation to reduce the risk of severe hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity. For example, patients receiving pemetrexed routinely receive vitamin B12 and folic acid to decrease the incidence and severity of side effects, based on clinical trial data. However, this does not imply that B12 treats cancer itself; it helps mitigate the adverse effects of certain treatments.

Overall, while vitamin B12 is not a cancer therapy, its use to reduce specific treatment-related side effects is supported by moderate scientific evidence, especially in defined clinical scenarios. Routine supplementation in the absence of deficiency or specific chemotherapy protocols is not universally recommended, and concerns have been raised about excess B12 potentially promoting cancer progression in some observational studies, though causality has not been established. Supplementation should therefore be individualized and guided by clinical context.

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