Radiosensitizers

Radiosensitizers are substances which enhance the cancer-killing ability of radiation treatment. In glioblastoma, tumor cells are intrinsically radio-resistant due to poorly expressed p53 and it's effect on the downregulation of p21. Radiosensitizers are usually adjuvant treatment immediately before, during, and immediately after radiation treatment.

The list below contains, in no particular order, a wide variety of substances which have been shown to be radiosensitizers in cancer treatments. Some, but not all, have been studied specifically with gliomas. These substances in this list includes common vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs, as well as exotic extracts and drugs in clinical trial.

Understanding radiosensitizers allows a patient to investigate with the help of a medical doctor and pharmacist whether or not the addition of these substances to radiation treatment is advisable. Many of the substances listed below, such as fish oils, gamma-linolenic acid, berberine, vitamin A, PSK, sulforaphane, and artemisinin, are readily available without a prescription and generally do not cause any adverse side-effects.

For a general, scientific introduction to the subject, try the paper produced by the Gray Cancer Institute at the University of Oxford, called Chemical Radiosensitizers for Use in Radiotherapy. Additional scientific studies will be linked to this list as time permits.

Several general classes of substances demonstrate substantial evidence as radiosensitizers. General radiosensitizing classes of substances include histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors¹, retinoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, chromatin compactors², and probably glutathione reducers. The category of HDAC inhibitors by itself is vast and varied, including substances as diverse as valproic acid or Depakote, sulforaphane from broccoli, Trichostatin A, and the chemo drug Vorinostat.