B12 okay while getting chemo?
Ask-the-Expert Online Conference
Question from Dorothy: I usually take B12 while getting chemo. Should I continue?
- Answer —Gary Deng, M.D., Ph.D.: In most people who are not Vitamin B12 deficient, there is no need to have B12 injections. If you are taking B12 orally, it is OK. I do not see any problem with chemotherapy.
Questions from this conference
Meet the Experts
Gary Deng, M.D., Ph.D. is an internist and researcher with the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a principal investigator or co-principal investigator in several NIH-funded research projects in the Integrative Medicine Service. Dr. Deng’s research interests include the use of botanical agents in cancer treatment and complementary therapies for symptom control. He has authored many review articles and textbook chapters and has peer-review responsibilities for several medical journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Deng is currently a member of the Institutional Review Board, the Research Council, the Nutrition Committee and the Cancer Survivorship Steering Committee at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a general surgeon with a focus in breast cancer care and the CEO and medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Care Institute at DSI of Bucks County, PA. She believes that using a holistic approach to healing a patient is extremely important. It is her position that marrying both holistic therapies with state-of-the-art, leading-edge technology can lead to better outcomes-even in people with life-threatening disease, such as cancer. Dr. DuPree, who received her medical degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia in 1987, published her first book in June of 2006, titled The Healing Consciousness: A Doctor's Journey to Healing. The proceeds from the book have allowed her to create The Healing Consciousness Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing healing therapies for breast cancer survivors. She has been the keynote speaker at numerous conferences and seminars, primarily in addressing breast cancer treatment and healing. Dr. Dupree is also a member of Breastcancer.org's Professional Advisory Board. Read more about Dr. Dupree's philosophy and practice at www.comprehensivebreastcare.com or www.dsi-bucks.com.