How can ROS both cause and treat cancer?
Free radicals are oxygen molecules with unpaired electrons,
which make them excited and more unstable than molecules in
which the electrons all have partners. Electrically unstable
oxygen molecules or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are harmful to
cells and DNA, and can convert normal cells to rapidly
reproducing cancer formation. However, ROS are also used to
press the apoptosis — or self-destruct button — inside each
cancer cell. We want a diet rich in fresh produce that reduces
oxidative stress before we are treated for cancer and after it
has been treated with CT/RT. On the other hand, we want a
non-healthy diet that can raise oxidative stress during CT/RT.
Such a diet includes high-calorie, antioxidant-void, Atkins-type
meals that release legions of free radicals, which can help CT/RT
pummel cancer cells.
