The term
vitamin E describes
tocopherols and
tocotrienols, whose chemical variations result in different
biological activities including
antioxidants.
Neuroprotective effects of
alpha-tocopherol against different toxins are assumed, therefore, it is discussed as a possible protective factor for adverse effects in
cancer treatment. In July 2020, a systematic search was conducted searching five databases (Embase, Cochrane, PsychInfo, Cinahl, Medline) to find studies concerning the impact of α-
tocopherol application and its potential harm on
cancer patients. From 7546 search results, 22 publications referring to 20 studies with 1941 patients were included. Included patients were diagnosed with various
cancer types and stages. Outcome variables were overall survival of
cancer, symptom management of
mucositis and
chemotherapy-induced
peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The studies had different methodological qualities (mainly acceptable) and reported heterogeneous results: some reported significant improvement of
mucositis and CIPN while others did not find changes concerning these endpoints. Due to heterogeneous results and methodical limitations of the included studies, a clear statement regarding the effectiveness of α-
tocopherol as complementary treatment for
cancer patients is not possible. Despite findings regarding reduction of oral side effects, usage of α-
tocopherol during
therapy must be discouraged because of potential negative influence on survival rates.