Augmented antioxidant status in Tamoxifen treated postmenopausal women with breast cancer on co-administration with Coenzyme Q10, Niacin and Riboflavin

Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical have been implicated in pathogenesis of various diseases including cancer and metastasis. Tamoxifen (TAM) is a non-steroidal anti-estrogen drug most widely used as an adjuvant hormonal therapy in breast cancer. TAM also has estrogenic activity on liver and endometrium causing severe oxidative stress and hypertriglycerdemia. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Niacin and Riboflavin are well-known potent antioxidants and protective agents against many diseases including cancer. In this context, this study was undertaken to find if co-administration of CoQ10, Niacin and Riboflavin along with TAM could augment the antioxidant (AO) status in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.