Published on Monday, 19 August 2019
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with several forms, but alpha-tocopherol is the only one used by the human body: it has the ability to protect cells from free radical damage as well as stop the production of free radical cells entirely.
Its main role is to act as an antioxidant, scavenging loose electrons – so-called “free radicals” – that can damage cells. It also enhances immune function and prevents clots from forming in heart arteries.
Free radical damage was involved in the early stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis, vision loss, a host of other chronic conditions and cancer.
An extensive literature has established, emphasized and confirmed the strong activity both preventive and therapeutic action of Vitamin E in neoplastic diseases: In Vitro, In Vivo (Animal Only), Review, Commentary/Editorial/Letter to the Editor/Communication, Meta-analysis/Pooled Analysis/Narrative Reviews and In Vivo (Human Only) publications.
Only In Vitro Research (Isolated organs, tissues, cells, or biochemical systems - IUPAC Gold Book definition)
- 1979 Sep: Vitamin E induces morphological differentiation and increases the effect of ionizing radiation on neuroblastoma cells in culture;
- 1980 Apr: Effect of vitamin E against adriamycin-induced toxicity in rabbits;
- 1980 Jun: Vitamin E increases the growth inhibitory and differentiating effects of tumor therapeutic agents on neuroblastoma and glioma cells in culture;
- 1981 Feb: Binding of vitamin E in mammalian tumor cells in culture;
- 1984 May: Effect of hyperthermia in combination with vitamin E and cyclic AMP on neuroblastoma cells in culture;
- 1986 Aug: Vitamin E enhances the chemotherapeutic effects of adriamycin on human prostatic carcinoma cells in vitro;
- 1990 Nov: Decreased expressions of c-myc and H-ras oncogenes in vitamin E succinate induced morphologically differentiated murine B-16 melanoma cells in culture;
- 1992 Apr: The selective cytotoxic effect of carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol on human cancer cell lines in vitro;
- 1992 Aug: beta-Carotene and alpha-tocopherol are synergistic antioxidants;
- 1994 Feb: Modification of the effect of tamoxifen, cis-platin, DTIC, and interferon-alpha 2b on human melanoma cells in culture by a mixture of vitamins;
- 1995 Jun: Growth inhibition and apoptosis of RL human B lymphoma cells by vitamin E succinate and retinoic acid: role for transforming growth factor beta;
- 1996 Feb: Effect of individual and multiple antioxidant vitamins on growth and morphology of human nontumorigenic and tumorigenic parotid acinar cells in culture;
- 1997 Jan: Carotenoids Enhance Vitamin E Antioxidant Efficiency;
- 1997 Feb: RRR-alpha-tocopheryl succinate inhibits EL4 thymic lymphoma cell growth by inducing apoptosis and DNA synthesis arrest;
- 1998 May: Tocotrienols inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells irrespective of estrogen receptor status;
- 1998 Oct: Beta-carotene with vitamins E and C offers synergistic cell protection against NOx;
- 1999 Feb: Induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by tocopherols and tocotrienols;
- 2000 Jan: Peptide YY augments gross inhibition by vitamin E succinate of human pancreatic cancer cell growth;
- 2000 May: Lipoprotein-associated alpha-tocopheryl-succinate inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in human MCF-7 and HBL-100 breast cancer cells;
- 2001 Jan: Alpha-tocopherol succinate inhibits growth of gastric cancer cells in vitro;
- 2001 Feb: Green tea catechins and vitamin E inhibit angiogenesis of human microvascular endothelial cells through suppression of IL-8 production;
- 2001 Feb: Induction of cancer cell apoptosis by alpha-tocopheryl succinate: molecular pathways and structural requirements;
- 2001 May: Gamma-tocotrienol as an effective agent in targeting prostate cancer stem cell-like population;
- 2002 Mar: Alpha-tocopheryl succinate, an agent with in vivo anti-tumour activity, induces apoptosis by causing lysosomal instability;
- 2002 Dec: Inhibition of angiogenesis and promotion of melanoma dormancy by vitamin E succinate;
- 2003 Jan: Alpha-tocopheryl succinate sensitises a T lymphoma cell line to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by suppressing NF-kappaB activation;
- 2003 Mar: Alpha-tocopherol protects against cisplatin-induced toxicity without interfering with antitumor efficacy;
- 2003 Jul: Anti-angiogenic activity of tocotrienol;
- 2004 Dec: Antiangiogenic potency of vitamin E;
- 2005 Jul: Alpha-tocopheryl succinate selectively induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells: potential therapy of malignancies of the nervous system?;
- 2005 Nov: Tocopherol-associated protein suppresses prostate cancer cell growth by inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway;
- 2007 Feb: Vitamin E suppresses telomerase activity in ovarian cancer cells;
- 2008 Mar: Alpha-tocopheryl succinate induces apoptosis by targeting ubiquinone-binding sites in mitochondrial respiratory complex II;
- 2008 Aug: Induction of apoptosis in human renal cell carcinoma cells by vitamin E succinate in caspase-independent manner;
- 2008 Sep-Oct: Growth inhibition of human MDA-mB-231 breast cancer cells by delta-tocotrienol is associated with loss of cyclin D1/CDK4 expression and accompanying changes in the state of phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene product;
- 2008 Nov: Gamma-tocotrienol suppresses prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasion through multiple-signalling pathways;
- 2009 Jan: RRR-alpha-vitamin E succinate potentiates the antitumor effect of calcitriol in prostate cancer without overt side effects;
- 2009 Mar: Dual expression of alpha-tocopherol-associated protein and estrogen receptor in normal/benign human breast luminal cells and the downregulation of alpha-tocopherol-associated protein in estrogen-receptor-positive breast carcinomas;
- 2009 May: d-δ-Tocotrienol-mediated suppression of the proliferation of human PANC-1, MIA PaCa-2, and BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma cells;
- 2009 Sep: Effect of alpha tocopherol acetate in Walker 256/B cells-induced oxidative damage in a rat model of breast cancer skeletal metastases;
- 2009 Dec: Reduced expression of tocopherol-associated protein (TAP/Sec14L2) in human breast cancer;
- 2010 Jan: A gamma-tocopherol-rich mixture of tocopherols inhibits chemically induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice and xenograft tumor growth;
- 2010 Sep: Redox-silent tocotrienol esters as breast cancer proliferation and migration inhibitors;
- 2010 Oct: Differential suppression of proliferation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exposed to alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienols is accompanied by altered expression of oxidative stress modulatory enzymes;
- 2012 Feb: α-Tocopheryloxyacetic acid is superior to α-tocopheryl succinate in suppressing HER2-high breast carcinomas due to its higher stability;
- 2012 May: Administration of vitamin E prevents thymocyte apoptosis in murine sarcoma S180 tumor bearing mice;
- 2012 Nov: Alteration of α-tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) expression in human breast epithelial cells during breast cancer development;
- 2012 Dec: Alpha-tocopheryl succinate inhibits autophagic survival of prostate cancer cells induced by vitamin K3 and ascorbate to trigger cell death;
- 2013 Apr: Tocotrienols promote apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by inducing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-B activity;
- 2013 Aug: Simultaneous analysis of circulating 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D2, retinol, tocopherols, carotenoids, and oxidized and reduced coenzyme Q10 by high performance liquid chromatography with photo diode-array detection using C18 and C30 columns alone or in combination;
- 2014 Apr: Y-tocotrienol inhibits angiogenesis-dependent growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma through abrogation of AKT/mTOR pathway in an orthotopic mouse model;
- 2015 Dec: Expression of a-Tocopherol-Associated protein (TAP) is associated with clinical outcome in breast cancer patients;
- 2014 Jul: Treatment of tumors with vitamin E suppresses myeloid derived suppressor cells and enhances CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor effects;
- 2016 Nov: A naturally occurring mixture of tocotrienols inhibits the growth of human prostate tumor, associated with epigenetic modifications of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27;
- 2017 May: δ-Tocotrienol, a natural form of vitamin E, inhibits pancreatic cancer stem-like cells and prevents pancreatic cancer metastasis;
- 2017 Sep: Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol) Exhibits Antitumour Activity on Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells ORL-48;
- 2018 Mar: Counteraction of Oxidative Stress by Vitamin E Affects Epigenetic Regulation by Increasing Global Methylation and Gene Expression of MLH1 and DNMT1 Dose Dependently in Caco-2 Cells;
- 2018 Jun: L-ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol attenuate arsenic trioxide-induced toxicity in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by the activation of Nrf2 and Bcl2 transcription factors;
- 2018 Sep: Vitamin E d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) provokes cell death in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells via a pro-oxidant signaling mechanism;
- 2019 Jan: Effect of Chemotherapeutics and Tocopherols on MCF-7 Breast Adenocarcinoma and KGN Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Lines In Vitro;
- 2021 Mar: D-α-Tocopherol-Based Micelles for Successful Encapsulation of Retinoic Acid.
In Vivo (Animal Only)
Review
Commentary - Editorial - Letter to the Editor - Communication - Correspondence
Meta-analysis, Pooled Analysis and Narrative Reviews
In Vivo (Human Only: Case Reports/Series, Clinical Trials, Comparative Studies, Randomized Controlled Trials and Retrospective Studies)
- 1987 Jul: Lack of tocopherol in peripheral nerves of vitamin E-deficient patients with peripheral neuropathy;
- 1990 Feb: Plasma vitamin E and beta-carotene concentrations during radiochemotherapy preceding bone marrow transplantation;
- 1990 Sep: Relationships of vitamins A and E and beta-carotene serum levels to head and neck cancer patients with and without second primary tumors;
- 1992 May: Vitamin E in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced mucositis;
- 1993 Jan: Regression of oral leukoplakia with alpha-tocopherol: a community clinical oncology program chemoprevention study;
- 1994 Feb: Some aspects of vitamin E related to humans and breast cancer prevention;
- 1997 Jul: Decrease of ornithine decarboxylase activity in premalignant gastric mucosa and regression of small intestinal metaplasia in patients supplemented with high doses of vitamin E;
- 1997 Nov: Intake of selected micronutrients and risk of colorectal cancer;
- 1998 Jan: Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids plus vitamin E restore immunodeficiency and prolong survival for severely ill patients with generalized malignancy: a randomized control trial;
- 1998 Mar: Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial;
- 1998 Aug: Striking regression of radiation-induced fibrosis by a combination of pentoxifylline and tocopherol;
- 1998 Aug: Topical melatonin in combination with vitamins E and C protects skin from ultraviolet-induced erythema: a human study in vivo;
- 1998 Oct: Beta-carotene with vitamins E and C offers synergistic cell protection against NOx;
- 1999 Oct: Striking regression of chronic radiotherapy damage in a clinical trial of combined pentoxifylline and tocopherol;
- 2000 Feb: Vitamin nutrition and gastroesophageal cancer;
- 2001 Apr: Cyclophosphamide plus Somatostatin, Bromocriptin, Retinoids, Melatonin and ACTH in the Treatment of Low-grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas at Advanced Stage: Results of a Phase II Trial;
- 2002 Feb: The Safety of High-Dose Vitamin E Supplementation in Healthy Japanese Male Adults;
- 2002 May: Complete healing of severe osteoradionecrosis with treatment combining pentoxifylline, tocopherol and clodronate;
- 2002 Jun: beta-Carotene and alpha-tocopherol concentration and antioxidant status in buccal mucosal cells and plasma after oral supplementation;
- 2003 Mar: Neuroprotective effect of vitamin E supplementation in patients treated with cisplatin chemotherapy;
- 2003 Jul: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of combined pentoxifylline and tocopherol for regression of superficial radiation-induced fibrosis;
- 2004 Apr: Protective effect of alpha-tocopherol in head and neck cancer radiation-induced mucositis: a double-blind randomized trial;
- 2004 Jun: Low antioxidant vitamin intakes are associated with increases in adverse effects of chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia;
- 2005 Feb: Major healing of refractory mandible osteoradionecrosis after treatment combining pentoxifylline and tocopherol: a phase II trial;
- 2005 Sep: Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia due to docetaxel-capecitabine therapy is treated with vitamin E without dose reduction;
- 2006 Feb: Somatostatin, retinoids, melatonin, vitamin D, bromocriptine, and cyclophosphamide in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients with low performance status;
- 2006 Apr: A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of vitamin E supplementation for protection against cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: final results;
- 2006 Sep: Preventing paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy: a phase II trial of vitamin E supplementation;
- 2006 Nov-Dec: Relapse of high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after autologous stem cell transplantation: a case successfully treated with cyclophosphamide plus somatostatin, bromocriptine, melatonin, retinoids, and ACTH;
- 2007 Jan-Feb: Low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma at advanced stage: a case successfully treated with cyclophosphamide plus somatostatin, bromocriptine, retinoids, and melatonin;
- 2007 Feb: Salivary vitamins E and C in oral cancer;
- 2007 Feb: Somatostatin, retinoids, melatonin, vitamin D, bromocriptine, and cyclophosphamide in chemotherapy-pretreated patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma and low performance status;
- 2007 Feb: The effectiveness of vitamin "E" in the treatment of oral mucositis in children receiving chemotherapy;
- 2007 Nov-Dec: Serum alpha-tocopherol, retinol and neopterin during paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy;
- 2008 Feb: Cigarette smoking and cancer: intensity patterns in the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention study in Finnish men;
- 2008 Apr: Salivary Levels Vitamin E and C in Different Histological Grading of Oral Cancer;
- 2008 Jun: A randomized prospective study of extended tocopherol and pentoxifylline therapy, in addition to carbogen, in the treatment of radiation late effects;
- 2008 Dec: Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma;
- 2009 Jun: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: long-lasting remission with combination of cyclophosphamide, somatostatin, bromocriptine, retinoids, melatonin, and ACTH;
- 2009 Sep: Complete objective response of oesophageal squamocellular carcinoma to biological treatment;
- 2009 Oct: Complete objective response of neuroblastoma to biological treatment;
- 2010 Aug: Serum retinol, alpha-tocopherol and systemic inflammatory response in metastatic colorectal carcinoma patients treated with combination chemotherapy and cetuximab;
- 2010 Nov: Efficacy of Vitamin E Treatment for Hand-Foot Syndrome in Patients Receiving Capecitabine;
- 2011 Feb: Modulatory action of α-tocopherol on erythrocyte membrane adenosine triphosphatase against radiation damage in oral cancer;
- 2011 Sep: The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 122 cases of breast cancer;
- 2012 May: The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 23 tumours of the head and neck;
- 2012 Oct: An evaluation of Vitamin E and Pycnogenol in children suffering from oral mucositis during cancer chemotherapy;
- 2012 Dec: Serum α-Tocopherol Levels Indicating Status of Oral Carcinoma Patients;
- 2012 Dec: The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 55 cases of lymphomas;
- 2013 Aug: Does vitamin E protect salivary glands from I-131 radiation damage in patients with thyroid cancer?;
- 2013 Nov: The Di Bella Method (DBM) in the treatment of prostate cancer: a preliminary retrospective study of 16 patients and a review of the literature;
- 2013 Dec: Effects of α-tocopherol and β-carotene supplementation on cancer incidence and mortality: 18-year postintervention follow-up of the Alpha-tocopherol, Beta-carotene Cancer Prevention Study;
- 2013 Dec: Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonin, retinoids, vitamin D3, and low doses of cyclophosphamide in 20 cases of breast cancer: a preliminary report;
- 2014 Nov: A Phase I Safety, Pharmacokinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Presurgical Trial of Vitamin E δ-tocotrienol in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Neoplasia;
- 2015 Jan: Efficacy of Topical and Systemic Vitamin E in Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis;
- 2015 May: Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme (grade IV – WHO 2007): a case of complete objective response achieved by means of the concomitant administration of Somatostatin and Octreotide – Retinoids – Vitamin E – Vitamin D3 – Vitamin C – Melatonin – D2 R agonists (Di Bella Method – DBM) associated with Temozolomide;
- 2015 Dec: Expression of a-Tocopherol-Associated protein (TAP) is associated with clinical outcome in breast cancer patients;
- 2016 Jan: Congenital fibrosarcoma in complete remission with Somatostatin, Bromocriptine, Retinoids, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Melatonin, Calcium, Chondroitin sulfate associated with low doses of Cyclophosphamide in a 14-year Follow Up. Case Report;
- 2016 Apr: Randomized Trial of Vitamin C/E Complex for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer;
- 2017 Jan: Effect of Subcutaneous Sterile Vitamin E Ointment on Incisional Surgical Site Infection after Elective Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery;
- 2017 Jul-Dec: Prophylactic Use of Pentoxifylline and Tocopherol in Patients Undergoing Dental Extractions Following Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer;
- 2017 Dec: Complete objective response, stable for 5 years, with the Di Bella Method, of multiple-metastatic carcinoma of the breast;
- 2017 Dec: The Vitamin E Preventive Effect on Taxol-Induced Neuropathy Among Patients With Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial;
- 2018 Mar: The Synergism of Somatostatin, Melatonin, Vitamins Prolactin and Estrogen Inhibitors Increased Survival, Objective Response and Performance Status In 297 Cases of Breast Cancer;
- 2019 Feb: The Effect of Oral Care with Chlorhexidine, Vitamin E and Honey on Mucositis in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial;
- 2019 Feb: The effect of vitamin D and E vaginal suppositories on tamoxifen-induced vaginal atrophy in women with breast cancer;
- 2019 May: A Prospective Study of Serum Vitamin E and 28-Year Risk of Lung Cancer;
- 2019 Nov: Pentoxifylline and vitamin E reduce the severity of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis and dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients: a randomized, controlled study;
- 2021 Sep: Pentoxifylline and tocopherol - The importance in the treatment of osteoradionecrosis - Literature review and case report;
- 2021 Nov: A retrospective observational study on cases of anaplastic brain tumors treated with the Di Bella Method: A rationale and effectiveness (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- 2022 Jun: A Retrospective Observational Study on Cases of Sarcoma Treated with the Di Bella Method: Rationale and Effectiveness (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- 2022 Sep: A retrospective observational study on cases of osteosarcomas treated with a multitherapy: The rationale and effectiveness (from Di Bella's Foundation).