Study Warns Vitamin B3 Supplements May Undercut 3 Pancreatic Cancer Drugs
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Study Warns Vitamin B3 Supplements May Undercut 3 Pancreatic Cancer Drugs
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Summary
Case Western Reserve researchers found over-the-counter vitamin B3 derivatives—NMN, NR and NAM—helped pancreatic cancer cells survive chemotherapy in lab and animal studies.
Those supplements raise NAD+ levels, which the study says gave cancer cells extra energy to repair chemotherapy damage and avoid death.
The effect appeared across three common drugs—oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and gemcitabine—allowing tumors to survive doses that would normally be fatal.
Researchers said the risk is most relevant for patients in active treatment, not healthy users, and urged oncology teams to routinely ask about supplement use.
The findings are limited to pancreatic cancer models, which has a 13% five-year survival rate, and have not yet been confirmed in human clinical trials.