Evidence supporting the use of: Folinic Acid
For the health condition: Radiation Sickness
Synopsis
Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 4
Folinic acid (also known as leucovorin) is scientifically validated as a supportive treatment in certain cases of radiation sickness, particularly when high-dose methotrexate or other folate antagonists are involved, or when bone marrow suppression is a concern. Folinic acid is a reduced form of folic acid and acts to "rescue" normal cells from the toxic effects of folate antagonists, which can be used in cancer chemotherapy and, less commonly, as adjuncts in radiation therapy. Radiation sickness itself primarily causes damage by inducing DNA damage, bone marrow suppression, and gastrointestinal injury. While folinic acid does not directly counteract all the effects of radiation exposure, it can support recovery by stimulating bone marrow function and mitigating the hematopoietic toxicity that can follow combined chemoradiation or accidental exposure to folate antagonists. Several clinical protocols recommend folinic acid rescue for patients who receive accidental overdose of methotrexate or in combination with certain chemotherapies during radiotherapy. However, its use is not standard for all cases of acute radiation syndrome, but rather for specific clinical scenarios involving folate antagonist toxicity or severe marrow suppression. The evidence base consists of clinical guidelines, case reports, and small studies, and the mechanism of benefit is well understood, albeit limited to particular situations rather than general radiation injury.