Resumo

ZORRILLA GARCIA, Adonis E; EIREZ IZQUIERDO, Mayté  e  IZQUIERDO EXPOSITO, Moreisby. Role of the free radicals on DNA: carcinogenesis and antioxidant therapy. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2004, vol.23, n.1, pp. 51-57. ISSN 1561-3011.

A review on the role of free radicals on DNA was made. According to incidence data obtained from cancer registries existing in the world and the available data of world mortality, it can be estimated that every year appear 8 000 000 new cases of cancer (excepting skin cancer different from melanoma). These have been the reasons that have turned cancer into a priority health problem with the paradox that both its incidence and its mortality increase in spite of the great progress attained in its diagnosis and treatment during the last years. In general, the clinical treatment of this disease consists in treating the symptoms in order to improve the quality of life of these patients and not in the possible causes as the generation of free radicals in the organism

Palavras-chave : FREE RADICALS; DNA; REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES; ANTIOXIDANTS [therapeutic use]; NEOPLAMS [epidemiology]; NEOPLAMS [mortality]; NEOPLAMS [therapy].