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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Most Cancer Survivors Found to Depend on Vitamins,
Mineral Supplements
Current evidence of benefit is lacking; Research has
been minimal
|
 Breast cancer survivors report
highest use (75-87%); prostate cancer survivors report least
(26-35%) |
Feb. 1, 2008 – Although some research suggests that
certain supplements may actually interfere with treatment or even
accelerate cancer growth, among the 10 million adults who survive cancer
there is widespread use of vitamin and mineral supplements – 64-81% of
survivors versus 50% of general population.
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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements |
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The scientific evidence that these supplements are
helpful in the fight against cancer are inconclusive, according to a
comprehensive review of scientific literature conducted by researchers
at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and published Feb. 1 in the
Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“Can vitamin and herbal supplements reduce the
adverse effects of cancer treatment, decrease the risk of cancer
recurrence or improve a patient’s chances of survival? We don’t really
know. Research into these matters has been minimal,” said senior author
Cornelia (Neli) Ulrich, Ph.D., an associate member of the Hutchinson
Center’s Public Health Sciences Division.
“While supplement use may be beneficial for some
patients, such as those who cannot eat a balanced diet, research
suggests that certain supplements may actually interfere with treatment
or even accelerate cancer growth,” she said.
In reviewing 32 studies conducted between 1999 and
2006, Ulrich and co-author Christine Velicer, Ph.D., formerly a
postdoctoral fellow at the Hutchinson Center (now an epidemiologist at
Merck Research Laboratory in North Wales, Pa.), found that many of the
nation’s 10 million adult cancer survivors use nutritional supplements.
They found 64 percent to 81 percent of cancer
survivors overall reported using vitamins or minerals (excluding
multivitamins), whereas in the general population only 50 percent of
adults reported taking dietary supplements.
Survivors of breast cancer reported the highest use
(75 percent to 87 percent), whereas prostate-cancer survivors reported
the least (26 percent to 35 percent). Factors associated with the
highest level of supplement use overall included a higher level of
education and being female.
The researchers also found that many people
initiate the use of vitamins and supplements after cancer diagnosis;
between 14 percent and 32 percent start taking them after learning they
have cancer.
“Cancer survivors report that they hope to
strengthen their immune system with supplement use or gain a sense of
control and empowerment,” Ulrich said.
However, many cancer survivors who use supplements
do not let their doctors know; 31 percent to 68 percent of cancer
patients and survivors who use supplements may not disclose this
information or their doctors may fail to record it in their charts.
“This is disconcerting and suggests that many
physicians may not recognize the importance of understanding whether
their patients are taking supplements,” Ulrich said.
Knowing about supplement use is crucial, she
continues, because of potential adverse effects.
“Evidence clearly suggests the need for caution,”
Ulrich said. “Some vitamins, such as folic acid, may be involved in
cancer progression while others, such as St. John’s wort, can interfere
with chemotherapy. However, we really need more research to understand
whether use of these supplements can be beneficial or do more harm than
good.”
Until research clarifies the effects of vitamin use
in cancer survivors, the authors urge health care professionals to
communicate openly with their patients about supplement use. “A simple
explanation that medical studies show supplement use may not always be
beneficial may help cancer survivors make well-informed decisions,” the
authors wrote.
Editor’s Notes:
The National Cancer Institute funded this research.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our
interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians
work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other
diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a
relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their
work and to the world. For more information, please visit
fhcrc.org.
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