Dietary supplement use among participants of a databank and biorepository at a comprehensive cancer centre

Abstract

Objective We assessed the prevalence, patterns and predictors of dietary supplement use among participants of the databank and biorepository (DBBR) at a comprehensive cancer centre in western New York. Design Archived epidemiological questionnaire data were obtained from the DBBR at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression explored the prevalence, patterns and predictors of lifetime use of four common supplements (multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and calcium) and use of multivitamins, sixteen single vitamins/minerals and eighteen herbal/specialty supplements within the previous 10 years. Setting Western New York, USA. Subjects DBBR participants (n 8096) enrolled between December 2003 and July 2012 were included in these analyses: 66.9 % (n 5418) with cancer, 65.6 % (n 5309) women, mean age for patients ν. cancer-free controls 59.9 (sd 12.6) years and 50.7 (sd 15.4) years, respectively. Results Overall, 54.4 % of DBBR participants reported lifetime use of one or more supplements and 63.1 % reported use of one or more supplements within the previous 10 years (excluding multivitamins). Multivitamin use was high in this sample (lifetime: 64.1 %; 10 years: 71.3 %; current: 51.8 %). Supplementation was higher among cancer-free controls than cancer patients. Vitamin C, calcium and fish oil were the most common single vitamin, mineral and specialty product, respectively. Conclusions A consistently high and increasing proportion of dietary supplement use over time remains clear. Supplementation is prevalent among cancer patients and may even be higher than predicted in cancer-free individuals. Further studies should assess the safety and efficacy of specific supplements in reducing disease risk.

Complementary and alternative medicine use among US cancer survivors

“…However, in contrast, few dietary supplement interventions have proven to be effective at changing clinical endpoints and some dietary supplements have proven to be harmful. The high prevalence of dietary supplement use among cancer survivors have led to safety concerns in light of the limited data on the effects of such use [29]. …”

Clinical and Lifestyle-Related Prognostic Indicators among Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Patients Receiving Treatment at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

“…Macronutrients were presented as a percent of total kilocalories (kcal) and further categorized into tertiles. The DBBR questionnaire was adapted from validated questionnaires including the VITamins And Lifestyle cohort study (VITAL) [ 32 , 33 ] and The Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle and Cancer Prognosis Study (DELCaP) [ 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

A pilot clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of supplementation with a B complex vitamin to reduce the incidence of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in patients diagnosed with a malignancy

“…Conflicting evidence has been found for certain B vitamins in cancer research [66][67][68]. Moreover, the role of vitamin supplementation in those diagnosed with cancer is still unclear.…”