MONDAY, December 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Nineteen percent of adults living with and beyond cancer believe that dietary supplements (DS) are important for reducing the risk of cancer coming back, according to a study published online on December 20 in Cancer.

Rana E. Conway, Ph.D., of University College London, and her colleagues recruited adults who had been diagnosed with breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. A total of 1,049 participants responded to a 24-hour mail survey and phone or online food recalls, which included supplement use.

The researchers found that 19 percent of participants thought SDs were important in reducing the risk of cancer recurrence, and 40 percent said they used SDs. There was a positive association for DS use with being female, following the recommendations of five fruits and vegetables a day, and believing that DS was important in reducing the risk of cancer recurrence (reports odds, 2.48, 1.36 and 3.13, respectively). There was a negative association observed for the use of DS with obesity (odds ratio, 0.58). Fish oils were the most commonly consumed SDs overall (13%). The most common DS consumed by people with breast cancer was calcium with or without vitamin D (15%). “As the number of people living with or without cancer increases, there is a growing need for a more holistic approach to long-term health care,” Conway said in a statement. “Information on the role of supplements and the lack of evidence that they reduce cancer recurrence would be beneficial, as would discussions on the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity. ”

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