Cancer survivors may benefit from supplement use

Scare Tactic

I don’t wear a tin foil hat and I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but every now and then it’s hard to shake the suspicion that someone out there is pulling the levers on a subtle strategy to make the public believe dietary supplements are dangerous.

Okay – that said, let’s forget the conspiracy theory and focus on a couple of extremely annoying (actually infuriating) comments that serve only one purpose: They’ll scare the daylights out of elderly cancer survivors who take supplements.

Complete disconnect

“In our study, we see people taking supplements who have good diets and who are relatively healthy. While they may need a particular vitamin because they don’t get enough of it, they may not need a multivitamin or supplement because of the increased risk of cancer recurrence or a secondary cancer.”

That quote is from Denise Snyder, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., who’s a clinical trials manager at the Duke school of nursing, and who apprears to believe that supplement use might actually promote cancer growth in cancer survivors.

In a Duke Health press release, Ms. Snyder also stated: “It’s unclear whether supplements really help keep cancer survivors healthier or put them at further risk.”

Well done, Ms. Snyder. With your comments published in the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report and other news outlets, you’ve managed to unnecessarily scare untold numbers of people who are simply trying to stay proactive in averting recurrence of their diseases.

And here’s the kicker: The Duke study didn’t reveal ANY connection between supplement use and increased risk of cancer.

Cautious to a fault

Ms. Snyder and colleages conducted a study to compare dietary intake with supplement usage in elderly cancer survivors.

Interviews with more than 750 long-term cancer surviviors over the age of 65 revealed that three out of four were taking dietary supplements that included herbs, amino acids, and glandular extracts. The three most used classes of supplements were multivitamins (60 percent), calcium/vitamin D (37 percent), and antioxidants (30 percent).

In the Journal of Cancer Survivorship, Snyder and her colleagues wrote, “Supplement use may be an effective means for many survivors to achieve adequate nutrient intakes…”

Now, is it just me, or does that conclusion, taken with Ms. Snyder’s widely published comments, send a seriously mixed message?

What’s really infuriating is that the study wasn’t even designed to assess risk. Nevertheless, one of the results shows that supplement use among cancer survivors was actually linked to longevity!

I agree that some supplements aren’t a good fit for cancer patients and cancer survivors. Multivitamins that contain iron, for instance, may promote free radical activity. But that’s a reason to change supplements – not stop taking them.

I also agree with Ms. Snyder’s suggestion that cancer patients should talk with a healthcare provider before beginning supplement use. And I would further suggest that if your healthcare provider is Ms. Snyder, it’s time for a second opinion.

Sources:
“Dietary Supplement Use Among Elderly, Long-Term Survivors” Journal of Cancer Survivorship” Published online 7/11/08, springerlink.com
“Dietary Supplements May Pose Risk to Older Cancer Survivors” Robert Preidt, 8/21/08, HealthDay News, nlm.nih.gov
“Older Cancer Survivors Should Heed Concerns About Dietary Supplements” Duke Health, dukehealth.org