The Use of Dietary Supplements in Cancer Patients †
1
Service for Patient Food and Nutrition, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Bijeli Brijeg bb, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2
Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology, University of Mostar, Biskupa Čule bb, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3
Department of Food and Nutrition Research, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Osijek, Franje Kuhača 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091131
Published: 29 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Abstract
:Background and objectives: The use of dietary supplements is extremely common among cancer patients. It is estimated that 20–90% of cancer patients use some form of dietary supplement. Most often, they are “self-selected” supplements or selected from unverified Internet sources, without consulting a specialist. Components in such supplements can interact with the applied therapy and impact cancer patients’ treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and type of supplementation used by cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 52 cancer patients (mean age: 58 years) by using a study-specific questionnaire, conducted between February and July 2022 at the University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results: More than half of the respondents (62%) use some dietary or herbal supplements daily. The most common dietary supplements were probiotics (22%), B complex vitamins (22%), and vitamin D (22%). Patients (46.8%) used supplements based on their own or their family–friend’s recommendation, and 90% of them started to use supplementation during therapy. The main reason for use, as stated by 71.8% of the respondents, was to support immunity. Approximately 56.2% of them said that they had noticed a positive effect on their health. It is concerning that 78.8% of patients did not research the possible side effects and risks of taking supplements during therapy. Conclusions: Doctors, nutritionists, and nurses should improve communication with patients by giving them reliable information and evidence-based recommendations about dietary supplements and complementary therapy in general. During consultations, professionals should offer assistance and discuss potential benefits and risks with the patient in order to achieve a mutually informed decision on dietary supplement use.
Author Contributions
Writing and conceptualization: N.Ć., A.V. and I.B.; investigation and data collection: N.Ć.; validation: A.V. and I.B.; statistical analysis: A.V. and N.Ć.; writing—review and editing: N.Ć. and A.V.; supervision: I.B.; project administration: N.Ć., A.V. and I.B.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (protocol code: 1013/21, date of approval 20 September 2021). All patients signed informed consent to participate in the study.
Data Availability Statement
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Ćorić, N.; Vukoja, A.; Banjari, I. The Use of Dietary Supplements in Cancer Patients. Proceedings 2023, 91, 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091131
AMA Style
Ćorić N, Vukoja A, Banjari I. The Use of Dietary Supplements in Cancer Patients. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):131. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091131
Chicago/Turabian StyleĆorić, Nevena, Ana Vukoja, and Ines Banjari. 2023. "The Use of Dietary Supplements in Cancer Patients" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091131
