1 in 5 Cancer Survivors Believe Taking Supplements Will Prevent Recurrence; Dont Rely on Alternative Medicine – SurvivorNet

Supplements & False Information

The thought of cancer returning is something that most cancer survivors fear after going into remission. Thanks to modern day research advancements, there are plenty of options for those facing a recurrence. However, a recent study found that 1 in 5 cancer survivors believe that taking dietary supplements will reduce the risk of recurrence. When it comes to your health, its important not to turn to alternative therapies and instead trust your physician.

In a study published by the journalCancer, researchers surveyed more than 1,000 survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer about the measures they take to prioritize their health. One in 5 (around 40%) of the surveyed survivors stated that they believe taking dietary supplements will help prevent the cancer from returning. Among the participants, 13% admitted that they take fish oil pills while 15% regularly take calcium supplements with or without Vitamin D.

Related: Your Fish Oil Supplements Arent Actually Reducing Your Cancer Risk, New Studies Find

We found one in five people who had been treated for cancer mistakenly thought that taking vitamins or other supplements would help reduce the risk of their cancer coming back, says Rana Conway, a co-author in the study. Those who believed supplements were important for reducing their risk of cancer recurrence were three times more likely to take them.

Dr. Ann Partridge explains how supplements are selling cancer patients and survivors false hope

Supplements do serve their purpose in other matters of health, but not in cancer prevention. The main purpose of taking supplements is to make up for the lack of nutrition certain people may have in their diet, such as fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, supplements such as fish oil have strong benefits in strengthening hair and nails.

The trend of holistic medicine has gained significant ground over recent years, with millions of Americans turning to alternative treatments rather than standard treatment. However, this can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. A Yale study, published by JAMA Oncology,found thatpeople who pursue alternative therapy are more likely to die. Since this has become a popular route, more oncologists are incorporating integrative medicine into their practiceswithout replacing standard treatment such as chemotherapy.

Unlike alternative medicine, which claims cancer can be cured or completely prevented, integrative medicine blends both standard treatment as well as emphasizing lifestyle behavior. This can include diet, exercise, and a persons overall well-being.

Related:Fake Cancer Cures Still Running Rampant On The Internet Google, Facebook Monitoring Efforts Fall Short

Integrative medicineis an approach to care that puts the patientin the center of care and everything flows from that,Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet. It emphasizes lifestyle behavior, like diet, stress management, nutrition, and it also blends the best of conventional medicine and complementary therapiesIt very much believes in the power of conventional medicine, but its trying to bring in other evidence-based approaches, and to optimize peoples health and well-being.

Dr. Jason Westins message to cancer patients: dont believe everything you read on the internet

While supplements can be beneficial in regulated doses, and under certain circumstances, its important to note that they are not a substitute for cancer treatment, prevention, or reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. In order to have the most successful outcomes, its key to follow your physicians advice and stick to evidence-based treatment options.

Related: Some Dietary Supplements May Be Harmful to People Getting Chemo for Breast Cancer

The ones that people often think about [integrative medicine] are the pills people can pop and what you get from the herbalist and so when someones putting something into their body I have two major concerns, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously toldSurvivorNet.One is that it might interact with something that Im recommending as an oncologist to treat the cancer and might get in the way of that working or might increase the side effects they have from treatmentThe second big thing is that, understandably, some of these therapies are much more appealing than some of our standard therapies in the general medical world, like chemotherapy or surgery. Wouldnt it be much nicer to take a vitamin and treat your cancer? So the studies have not been done in the rigorous way that we do cancer treatment trials to tell us for sure that thats not harmful.

Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, assistant professor of urology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has a similar strategy with his patients.

So when I counsel patients, I will typically tell them just the basics. Exercise, maintaining a normal weight, plenty of sleep, eating fruits and vegetables. Those are the most important things, he says. Supplements, dietary supplements are probably not necessary. But likely not harmful. I discourage patients from seeking out things that they may read on the internet that are very expensive that, that promise cures or treatments to many different types of disease. Those are more likely marketing ploys rather than something that actually has a solid evidence base.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

In a study published by the journalCancer, researchers surveyed more than 1,000 survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer about the measures they take to prioritize their health. One in 5 (around 40%) of the surveyed survivors stated that they believe taking dietary supplements will help prevent the cancer from returning. Among the participants, 13% admitted that they take fish oil pills while 15% regularly take calcium supplements with or without Vitamin D.

We found one in five people who had been treated for cancer mistakenly thought that taking vitamins or other supplements would help reduce the risk of their cancer coming back, says Rana Conway, a co-author in the study. Those who believed supplements were important for reducing their risk of cancer recurrence were three times more likely to take them.

Dr. Ann Partridge explains how supplements are selling cancer patients and survivors false hope

Supplements do serve their purpose in other matters of health, but not in cancer prevention. The main purpose of taking supplements is to make up for the lack of nutrition certain people may have in their diet, such as fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, supplements such as fish oil have strong benefits in strengthening hair and nails.

The trend of holistic medicine has gained significant ground over recent years, with millions of Americans turning to alternative treatments rather than standard treatment. However, this can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. A Yale study, published by JAMA Oncology,found thatpeople who pursue alternative therapy are more likely to die. Since this has become a popular route, more oncologists are incorporating integrative medicine into their practiceswithout replacing standard treatment such as chemotherapy.

Unlike alternative medicine, which claims cancer can be cured or completely prevented, integrative medicine blends both standard treatment as well as emphasizing lifestyle behavior. This can include diet, exercise, and a persons overall well-being.

Related:Fake Cancer Cures Still Running Rampant On The Internet Google, Facebook Monitoring Efforts Fall Short

Integrative medicineis an approach to care that puts the patientin the center of care and everything flows from that,Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet. It emphasizes lifestyle behavior, like diet, stress management, nutrition, and it also blends the best of conventional medicine and complementary therapiesIt very much believes in the power of conventional medicine, but its trying to bring in other evidence-based approaches, and to optimize peoples health and well-being.

Dr. Jason Westins message to cancer patients: dont believe everything you read on the internet

While supplements can be beneficial in regulated doses, and under certain circumstances, its important to note that they are not a substitute for cancer treatment, prevention, or reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. In order to have the most successful outcomes, its key to follow your physicians advice and stick to evidence-based treatment options.

Related: Some Dietary Supplements May Be Harmful to People Getting Chemo for Breast Cancer

The ones that people often think about [integrative medicine] are the pills people can pop and what you get from the herbalist and so when someones putting something into their body I have two major concerns, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously toldSurvivorNet.One is that it might interact with something that Im recommending as an oncologist to treat the cancer and might get in the way of that working or might increase the side effects they have from treatmentThe second big thing is that, understandably, some of these therapies are much more appealing than some of our standard therapies in the general medical world, like chemotherapy or surgery. Wouldnt it be much nicer to take a vitamin and treat your cancer? So the studies have not been done in the rigorous way that we do cancer treatment trials to tell us for sure that thats not harmful.

Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, assistant professor of urology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has a similar strategy with his patients.

So when I counsel patients, I will typically tell them just the basics. Exercise, maintaining a normal weight, plenty of sleep, eating fruits and vegetables. Those are the most important things, he says. Supplements, dietary supplements are probably not necessary. But likely not harmful. I discourage patients from seeking out things that they may read on the internet that are very expensive that, that promise cures or treatments to many different types of disease. Those are more likely marketing ploys rather than something that actually has a solid evidence base.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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1 in 5 Cancer Survivors Believe Taking Supplements Will Prevent Recurrence; Dont Rely on Alternative Medicine - SurvivorNet