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Addressing Patient Requests to Add Dietary Supplements to Their Cancer Care—A Suggested Approach

Summary

Cancer patients often want to use dietary supplements alongside their conventional cancer treatments to manage side effects, boost immunity, and feel more in control of their health. Many patients don’t tell their doctors about supplement use because they worry about judgment or think doctors won’t understand their interests. This paper suggests doctors should have open, non-judgmental conversations with patients about supplements, evaluate their safety and effectiveness using reliable information sources, and work together with patients to make informed decisions that keep them safe while respecting their choices.

Background

Dietary supplements are widely used by cancer patients as part of complementary and integrative healthcare approaches. However, many patients hesitate to discuss supplement use with their physicians due to perceived indifference or negativity, creating a communication gap that exposes patients to unreliable information and potential risks.

Objective

To explore patients’ motivations for using dietary supplements in cancer care, identify challenges in physician-patient communication regarding supplement use, and present a practical, patient-centered approach for healthcare providers to guide patients on dietary supplement integration into their cancer treatment regimen.

Results

The paper identifies key motivations for supplement use including management of treatment side effects, immune system support, fear of recurrence, and pursuit of control. It highlights major communication challenges including physician knowledge gaps, patient reluctance to disclose use, and lack of robust scientific evidence. A three-category risk stratification framework is proposed for clinical decision-making.

Conclusion

Healthcare providers should adopt a patient-centered perspective that respects autonomy while providing evidence-based guidance. The proposed approach emphasizes open dialogue, risk stratification of supplements, reliable information sources, specific recommendations tailored to individual needs, and ongoing monitoring to ensure patient safety and optimal cancer care outcomes.
  • Published in:Nutrients,
  • Study Type:Narrative Review,
  • Source: PMID: 38140288
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