Beware diet supplements, patients with cancer told

THOUSANDS of cancer patients could be putting themselves at risk by taking dietary supplements during treatment, experts warn.

The majority take some form of supplement, with the most popular being Vitamin D, multivitamins and probiotics, research shows. However, they could be interfering with treatments or causing side effects.

A team from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, studied 100 cancer patients. Nine out of ten took dietary supplements while on active cancer therapy such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

In 35 per cent of cases, the researchers would have recommended stopping some of the supplements or other natural therapies such as extreme diets. Their reasons included the potential for toxicity – having excess vitamins in the body – and the risk of reducing the effectiveness of the treatment.

Dr Stacy D’Andre, lead author of the study presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, said: ‘We need to do a better job of educating the public that supplements or “natural” therapies are not always safe.’