Source: patient.cancerconsultants.com Author: Eleanor Mayfield With research pointing to pros and cons of vitamin and mineral supplements, these dietary decisions become increasingly complex. Here’s a quick quiz: 1. Are you a cancer patient or survivor? 2. Do you take any dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, or herbs? 3. Have you discussed with your doctor the pros and cons of using these supplements? If you answered yes to questions 1 and 2 and no to question 3, you’re not alone. A recent review in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that supplement use is widespread among cancer patients and longer-term survivors and that most don’t discuss their supplement use with their doctors. In fact, in different studies 64 to 81 percent of respondents reported using vitamin or mineral supplements. Up to 68 percent of doctors were unaware of supplement use by their patients. Cancer patients and survivors tend to use dietary supplements at higher rates than the rest of the U.S. population, the review found. Supplement use was highest among women, breast cancer survivors, and people with higher levels of education. People who take supplements generally believe that doing so will benefit their health. In studies included in the review, the reported reasons for supplement use included strengthening the immune system, helping cope with stress, improving the chance of a cure, and helping the user feel better. Users may assume that the supplements they take can’t do them any harm. Research findings suggest, however, that supplements can sometimes be harmful. [...]