Medicina Alternativa e Integrativa

Prevalence of Diet Change and Micronutrient Supplementation in Breast Cancer Survivors - A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Sandrine-Leonie Eichenberger, Laura Knabben, Normann Bitterlich, Livia Selina Eichenberger and Petra Stute*

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and alternative methods (intake of dietary supplements and diet change) are commonly used in BC patients. The aim of this study was to investigate breast cancer or treatment-related adverse symptoms, dietary changes and micronutrient intake.

Methods: 153 BC survivors with prospectively recorded data were surveyed by a self-developed questionnaire. Data concerning tumor characteristics and treatment were obtained from the breast department’s registry.

Results: The most prevalent symptoms (> 50% of patients) during and after oncological therapy were chronic fatigue and pain. 42.5% (n=65) BC patients took micronutrients during and 48.4% (n=74) after therapy. There was a significant correlation between women taking micronutrients before diagnosis and cancer-related use after diagnosis (p <0.001). Furthermore, the percentage of women taking micronutrients increased with increasing tumor stages. Micronutrients most frequently (>25%) applied were vitamin C, D, zinc and calcium. The vast majority of applications were administered orally and were more often based on self-information (n=65, 42.5%) than on information received from the oncologist (n=29, 19%). Most patients would be willing to take micronutrients during (n=55, 75.4%) or after therapy (n=44, 67.8%), even if the expected adverse symptom relief was minor (<50%). About one third of BC patients (n=55, 35.9%) confirmed diet adjustments after BC diagnosis. They were on average 4.5 years younger than the remaining (p=0.015). Diet changes (p=0.011) occurred significantly more often in the last decade.

Conclusion: There is an increased demand for functional nutritional medicine in BC patients. Most applications occur without medical recommendation and prescription. Further data is needed to provide evidence-based recommendations.

TRN, date of registration: 2019-01952, 16.12.2019