Supplements cost-effective way to boost cancer survivors’ quality of life, argues US study

13 Jan 2022 --- Consuming supplements may be a cost-effective strategy to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors, a US study led by Pharmavite reveals. 

“The probability of hospitalization among those reporting dietary supplement use was 12% versus 20.7% among those not reporting dietary supplement use,” highlights the study. 

In drawing out the comparison, the research highlights that supplementation comes at an average cost of US$1 per day – approximately US$365 per year. Meanwhile, the average annual cost of hospitalization among cancer survivors was US$4,030 per year.

Cancer patients are at risk of malnutrition.

Highlighting nutritional importance
Any form of supplement use was associated with an additional 0.48 QALY (quality-adjusted life years), a unit of measure used in the prediction of both quality and duration of life after medical or surgical treatment.

“Nutritional therapy for cancer survivors should involve education on daily food intake, dietary supplementation, self-management and prescription nutrition therapy where warranted,” note the scientists.

Malnutrition in all of its forms – which include undernutrition, inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity – is associated with a poorer cancer prognosis, including a greater likelihood of recurrence or death during or after treatment. 

“The importance of nutritional assessment for both active cancer patients and long-term survivors cannot be underestimated,” the findings underscore. 

Supplements hand-in-hand with nutrition?
Between one third and two thirds of cancer patients do not discuss their supplement use with their health care provider, note the scientists.

“This study reveals the need for dietary supplementation to be part of the post-treatment conversation between patients and their health care providers,” says Dr. Susan Mitmesser, vice president of science and technology at Pharmavite. 

“While achieving adequate nutrition through food remains the gold standard, filling key nutrient gaps through food alone continues to be a challenge for the larger population, let alone people whose cancer impacts the ability to consume and absorb nutrients, even after treatments subside” underscores Mitmesser. 

Similar statements were previously echoed by Nestlé Health Science, which told NutritionInsight many cancer patients do not receive information on the role of nutrition or nutrition support during their treatment. As a move to remedy the situation, the company unveiled a digital platform spotlighting the importance of nutrition for cancer patients.

Crunching the numbers
Researchers used publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 14,364,981 participants were used for the study, who had responded yes to having cancer between 2011-2012. The individuals were aged 20 and above.

According to the results published in MDPI, “cancer survivors who used dietary supplements had a significantly lower rate of hospitalizations and reported a higher quality of life compared to survivors who did not use any dietary supplements.” More studies are needed for the future however, note the scientists.

Nonetheless, the researchers noted a limitation of the study was that the population was predominantly comprised of white males in their early 60s and of a higher socioeconomic status. Though this is consistent with the national cancer statistics, it may not be generalizable to low-income populations, the scientists highlight.

Supplements can cost US$1 per day and are associated with less hospitalization for cancer survivors.

Specific supplements?
Though the study did not specify particular supplements, research previously presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology showed vitamin B3 consumption could help protect skin cells from the effects of ultraviolet exposure, potentially defending against skin cancer.

Similarly, another study noted vitamin D3 could potentially reduce the risk of developing advanced cancer among adults over the age of 50 without a diagnosis of cancer at baseline. The vitamin was associated with an overall 17% risk reduction for advanced cancer.   

The importance of vitamin D was also spotlighted in a German study that calculated up to 30,000 cancer deaths and US$307 million in healthcare spending per year could possibly be avoided if those over the age of 50 in Germany were to take vitamin D supplements of 1,000 IU daily.

By Andria Kades

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