Oncology Nurse Advisor November 12, 2014
Many cancer patients use dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs or other botanicals but often do not tell their health care providers about it. This gap in communication can happen when patients believe that their health care team is indifferent or negative toward their use of these supplements. As a result, patients may find information about dietary supplements from unreliable sources, exposing themselves to unneeded risks. Since information on these dietary supplements is limited, researchers from UTMB describe a practical patient-centered approach to managing dietary supplement use in cancer care. The review is published in Current Oncology Reports. Improving the communication between patients and clinicians in this area is critical.