[Nutritional supplements and cancer]

According to recent data more than half of cancer patients are looking for alternative and complementary therapies to add to their regimen of care. Nutritional supplements are one of the common complementary methods that cancer patients are using. This mode of therapy is being used independently by the patients or being prescribed by physicians or alternative practitioners. The use of these supplements raises questions concerning the efficacy and safety of those products and the proper way to utilize them. In this article questions are raised regarding the integration of nutritional supplements in the care of cancer patients, as well as reviewing some evidence regarding possible therapeutic options of phytoestrogens and green tea as common examples of nutritional supplements that have undergone some scientific research relating to cancer prevention and treatment.