Bladder cancer recurrence: Part II. What do I tell my patients about lifestyle changes and dietary supplements?

The purpose of this review is to provide the clinician with an adequate summary of current potential recommendations for reducing the risk of bladder cancer recurrence so that this topic can be discussed with patients that are dealing with this specific situation.

Several potential novel methods to reduce the risk of recurrence should be discussed with patients. Non-selective and selective cyclo-oxygenase 2 inhibitors have preliminary data from from laboratory and epidemiologic investigations. Several preliminary trials have found that a combination dietary supplement of vitamins and minerals or a probiotic agent (Lactobacillus casei) may impact recurrence rates. Smoking cessation may be one of the best routes for reducing recurrence and reducing the risk of overall early morbidity and mortality. Garlic or fluid intake need more clinical data.

Clinical recommendations for reducing the risk of bladder cancer recurrence need more attention. Preliminary data seem to support a potential role of numerous lifestyle and dietary supplement regimens. In the future, more reviews on the potential impact of reducing recurrence should be separated from reviews on prevention because these can be confusing when treated as a single subject.