Cancer Patients' Behavior and Perception on the Use of Medical Foods and Dietary Supplements During Chemotherapy

The emerging clinical implications of medical foods and dietary supplements in cancer patients have been recognized. This study aimed to evaluate the perception and usage of these products in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Cross-sectional descriptive research was conducted by face-to-face interviews between October 2017 and February 2018. The participants provided written informed consent before data collection.

This study included 201 patients (mean age 55.9 years) with gastrointestinal, breast, gynecological, and respiratory tract cancers, primarily receiving antimetabolite or platinum-based regimens. Awareness of medical foods and dietary supplements was high, at 97% and 98%, respectively. Most patients (91.5% for medical foods, 80.1% for dietary supplements) believed these products could be used safely without side effects, and over 70% thought they could be used concurrently with chemotherapy. More than half of the patients reported receiving supplement information from friends or relatives, while 65.2% stated that healthcare providers did not ask about their uses. Notably, 69.7% and 51.2% of patients reported current use of medical foods and dietary supplements, respectively, but 61.7% did not disclose this to their healthcare providers primarily since they were not asked.

These findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to actively address the use of medical foods and dietary supplements with cancer patients. Enhanced communication and guidance could ensure safe and effective integration of these products into supportive cancer care.