NUTRIENT INTAKES FROM FOODS AND DIETARY-SUPPLEMENTS IN WOMEN AT RISK FOR BREAST-CANCER RECURRENCE

Dietary supplements have been suggested to have a role in cancer preve ntion and treatment The purpose of this study was to describe the nutr ient intakes from foods and dietary supplements in women at the time o f enrollment into a clinical trial to prevent breast cancer recurrence . Subjects were within four years of diagnosis with Stage I, II, or II IA breast cancer and had completed medical treatment (n = 435). Intake s were assessed with four 24-hour recalls over two weeks. Dietary nutr ient intakes in supplement users were compared with intakes in nonuser s, and supplement nutrient intakes in participants consuming diets pro viding <75% were compared with those in participants consuming greater than or equal to 75% of recommended levels. Intakes of participants w ith diets meeting general guidelines for disease prevention were compa red with intakes of those whose diets did not meet these guidelines. D ietary supplement use was reported by 352 (80.9%) of the participants, but frequency of excess intakes did not exceed 5% for all micronutrie nts examined. Women whose diets provided higher levels of most vitamin s and minerals were more likely to obtain additional amounts of these micronutrients from dietary supplements. Participants reporting use of any supplement consumed diets providing more dietary fiber (p < 0.04) and less dietary fat (p < 0.001) than nonusers of any supplement. The se results illustrate the importance of monitoring dietary supplement use in clinical trials with a focus on preventing cancer recurrence, b ecause supplements can contribute substantially to nutrient intakes in the population under study.