Total and specific complementary and alternative medicine use in a large cohort of men with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To assess specific complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a large, community-based national registry of men with prostate cancer.

METHODS

We examined more than 50 types of CAM use in a large, national, community-based registry of men with prostate cancer (CaPSURE). Participants completed biannual surveys within 2 years of diagnosis and treatment. We analyzed associations of CAM use with sociodemographic and clinical features, using chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

One third of 2582 respondents reported using CAM. Common practices included vitamin and mineral supplements (26%), herbs (16%), antioxidants (13%), and CAM for prostate health (12%; eg, saw palmetto, selenium, vitamin E, lycopene). In multivariate analyses, users were more likely to have other comorbid conditions, worse cancer grade at diagnosis, higher incomes, more education, and to live in the West.

CONCLUSIONS

Complementary and alternative medicine use was associated with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in this large sample of men with prostate cancer. These results should be considered by health care professionals counseling men with prostate cancer regarding diet and secondary prevention.