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Table 3 Dietary supplements used by cancer patients: Reasons, benefits, and adverse effects

From: Exploring dietary changes and supplement use among cancer patients in Norway: prevalence, motivations, disclosure, information, and perceived risks and benefits: a cross sectional study

        

Reason(s) for use**

     
 

Total

Women

Men

p-value

To treat cancer or prevent it from spreading

To treat side effects or late effects of cancer (treatment)

To strengthen the body / immune system

To increase quality of life, coping, relaxation or well-being

Other reason(s)

Improvement

Adverse effects

 

%

n

%

n

%

n

 

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

Vitamins and minerals

70.0

313

72.7

218

64.6

95

0.081*

13.7

43

36.7

115

78.9

247

26.2

82

16.6

52

33.,5

105

4.5

14

Vitamin D

51.2

229

56.0

168

41.5

61

0.004*

10.5

24

35.4

81

75.1

172

19.2

44

10.9

25

-

-

-

-

Multivitamins

27.5

123

27.0

81

28.6

42

0.736*

8.9

11

30.1

37

88.6

109

30.9

38

4.9

6

-

-

-

-

Vitamin B

22.1

99

22.7

68

21.0

31

0.706*

4.0

4

30.3

30

59.6

59

22.2

22

20.2

20

-

-

-

-

Vitamin C

20.8

93

18.7

56

1.0

37

0.112*

10.8

10

19.4

18

87.1

81

20.4

19

4.3

4

-

-

-

-

Antioxidant

12.8

57

10.3

31

17.7

26

0.029*

19.3

11

24.6

14

96.5

55

26.3

15

0.0

0

-

-

-

-

Zink

7.8

35

6.7

20

10.2

15

0.191*

11.4

4

20.0

7

74.3

26

14.3

5

17.1

6

-

-

-

-

Vitamin E

4.0

18

2.7

8

6.8

10

0.037*

5.6

1

22.2

4

83.3

15

27.8

5

11.1

2

-

-

-

-

Vitamin K

3.8

17

3.7

11

4.1

6

0.829*

5.9

1

29.4

5

70.6

12

11.8

2

23.5

4

-

-

-

-

Selenium

3.8

17

4.7

14

2.0

3

0.173*

11.8

2

35.3

6

82.4

14

23.5

4

11.8

2

-

-

-

-

Iodine

3.4

15

3.7

11

2.7

4

0.782^

13.3

2

46.7

7

60.0

9

33.3

5

20.0

3

-

-

-

-

Vitamin A

2.9

13

1.7

5

5.4

8

0.035^

23.1

3

15.4

2

84.6

11

23.1

3

15.4

2

-

-

-

-

Other vitamins and minerals

29.8

133

34.3

103

20.4

30

0.003*

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Other dietary supplements

46.4

204

48.1

143

42.7

61

0.279*

6.4

13

15.2

31

92.6

189

24.5

50

4.9

10

42.6

87

4.4

9

Omega 3 fatty acid

29.5

138

29.5

93

29.4

45

0.980*

8.0

11

18.8

26

90.6

125

26.1

36

2.2

3

39.9

55

4.3

6

Cod-liver oil

27.4

121

27.9

83

24.4

38

0.731*

5.8

7

10.7

13

95.9

116

23.1

28

5.8

7

52.1

63

2.5

3

Total

76.6

340

78.0

234

73.6

106

0.307*

13.2

45

35.6

121

85.6

291

27.4

93

16.2

55

45.0

153

5.9

20

  1. * Pearson chi-square test; ^Fisher exact test
  2. ** multiple choice; - data not collected
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