title: Is voluntary vitamin and mineral supplementation associated with better outcome in non-small cell lung cancer patients? Results from the Mayo Clinic lung cancer cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some previous studies report that 80% of cancer patients take multivitamin and/or mineral supplements. To our knowledge, the consequences of such self-directed supplementation have not been examined previously in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The goal of this study was to determine whether vitamin/mineral supplementation is associated with improved survival and quality of life in a cohort of NSCLC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  NSCLC patients or their proxies who responded to a questionnaire on vitamin/mineral use were assessed for survival and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1129 patients or their proxies responded to a vitamin/mineral questionnaire. Seven hundred and fourteen were vitamin/mineral users of either multivitamins or other specific vitamin/mineral supplements, and the rest non-users. Median survival was 4.3 years versus 2.0 years for vitamin/mineral users and non-users, respectively. A Cox proportional hazards model showed a relative risk of death of 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44, 0.65) (p < 0.01) in favor of vitamin/mineral use after adjustment for multiple prognostic factors, including tumor stage. The Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) showed better quality of life among vitamin/mineral users (mean difference in score of 3 (95% CI: 0.8, 5.1) (p < 0.01); and after adjusting for related variables, there remained a trend in favor of vitamin/mineral use mean difference 1.8 (95% CI: 0.2, 3.9) (p = 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin/mineral supplementation is associated with better survival and quality of life in this cohort of NSCLC patients. Future prospective clinical trials should focus on the role of such supplements in patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Aminah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jatoi
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Randolph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aubry
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wampfler
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Finke
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011788:Quality of Life; D012651:Self Medication; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D014815:Vitamins