University Network

Hormonal components in the over-the-counter dietary supplements can promote prostate cancer progression along with decreasing the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs, as per researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The finding appeared in an issue of the Clinical Cancer Research to reaffirm the fact that prior, effective, and complete communication about any herbal or hormonal dietary supplements must be disclosed by the patients to their doctors.

From News-Medical.Net:

“For most supplements efficacy is not established in randomized, controlled trials. What is worse, safety is often equally poorly established,” said Dr. Roehrborn, who directs the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Center for Pediatric Urology.

An estimated 42 percent to 69 percent of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, at an estimated out-of-pocket expenditure of about $34.4 billion, according to published reports cited in the study. Individuals often use supplements because they believe these natural products are safe and drug-free. The sale of androgenic steroids is exponentially increasing. In 2004, U.S. expenditures on testosterone supplements were estimated to be $425 million.

“Given that testosterone supplements are in high demand, there is significant concern that supplements, in addition to the one we evaluated, may pose an urgent human health risk,” Dr. Shariat said.

Dr. Claus Roehrborn, chairman of urology at UT Southwestern and one of the study’s authors, said that physicians must ask their patients to give detailed accounts of not only prescription drugs but also of over-the-counter drugs and supplements as they can have a considerable impact on certain health conditions.

It was remarked by the researchers that more research is needed to define the mechanism, safety, and effectiveness of popular herbal and hormone dietary supplements.

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