Dietary supplement use among participants of a databank and biorepository at a comprehensive cancer centre.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the prevalence, patterns and predictors of dietary supplement use among participants of the databank and biorepository (DBBR) at a comprehensive cancer centre in western New York. DESIGN: Archived epidemiological questionnaire data were obtained from the DBBR at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression explored the prevalence, patterns and predictors of lifetime use of four common supplements (multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and calcium) and use of multivitamins, sixteen single vitamins/minerals and eighteen herbal/specialty supplements within the previous 10 years. SETTING: Western New York, USA. SUBJECTS: DBBR participants (n 8096) enrolled between December 2003 and July 2012 were included in these analyses: 66.9 % (n 5418) with cancer, 65.6 % (n 5309) women, mean age for patients v. cancer-free controls 59.9 (SD 12.6) years and 50.7 (SD 15.4) years, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 54.4 % of DBBR participants reported lifetime use of one or more supplements and 63.1 % reported use of one or more supplements within the previous 10 years (excluding multivitamins). Multivitamin use was high in this sample (lifetime: 64.1 %; 10 years: 71.3 %; current: 51.8 %). Supplementation was higher among cancer-free controls than cancer patients. Vitamin C, calcium and fish oil were the most common single vitamin, mineral and specialty product, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A consistently high and increasing proportion of dietary supplement use over time remains clear. Supplementation is prevalent among cancer patients and may even be higher than predicted in cancer-free individuals. Further studies should assess the safety and efficacy of specific supplements in reducing disease risk.

Usual Consumption of Specific Dairy Foods Is Associated with Breast Cancer in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Data Bank and BioRepository.

Background: Dairy foods are complex mixtures which include nutrients and non-nutrient substances that could potentially influence cancer etiology, including breast cancer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between the types and quantity of dairy foods consumed and the risk of breast cancer among women participating in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Data Bank and BioRepository (DBBR) between 2003 and 2014. Methods: Archived clinical and questionnaire data were obtained from the DBBR from 1941 women diagnosed with breast cancer between December 2003 and October 2014, and 1237 control participants. Intakes of dairy foods were queried with a self-administered food-frequency questionnaire and grouped into monthly intakes of total dairy, milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, other cheese, and sweet dairy. ORs and 95% CIs were estimated with unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age, race, body mass index, menopausal status, energy intake, type of milk usually consumed, cigarette smoking status, and family history of breast cancer. Results: Total dairy intakes were associated with a non-significant 15% reduction in breast cancer risk (P = 0.11). Higher intakes of yogurt were associated with reduced risk of breast cancer (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.82) and higher intakes of American, cheddar, and cream cheeses were associated with a marginally significant increased risk (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 0.99, 2.34; P = 0.05). Associations with dairy foods were mixed when stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) status, and in general reflected those of overall breast cancer. However, we observed positive associations between milk intake and risk of ER- breast cancer (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.37) and inverse associations between sweet dairy and ER+ breast cancer (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.95). Conclusions: Specific dairy foods may contribute to breast cancer risk in women, although the risk varies by source of dairy. Future studies are warranted to confirm the protective potential of yogurt in this type of cancer.