#1774 The Patterns of Dietary Supplement Use Among Breast Cancer Patients in Arkansas. MM Khalil, M Savidge, R Hakkak, RJ Hine; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR Dietary supplements (DS) are the most common form of alternative and complementary therapies used by cancer patients in the United States. The use of DS by breast cancer patients may vary between different populations; therefore it is crucial for the health care providers to be aware of the type of DS used and their risks. The prevalence and type of DS used by breast cancer patients in Arkansas are not known. A retrospective review of the medical records of 121 consecutive breast cancer patients was conducted to determine the pattern of dietary supplement use among these patients. Median age was 56 years (29-85). DS was used by 29% of these women. The types of DS used was multiple vitamins (59%), calcium (35%), vitamin E (27%), vitamin C (15%), and vitamin B (9%). The majority of patients used one DS (55%), 24% used two, 12% used three, 6% used four and 3% used five DS. There was no correlation between the use of DS and patients’ age, marital status, smoking, alcohol use, or type of cancer treatment provided. However the use of DS was inversely related to cancer stage. Women with stage I were more likely to use DS as compared to women with stages II, III, and IV (54%, 26%, 13%, and 20% respectively, p=0.015). These results underscore the widespread use of DS among breast cancer patients and warrant future prospective studies to identify the reasons for their use and potential risks or benefits. Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.