CAM therapies -- everything from acupuncture to vitamin supplements -- have become increasingly popular in the United States over the past decade, both among the general public and among cancer patients. Studies suggest that 30% to 40% of breast cancer patients use some type of complementary or alternative medicine to supplement their treatment. Researchers from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, decided to investigate how common CAM therapies are among prostate cancer  patients. They published their results in The Journal of Urology (Vol. 170, No. 1: 166-169).

"Patients are using (CAM) and we need to find out why they're using it and how they're using it, because CAM use is not without its side effects," said lead researcher Michael Diefenbach, PhD.

Some products may contain ingredients that shouldn't be used by people with prostate cancer, he noted. For instance, the herb saw palmetto, which many men take for urinary problems and an enlarged prostate, is not considered appropriate for prostate cancer patients.

Diefenbach and his colleagues surveyed 417 men who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer about their use of 41 CAM therapies. The treatments included both dietary therapies like vitamins, herbs and soy, and non-dietary therapies like acupuncture, meditation, prayer, and yoga.

Nearly three-quarters of the men (72%) reported using some kind of CAM treatment for prostate health before being diagnosed with cancer. Dietary treatments, including vitamin E, saw palmetto, garlic, vitamin D, and antioxidants were the most common. Prayer, relaxation techniques, music therapy and meditation were the most common non-dietary CAM options.

The researchers found that fewer men than expected - just 19% -- first began using CAM therapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. "That is lower than the comparable (figures from) breast cancer literature and lower than what other studies (of prostate cancer patients) have shown," Diefenbach said.

Dietary aids  including soy, vitamin E, selenium, and saw palmetto were the most common therapies chosen. Men were most likely to use dietary CAM therapies if they chose watchful waiting as their primary prostate cancer treatment.

The researchers were troubled, though, by the discovery that nearly half of the men in the study did not talk to their doctors about the CAM methods they were using. Because some treatments can have serious side effects or interact with medications the patient is taking, it's important for doctors to have information about CAM treatments, Deifenbach said.

Another concern is the quality and content of the herbal/dietary CAM products. "There's really no federal oversight with these supplements," Diefenbach said, "so consistency of ingredients, origin of ingredients is no longer subject to federal oversight. This is something patients need to be made aware of."

The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements in the same way it does medications. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe before they are marketed, but do not need FDA approval before selling a product. The FDA monitors the safety of products that are already on the market, but the supplement manufacturers are not required to report consumer safety complaints to the FDA.

The FDA does take action against any products found to be unsafe.

Just last year, it requested the manufacturer recall a supplement marketed for prostate health, PC SPES, because it was found to contain an undeclared prescription medication, warfarin, used to prevent blood clots. Warfarin can interact with other medications and cause serious bleeding if taken improperly.