Multivitamin use after diagnosis and prostate cancer survival among men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer

Br J Cancer. 2024 Jun;130(10):1709-1715. doi: 10.1038/s41416-024-02651-5. Epub 2024 Mar 15.

Abstract

Background: Multivitamin use is common among cancer patients. Whether post-diagnostic multivitamin supplementation is beneficial for prostate cancer survival is largely unknown, and some evidence even suggests potential harm.

Methods: We prospectively assessed post-diagnostic multivitamin use in relation to prostate cancer survival among 4756 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer at diagnosis in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2016). Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between post-diagnostic multivitamin use and frequency and risk of lethal prostate cancer (distant metastases or prostate cancer-specific death) and all-cause mortality.

Results: We observed 438 lethal prostate cancer and 2609 deaths during a median follow-up of 11 years. Compared to non-users, post-diagnostic multivitamin use was not associated with risk of lethal prostate cancer (HR [95% CI], 0.98 [0.74-1.30]) or all-cause mortality (1.00 [0.88-1.12]), after adjustment for potential confounders. Similarly, null associations were observed across various categories of use frequency. Compared to non-users, men who used multivitamins regularly (6-9 tablets/week) after cancer diagnosis had similar risk of lethal prostate cancer (0.96 [0.72-1.28]) and all-cause mortality (0.99 [0.88-1.12]).

Conclusions: We found no evidence that post-diagnostic multivitamin use among men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer was associated with better or worse survival in a well-nourished population.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Vitamins* / administration & dosage
  • Vitamins* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Vitamins