Hormonal Treatment and Dietary Supplements

Certain components of over the counter dietary supplements have a role in either rendering cancer treatments useless or ineffective according to scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center. This increases the roles drugs and other treatments that may influence the success rates of various treatments available and doctors are now being advised not only to ask for all prescription drugs that are being taken but also for herbal and dietary supplements that may contain hormonal components that are defeating the treatment methods. Researchers have found that certain herbal supplements have levels of sex hormones (estradiol) and testosterone that have been found to exaggerate the growth of cancer cells in the prostate cancer sufferers. The FDA has been notified of their findings and recommendations or warnings would be issued soon to prevent the failure of screening and treatment regimens. Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA due to natural ingredients but the results of the study may require them to be tested as if they were synthesized drugs that interact with other drugs. In the US, 42 to 69% of all adults use these dietary supplements and that huge a number requires close attention from the FDA.

“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.”