Background and objectives:
This cross-sectional study of postoperative non-small cell lung cancer (nsclc) patients examined possible effects of vitamin intake and folate status on disease-free survival.
Methods:
Supplemental vitamin usage, dietary vitamin intake (willett food frequency questionnaire), red blood cell (rbc) folate, and serum folate concentrations were assessed in patients with a history of nsclc. exclusion criteria included factors that alter folate status or that are associated with altered nutritional habits: (1) evidence of cancer on history, physical, or chest radiograph; (2) tobacco, alcohol ingestion (>2 drinks/ day), or cancer treatment within 3 months; (3) use of folate antagonists; and (4) age <60 years.
Results:
36 subjects were evaluated. the median disease-free censored survival was 24 months (range 4-41). nineteen of 36 patients (53%) reported vitamin supplementation. vitamin users had a longer median censored survival compared with nonusers (41 months versus 11 months; p = 0.002). with adjustment for cancer stage, the association between rbc folate and censored survival (r = 0.35; p = 0.055) and between serum folate and censored survival (r = 0.32; p = 0.083) approached statistical significance.
Conclusions:
Nsclc patients who took vitamin supplements were more likely to be long-term survivors in the patients studied; a similar trend toward long-term survival was seen among patients with higher circulating folate concentrations.