Patients previously treated for lymphoma consume inadequate or excessive amounts of five key nutrients.

Abstract

Adequate amounts of nutrients such as folate, vitamin A, iron, selenium and calcium are essential for general health including prevention of cancer. Yet, excess amounts of vitamin A, folate, and iron may also promote cancer. This study sought to determine whether adults who had completed initial treatments for B-cell lymphoma from 1 to 3 years earlier were consuming recommended amounts of these key nutrients and their interests in nutritional education. We surveyed 141 patients undergoing follow-up in the Lymphoma/Myeloma Clinic at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center using a validated food frequency questionnaire and supplemental questionnaire regarding nutritional interest. Nutrient intakes were estimated based on national databases of average content in foods and compared with recommended guidelines. One hundred forty-one participants returned complete questionnaires, but errors limited some nutrient estimates to 134 participants. Participants' mean age was 50, 55% were male, and 80% were non-Hispanic whites. Most participants (94%) were consuming either inadequate or excessive amounts of one or more of these key nutrients. Half of the participants were interested in receiving nutritional education. These findings are of concern because of their potential impact upon recovery and maintenance of general health and possibly cancer-related pathways after treatment.