Unnecessary vitamin use causes more harm than good for cancer patients

Medical Oncology Specialist Dr. Nail Özhan warned cancer patients against the unnecessary use of vitamins.

Pointing out that certain cancer screenings are performed based on a person's age and gender, Medical Oncology Specialist Dr. Nail Özhan stated, "Family physicians plan cancer screenings by looking at a person's age, gender, and family health history. Some patients are screened once a year, while others are screened more frequently. Herbal treatments have no proven benefit in cancer, but they are very popular. Almost every patient who receives a diagnosis asks us about this. Some come and ask, 'Should we use herbal treatments or vitamins?' We have major reservations, especially regarding vitamins. When vitamins are used unnecessarily without a medical need, the patient can actually suffer harm instead of benefit. First and foremost, the causes of cancer need to be investigated. Roughly half of all cancers are caused by environmental factors. At the top of this list are smoking, alcohol, unprotected exposure to sunlight, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle lacking exercise. It is necessary to stay away from these factors," he said.

"THOSE WITH A FAMILY HISTORY NEED MORE FREQUENT SCREENINGS"

Drawing attention to the impact of familial factors in cancer diagnosis, Specialist Dr. Özhan issued the following warnings:
"It is necessary to reach an ideal weight and stay away from smoking and alcohol consumption. Apart from these, mutations that develop in our bodies due to aging cause cancer. We cannot do much about these, but we can still catch the disease early by following screening programs. Genetic, or familial, causes account for 15 percent of cancer cases. Individuals in this situation need to start screenings at much earlier ages. Patients with obesity have an increased risk of conditions such as stomach, liver, and breast cancer. Therefore, the closer we get to our ideal weight, the more we can prevent the risk of developing cancer. Ideal weight is a very important factor."

News Source: İHA