Probiotic Survey in Cancer Patients Treated in the Outpatient Department in a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Purpose. Availability without prescription restriction, low cost, and simple oral administration allow cancer patients to use probiotics without knowledge of potential risks. We present a survey of probiotic use and the association with patient tumor characteristics in cancer patients treated at the outpatient department of the National Cancer Institute in Slovakia. Patients and Methods. Between March and December 2014, 499 patients were asked to evaluate their overall experience with probiotics by questionnaire form, including the length and method of use relative to anticancer therapy, expectations, side-effect experiences, understanding of the possible risks, dietary supplement use, and others. The relevant data were statistically evaluated. Results. The cohort consisted of 323 women (64.7%) and 176 men (35.3%); 91.6% were undergoing chemotherapy (2.6% together with radiotherapy) and 8.4% had no anticancer therapy. The prevalence of probiotic use was 28.5% and only 12 patients using probiotics (8.5%) d...