TABLE 1.
Characteristics of patients, tumors, and medications between patients who were taking MHSs and patients who were not taking MHSs1
| No MHS use | MHS use | P | |
| n (%) | 1990 (90) | 217 (10) | |
| Age, y | 0.032 | ||
| 36–59 | 347 (17) | 35 (16) | |
| 60–69 | 808 (41) | 102 (47) | |
| 70–79 | 740 (37) | 78 (36) | |
| ≥80 | 95 (5) | 2 (1) | |
| Race | 0.051 | ||
| Black | 293 (15) | 36 (17) | |
| White | 1616 (81) | 165 (76) | |
| Other | 81 (4) | 16 (7) | |
| NCCN risk group | 0.23 | ||
| Low | 860 (43) | 106 (49) | |
| Intermediate | 727 (37) | 75 (35) | |
| High | 403 (20) | 36 (17) | |
| Gleason score | 0.12 | ||
| 6 | 1011 (51) | 127 (59) | |
| 7 (3 + 4) | 406 (20) | 42 (19) | |
| 7 (4 + 3) | 264 (13) | 20 (9) | |
| 8–10 | 309 (16) | 28 (13) | |
| T stage | 0.13 | ||
| T1–2a | 1655 (83) | 192 (88) | |
| T2b–T2c | 214 (11) | 16 (7) | |
| T3–4 | 121 (6) | 9 (4) | |
| PSA, ng/mL | 0.46 | ||
| <10 | 1652 (83) | 173 (80) | |
| 10 to <20 | 247 (12) | 33 (15) | |
| ≥20 | 91 (5) | 11 (5) | |
| PSA2 | 5.4 (3.9, 8.2) | 5.8 (4.4, 8.8) | 0.015 |
| BMI pre-RT, kg/m2 | 0.55 | ||
| <25 | 368 (18) | 45 (21) | |
| 25 to <30 | 873 (44) | 101 (47) | |
| ≥30 | 599 (30) | 57 (26) | |
| Unknown | 150 (8) | 14 (6) | |
| Time of MHS use | NA | ||
| Before IMRT only | — | 123 (57) | |
| Post-IMRT only | — | 24 (11) | |
| Pre- and post-IMRT | — | 70 (32) | |
| Smoking status | 0.13 | ||
| Current | 202 (10) | 16 (7) | |
| Former | 943 (47) | 92 (42) | |
| Never | 794 (40) | 101 (47) | |
| Unknown | 51 (3) | 8 (4) | |
| Androgen deprivation therapy | 536 (27) | 42 (19) | 0.016 |
| Diabetes | 384 (19) | 28 (13) | 0.022 |
| Hypertension | 1179 (59) | 108 (50) | 0.0072 |
| Heart disease | 355 (18) | 34 (16) | 0.43 |
| Pulmonary disease | 251 (13) | 25 (12) | 0.64 |
| Multivitamin use | 781 (39) | 134 (62) | <0.0001 |
| Fish-oil use | 226 (11) | 42 (19) | 0.0006 |
Values are n (%) unless otherwise specified. All staging information (e.g., risk group, PSA, T stage, Gleason score) was pre-RT. Comorbidities (e.g., diabetes and hypertension) were typically present pre-RT; some patients were diagnosed with these conditions during RT or post-RT, but detailed information on the exact date of diagnosis was unavailable. The use of multivitamins and use of fish oil reflect pre- and/or post-IMRT use. Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test was used to compare PSA (continuous) between MHS users and nonusers; chi-square tests were used for categorical characteristics. For multiplicity-adjusted P values with the use of the Bonferroni correction (for 16 tests), P < 0.0031 was significant (15). IMRT, intensity-modulated radiation therapy; MHS, men’s health supplement; NA, not applicable; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; PSA, prostate-specific antigen; RT, radiation therapy.
Values are medians; 25th, 75th percentiles in parentheses.