Nontraditional treatments for localized prostate cancer: ten rules to know before talking to my patients.

There is accumulating evidence that nontraditional treatments used by the general population are experiencing a dramatic increase. The use of these treatments by prostate cancer patients seems to at least parallel or exceed that of recent surveys for other groups. Unfortunately, much of the attention of nontraditional treatments has focused on "what to take and not to take," rather then "how to approach" the use of these therapies. One of the most widely used nontraditional treatments is the use of supplements. Outlined here are 10 general rules that the clinician should know before consulting on these treatments. Recording supplement use as a part of the general medical history, knowing the general behavior of supplement users, instructing individuals on the proper time to use supplements, and focusing on more than prostate cancer for our example patient are just some of the rules that will enable the health professional to be better equipped for handling this unique area of medicine.