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Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer patients during treatment

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Abstract

Goals of work

To assess complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies being utilized by cancer patients during treatment and communication about CAM usage between the patient and physician.

Patients and methods

Newly diagnosed cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy were recruited to complete a CAM survey within 2 weeks after the termination of treatment. Patients were queried on which CAM modalities they utilized and whether or not they were discussed with either their oncologist or primary care physician.

Main results

Of the patients surveyed, 91% reported using at least one form of CAM. The most widely used forms of CAM were prayer, relaxation and exercise. CAM users tended to be women chemotherapy patients with at least a high school education. Of the patients using CAM, 57% discussed the use of at least one of these therapies with their oncologist or primary care physician. The most frequent CAM modalities discussed with at least one physician were diets, massage, and herbal medicine.

Conclusions

An overwhelming proportion of cancer patients are using CAM, particularly prayer, relaxation, and exercise. However, patients may not discuss the use of CAMs at all or fully with their physician; if they do, it is most likely to be their oncologist, but not about the most frequently used CAMs. Future research needs to assess effective ways for oncologists to gather information about CAM usage by patients during allopathic treatment and discern ways these therapies may enhance or interfere with traditional cancer treatments.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the following CCOP institutions: Metro-Minnesota CCOP, Dayton CCOP, Central-Illinois CCOP, Kalamazoo CCOP, Colorado CCOP, Northern NJ CCOP, Columbus CCOP, Mayo-Scottsdale CCOP, Marshfield CCOP, Gulf Coast CCOP, and Wichita CCOP. This report contains information presented in abstract form at the 2004 ASCO meeting in New Orleans, LA, and also at the 2004 URCC CCOP meeting in Rochester, NY. This work was supported in part by a supplement from the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI, to Public Health Service Grant U10 CA37420 and by Grant RSG-01-071-PBP from the ACS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Jennifer S. Yates, Karen M. Mustian, Gary R. Morrow, Leslie J. Gillies & Devi Padmanaban

  2. Southeast Cancer Control Consortium, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    James N. Atkins

  3. Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Brian Issell

  4. Syracuse Hematology-Oncology CCOP, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Jeffrey J. Kirshner

  5. Northwest CCOP, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Lauren K. Colman

  6. University of Rochester Cancer Center, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 704, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Jennifer S. Yates

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  1. Jennifer S. Yates
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  2. Karen M. Mustian
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  4. Leslie J. Gillies
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Correspondence to Jennifer S. Yates.

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Yates, J.S., Mustian, K.M., Morrow, G.R. et al. Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer patients during treatment. Support Care Cancer 13, 806–811 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0770-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0770-7

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