Poster Presentation
Friday, July 13, 2007
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Friday, July 13, 2007
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Used by Cancer Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy Treatments
Chen-Jei Tai, MD, PhD, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital & Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan and Che Yang, MHS, Department of Nursing, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| Learning Objective #1: be aware of the high prevalence of the use of complimentary and alternative medicine by cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. |
| Learning Objective #2: know that cancer patients desired more information about use of complementary and alternative medicine from their health providers. |
Purpose: The purposes of this study were to assess the prevalence of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy and to analyze the demographic and disease characteristics of these CAM users.Method: This study was a cross-sectional survey. The subjects were at least 18 years of age, mentally alert and aware of their diagnosis of cancer. One hundred sixty patients participated in the study.
Results: Of the 160 participants, 157 (98.12%) reported CAM usage. The average number of CAM therapies used by these patients was 2.25. The most common types of CAM used were “Biologically Based Therapies” (91.08%) and “Mind-Body Interventions” (66.88%). Fifteen percent (15.29%) of the patients took grape seed and Ginseng, which might affect the efficacy of some chemotherapy regimens. The most common reason for using CAM was to boost their immune system (55.41%). Most patients (87.26%) stated that the major source of information about CAM therapies was their family members and friends. Approximately two third of patients (66.24%) had never informed their physicians of their CAM use. The main reason (78.85%) cited was “didn’t think it’s necessary”. However, over one-third of the patients (36.31%) indicated a desire for more information about CAM therapies from their physicians or nurses. Furthermore, the age, sex and religion of the patients were strongly associated with the number of CAM used (p<0.05). Younger (p=0.008<0.01), female (p=0.004<0.01), and Taoist and Buddhist patients (p=0.007<0.01) used more types of CAM therapies than others. The education and characteristic of disease of the patients were not statistically associated with the number of CAM used.
Conclusion: This survey revealed a high prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients who receiving outpatient chemotherapy treatment, and most of these patients desired for more information about CAM therapies from their physicians or nurses.