Complementary and alternative medicine use by patients with cancer in Wales: a cross sectional survey☆
Section snippets
INTRODUCTION
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was defined as ‘diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention which complements mainstream medicine by contributing to a common whole, by satisfying a demand not met by orthodoxy or by diversifying the conceptual frameworks of medicine’.1 National surveys of the general population have found that CAM use is widespread throughout the post-industrial world,2., 3., 4., 5., 6. although the reasons for using CAM are not well understood.7 Surveys focusing on CAM
PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS
Participants were registered with a single oncology NHS Trust in South East Wales. Ethical approval was sought from the authority’s Local Research Ethics Committee and permission to contact patients was given by their physician. The patient database was searched between 1 January 1997 and 31 January 2001 for all patients aged 18 years or over who had been diagnosed with breast, prostate, lung or neurological cancer for at least 3 months and with no record of death. A sample size of 1225 was
DATA ANALYSIS
The questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS for Windows. The reliability of data entry was checked for the first 300 questionnaires. Prevalence data were reported with 95% confidence intervals using the recommended (Wilson) method,11 χ2 statistical tests were used to compare proportions, and backwards stepwise logistic regression was used to determine factors predicting the use of practitioner therapies. Included in the regression analysis were sex, age, qualifications after the age of 18
Data quality
One thousand and seventy-seven usable questionnaires were returned and the response rate was 64% (1077/1697), after taking account of 96 uncontactable patients (primarily through Post Office returns and notification of death). The error rate for data entry was 0.29%. The interview data suggested that visits to practitioners of herbal medicine were over-reported in the questionnaire survey consequently this data was excluded from the analysis. The representativeness of the sample was calculated
DISCUSSION
A substantial number of patients with cancer in South East Wales reported using CAM, the lowest estimate was that over 30% had used some type of CAM in the past 12 months. Users were more likely to be female, younger, better qualified, and to have used CAM before their current illness than non-users. Type of cancer diagnosis did not predict CAM use. Out-of-pocket costs of CAM were generally modest and most users reported value for money. Dissatisfaction was low, but one in four respondents were
Acknowledgements
We thank the following people for their help: Eleanor Catuzzo, Sally Hicks, Sue Paskell, Rebecca Rees, Mike Robling, and Lucie Sanders; all participants in the survey especially those who were interviewed.
Philip Harris Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Social Sciences, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Western Avenue, Cardiff, Wales CF5 2YB, UK. Tel.: +44 (0) 29 2041 6894; Fax: +44 (0) 29 2041 6985; E-mail: [email protected]
References (12)
- et al.
The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among the general population: a systematic review of the literature
Complement. Ther. Med.
(2000) - et al.
Prevalence and cost of alternative medicine in Australia
Lancet
(1996) - et al.
Use and expenditure on complementary medicine in England: a population based survey
Complement. Ther. Med.
(2001) - et al.
Prevalence of complementary therapy use by women with breast cancer: a population-based survey
Eur. J. Cancer
(2000) - et al.
Complementary medicine—a definition
Br. J. Gen. Pract.
(1995) - et al.
Unconventional medicine in the United States: prevalence, costs and pattern use
N. Engl. J. Med.
(1993)
Cited by (68)
Experiences of breast cancer related lymphoedema and the use of reflexology for managing swelling: A qualitative study
2018, Complementary Therapies in Clinical PracticeUse of reflexology in managing secondary lymphoedema for patients affected by treatments for breast cancer: A feasibility study
2016, Complementary Therapies in Clinical PracticeCitation Excerpt :There is evidently a need for further effective conservative interventions and for more research into the management of BCRL. Reflexology is a form of complementary healthcare used by patients with cancer [20]. A reflexology treatment typically involves applying pressure to specific areas on the feet using thumb, finger and hand techniques [21].
Using a mixed methods research design to investigate complementary alternative medicine (CAM) use among women with breast cancer in Ireland
2013, European Journal of Oncology NursingCitation Excerpt :The survey findings regarding the use of biologically based therapies for symptoms side effects were consistent with the qualitative data whereby CAM was used when patients perceived a need to alleviate certain side effects. A number of other studies have found an association between CAM use and the presence of symptoms (Ashikaga et al., 2002; Burnstein et al., 1999; Cui et al., 2004; Harris et al., 2003). Other patients sought to avoid this type of CAM because of concerns regarding interactions with conventional treatment.
Complementary and alternative medicine application in cancer patients in Iran
2023, Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
Philip Harris Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Social Sciences, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Western Avenue, Cardiff, Wales CF5 2YB, UK. Tel.: +44 (0) 29 2041 6894; Fax: +44 (0) 29 2041 6985; E-mail: [email protected]
- ☆
Funding Wales Office of Research and Development, grant number: SG00/307.