Determinants of the degree of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer

This study explored the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by degree of use (nonuse, light, moderate, and heavy) by patients with cancer as it relates to sociodemographic and disease characteristics, subjective well-being, and dissatisfaction with the health care system.

One hundred and forty-three (143) patients with cancer of Asian, Caucasian, and Pacific Islander ethnicities originally recruited through the state-wide population-based Hawaii Tumor Registry and interviewed approximately 3 years postdiagnosis.

This study introduced a multidimensional measure, degree of CAM use, to rank participants by quantity of CAMs used as well as frequency, intensity, and breadth of use. Predictor variables explored were sociodemographic variables, disease site, quality-of-life measures, satisfaction with conventional treatment and physicians, satisfaction with medical information, and perceived severity of illness.

Heavier CAM use was related to being female, Caucasian, having more education, having breast cancer, and having greater symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Heavier use was also associated with lower doctor satisfaction and a greater perception of disease severity. Sociodemographic and clinical variables accounted for the largest proportion of the variance in degree of use, but subjective well-being and health care satisfaction provided incremental increases in the variance explained.

This study is one of few studies exploring predictors for the quantity or degree of use of CAM by patients with cancer. Understanding factors related to these patients' heavier or lighter CAM use has implications for health care offerings and cancer treatment decision-making.