Complementary and alternative medicine use in pediatric oncology patients in eastern Turkey

The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among children with cancer is becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, it is important to gain insight into the prevalence and factors related to the use of CAM. This study presents findings from a study of parents of 88 children with cancer who were receiving or had received conventional therapy for treatment of childhood cancer at a pediatric oncology unit in eastern Turkey. The findings indicated that 48.9% of the respondents reported the use of 1 or more CAM therapies. The most commonly used modality was herbal products such as herbal tea and herbal meal, mostly stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The findings of this study indicate that CAM users were children who were an average of 3 years older than nonuser children and that CAM use was more prevalent among the children who had been diagnosed with cancer for a longer time than nonusers. There were no significant difference between users and nonusers regarding sociodemographic characteristics (such as age education level, economic status), hopelessness score of parents, gender of child, and treatment status. Healthcare providers should remain informed about the benefits and adverse effects of complementary and alternative therapies to discuss treatment options with patients and their families and to monitor treatment efficacy.