Use of Alternative Medicine Among Norwegian Cancer Patients is Associated with Mental Distress - A Follow-up Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of alternative medicine (AM) by cancer patients' and the level of self-perceived mental distress. One hundred and fifty-seven cancer patients were included in a longitudinal questionnaire-based study 12 months after their first contact with the Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Tromsø, during the period 1990 to 1991. Eligible patients received follow-up questionnaires after 24 and 60 months recording their use of AM and measuring their perceived mental distress (GHQ-20). A total of 64 (41%) of the 157 patients who completed at least one questionnaire reported using AM one or more times during follow-up (ever-use). Between 65% and 79% of patients who were eligible at each point of the study completed the GHQ questionnaire. After 60 months of follow-up, 104 patients were still alive and 54 patients (52% of the survivors) had completed all the questionnaires. At inclusion in the study, significantly more AM users reported mental distress (57%) than non-users (20%) (p=0.001). After 24 and 60 months, the corresponding figures were 42% versus 29% (p=0.18), and 30% versus 10% (p=0.02), respectively. When adjusted for sex, age and disease progression, use of AM was found to be an independent factor highly associated with mental distress at 12 months (OR=5.5, 95% CI 2.1-14.4). Later in the study, progression/relapse of cancer proved to be a more important predictor of mental distress. These findings suggest that, in North Norway, seeking alternative treatment is more common among mentally distressed cancer patients.