Alternative and complementary medicines are currently experiencing a real boom worldwide, especially among cancer patients who are looking to improve their physical and mental well-being.

To provide an overview of the use of traditional treatments and dietary supplements by cancer patients and to assess the impact of these approaches on cancer care.

This prospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the oncology day hospital of a Tunisian medical centre. Data were collected from February 1 to March 30, 2022.

In the study population, the prevalence of complementary medicine use was 71%; users were predominantly female, and average age was 54 years. Herbal medicine was most commonly used (69.7%); animal-derived products, diet, massage therapy, and dietary supplements were also common, with percentages ranging between 20% and 40%. Cupping therapy (12.4%) and mind-body therapies (such as rokia charia and physical activity; 10%) were noted to a lesser extent. Of the plants identified, the most frequently consumed was Nigella sativa L. (44.9%), followed by Ephedra foeminea Forssk. (42.7%) and Curcuma longa L. (32.6%). Among the identified herb-drug interactions, 33.4% were classified as contraindicated, while 56.7% were classified as beneficial.

The survey revealed a significant prevalence of alternative medicine use, which requires careful attention and further research.