Trends in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Adoption by Cancer Patients

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Integrative Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use is rising among cancer patients.
• Patient disclosure of CAM use to oncology teams is often limited.
• Potential interactions between CAM, cancer therapies, and treatment outcomes remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of supplement use in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous questionnaires were administered to 395 patients at the University Cancer and Chemotherapy Center.
• The survey assessed the utilization of various Complementary and Alternative Medicine modalities.

Main Results:

• 62.5% of patients reported using at least one CAM product post-cancer diagnosis.
• Primary reasons for CAM use included managing chemotherapy side effects, anxiety reduction, and sedation.
• Vitamin and mineral supplements were used by 72.4%, with Vitamin D being most prevalent (47.3%).

Conclusions:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine use is prevalent in cancer patients.
• CAM products may interact with chemotherapy, potentially impacting treatment efficacy and safety.
• Accurate CAM history taking is crucial during chemotherapy sessions; further research on CAM's impact is needed.