Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer

• Main Authors: Chin-fen Ku, 辜智芬
• Other Authors: Mei-an Ku
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79056328539099156354

碩士 === 南華大學 === 自然醫學研究所 === 96 === 　　The current study used a cross-sectional survey design with face-to-face interviews conducted in 208 patients diagnosed with cancer at a hospital in Taichung city, Taiwan over the period April 1 to July 31, 2007. The objective of the study was to explore the association between the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The Symptom Distress Scale - Chinese modified version and a semi-structure questionnaire designed specifically for this study were used. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS ver. 10.0 for Windows (Chinese version). Results shown that the three most encountered symptoms were fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea with vomiting. The prevalence of CAM use along with standard cancer therapies was 79.3 percent. Mind-body medicine and dietary supplements were the most commonly used CAM modalities. The main motivation for using CAM was to improve emotional well-being and to increase immunity. The source of CAM information came mainly from friends and family members. About 66% of the patients who used CAM did not inform their medical providers. Four patients (1.9%) had once discontinued their routine medical treatment. The use of CAM was not associated with the patients’ sociodemographic or clinical conditions. The use of mind-body medicine was associated with greater physiological symptom and psychological distress. 　 　　Medical professionals are encouraged to pay attention to any side effects and distress symptoms caused by cancer therapy when providing health education to their patients. They should also take notice of any possible interactions between drugs, health foods, and traditional Chinese medicine. Furthermore, they should watch out for any improper discontinuation of cancer treatment in patients who are using CAM at the same time because of the detrimental effects on patients’ health.