Symptom distress and use of complementary and alternative medicine among post-curative treatment colorectal and breast cancer survivors

• Main Authors: Hsiu-Ju Wu, 吳秀如
• Other Authors: Li-Yin Chien
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/78587123966977227911

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 護理學系 === 101 === After completion of the conventional anti-cancer treatment, cancer survivors who are in the disease-free stage might still have symptom distress. However, studies that focused on the situation and treatment for those patients who had symptom distress are very limited. This study examined the correlation among symptom distress, symptom interference, anxiety, depression, and use of complementary and alternative medicine in post-curative treatment cancer survivors who had been diagnosed as colorectal or breast cancer by using Andersen’s model of health service utilization; and compared their use of complementary and alternative medicine and symptoms to a comparison group. A case-control study was conducted on 146 patients, 77 breast and 69 colorectal cancer survivors, who had completed the conventional curative treatment from a hospital’s cancer registry database during 2009 to 2011. The comparison group was composed of 161 non-cancer individuals. Face-to-face interview with M.D. Andersen Symptom Inventory-Taiwan Form (MDASI-Taiwan Form), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and self-developed structured questionnaire were used to collect the data. Findings indicated that use of complementary and alternative medicine was higher in those who were post-curative treatment cancer survivors (54.1%) than in the comparison group (36.6%). The complementary and alternative medicine used by cases includes: natural products (32.9%), traditional Chinese medicine (21.9%), mind-body medicine (6.2%), manipulative and body-based practices (6.2%); those used by comparison group were natural products (65.4%), manipulative and body-based practices (8.7%), and mind-body medicine (6.2%). There was no significant difference in symptom distress and interference between the case and control groups. However, post-curative treatment cancer survivors had a significantly lower score in anxiety (M=3.87 vs M=5.24, p=0.001) and depression (M=3.51 vs M=5.53, p=0.001) compared to the comparison group. Binary logistic regression showed that prior experience of using the complementary and alternative medicine, more symptoms interference with life activities, and higher anxiety level were related to more use of complementary and alternative medicine among post-curative treatment cancer survivors. Those cancer survivors who reported higher level of symptom interference to the sexual life and enjoyment of life aspects were more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine. Post-curative treatment cancer survivors did not have higher symptom distress and symptom interference, but did have less anxiety and depression, than the comparison group. Use of complementary and alternative medicine was significantly higher among post-curative treatment cancer survivors than the comparison group, especially in the traditional Chinese medicine. Prior use experience significantly influence current use among post-curative treatment cancer survivors. Medical staff could discuss with patients their needs and use of complementary and alternative medicine in order to guide for more appropriate use. Moreover, the factors that lead to the search of complementary and alternative medicine were symptom interference with life activities among post-curative treatment cancer survivors. It is suggested that medical staff should not only focus on monitor of cancer relapse, but also pay more attention on their quality of life during the follow-up stage.