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ABSTRACT: Background
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common in medical practice, but little is known about the concurrent use of CAM and conventional treatment. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the types of CAM used and their prevalence in a regional patient cohort with breast cancer (BC).Methods
BC patients were interviewed with a structured questionnaire survey on the use of CAM in southern Taiwan at an Integrative Breast Cancer Center (IBCC). The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) classification was used to group responses. Over a period of 8?months, all patients receiving treatment for cancer at the IBCC were approached.Results
A total of 106 BC patients completed the survey (response rate: 79.7%). The prevalence of CAM use was 82.4%. Patients who were employed, were receiving radiotherapy and hormone therapy, and had cancer for a longer duration were more likely to use CAM (P?ConclusionA large portion of BC patients at the IBCC undergoing anti-cancer treatment courses used CAM, but less than half discussed it with their physicians. Given the high prevalence of CAM, it would be justifiable to direct further resources toward this service so that cancer patients can benefit from a holistic approach to their treatment.
SUBMITTER: Chin CY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7797811 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Chin Chieh-Ying CY Chen Yung-Hsiang YH Wu Shin-Chung SC Liu Chien-Ting CT Lee Yun-Fang YF Tsai Ming-Yen MY
Integrative cancer therapies 20200101
<h4>Background</h4>Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common in medical practice, but little is known about the concurrent use of CAM and conventional treatment. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the types of CAM used and their prevalence in a regional patient cohort with breast cancer (BC).<h4>Methods</h4>BC patients were interviewed with a structured questionnaire survey on the use of CAM in southern Taiwan at an Integrative Breast Cancer Center (IBCC). The Natio ...[more]