December

Cancer patients choose CAM

Almost half of all cancer patients begin receiving some method of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) after their diagnosis, according to a new study. More than a quarter of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy also receive massage therapy.

The most commonly cited reason for CAM use after diagnosis was “general overall health” in 40 percent of patients, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania stated. Vitamin, herbal, and botanical supplements were the most popular modalities among respondents.

"The vast majority (88 percent) of CAM users expressed satisfaction with CAM as a cost effective approach," researchers noted. "However, only 36 percent of CAM users cited their [Western] health-care providers as primary sources of information on CAM."

The study also found that the majority of cancer patients do not discuss their CAM use with their physicians, even while actively receiving conventional cancer treatment.

Physicians "should be aware of their patients' reasons for CAM use, particularly for symptom management and improved quality of life during radiation therapy and chemotherapy," the researchers stated. "[Physicians] should also be familiar with the information sources commonly used by [patients] and supplement these sources with discussion of pertinent safety profiles and potential interactions with conventional therapies."