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Research: RICHARDSON and colleagues
Listed in Issue 58
Abstract
RICHARDSON and colleagues, Centers for Alternative Medicine Research and Health Promotion Research and Development, The University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA surveyed complementary alternative medicine use in a comprehensive cancer centre.
Background
Oncologists are aware that their patients use complementary/ alternative medicine (CAM). As cancer incidence rates and survival time increase, use of CAM will likely increase.
Methodology
Subjects were English-speaking cancer patients at least 18 years of age, attending one of the eight outpatient clinics at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Centre between December and June 1997. After giving written informed concent, participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Differences between CAM users and nonusers were assessed by regression analyses. A multivariate logistic regression model identified the simultaneous impact of demongraphic clinic and treatment variables on CAM use.
Results
The response rate was 51.4% (453). 99.3% of these participants had heard of CAM. Of those, 83.3% had used at least one CAM approach. Use was greatest for spiritual practices (80.5%), vitamins and herbs (62.6%), and movement and physical therapies (59.2%) and predicted (p<0.001) by sex (female), younger age, indigent pay status and surgery. After excluding spiritual practices and psychotherapy, 95.8% of participants were aware of CAM and 68.7% of those had used CAM. Use was predicted (p<0.0001) by sex (female), education and chemotherapy.
Conclusion
The authors concluded that in most categories, CAM use was common among outpatients and that given the number of patients combining vitamins and herbs with conventional treatments, the oncology community must improve patient-provider communication, offer reliable information to patients and to initiate research to determine possible drug-herb-vitamin interactions.
References
Richardson MA et al. Complementary /alternative medicine use in a comprehensive cancer center and implications for oncology. Journal of Clinical Oncology 18(13): 2505-14. Jul 2000.
Comment
This appears to be one of those research studies motivated by wanting to discover the potentially dangerous consequences of cancer patients using complementary medicine without telling their oncologists. Oh dear all that meditation (spiritual practice) ruining their chemotherapy treatments!
