Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation into Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Turkish Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the levels of usage of complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches and the symptoms experienced by Turkish patients with gastrointestinal cancer. A descriptive study was conducted on 81 patients with gastrointestinal cancer attending the medical oncology department of an oncology hospital. In the data collection stage, the patient description form that prepared by the researchers and the “Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale” were used. Data were evaluated via Chi-square and student t test. It was determined that 55.6% of the patients with gastrointestinal cancer applied at least one CIH approaches, and these CIH approaches were praying (80.0%), herbal medicine (57.7%), a special diet (40.0%), therapeutic touch (15.6%), exercise (13.3%) and psychotherapy (4.4%). 68.8% of patients who used the CIH approach stated that they applied the CIH approaches in order to supplement the medical treatment, and 91.1% stated that they did not inform health employees about that they using the CIH approach. It was also found that the use of CIH approaches was not related to socio-demographic characteristics, disease characteristics and experienced symptoms. It is very important that patients with gastrointestinal cancer be questioned in terms of CIH approaches used.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akyol, A. D., & Oz, B. (2011). The use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer: In Turkey. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice., 17(4), 230–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.12.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Akyol, A. D., Yildirim, Y., Toker, E., & Yavuz, B. (2011). The use of complementary and alternative medicine among chronic renal failure patients. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20(7–8), 1035–1043. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03498.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Algier, L. A., Hanoglu, Z., Ozden, G., & Kara, F. (2005). The use of complementary and alternative (non-conventional) medicine in cancer patients in Turkey. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 9(2), 138–146.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alhaj, N. H., Shamsudin, M. N., Alipiah, N. M., & Zamri, H. F. (2010). Characterization of Nigella Sativa L. essential oil-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles. American Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 5(1), 52–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aydin-Avci, I., Koç, Z., & Sağlam, Z. (2012). Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer in northern Turkey: Analysis of cost and satisfaction. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21(5–6), 677–688. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03732.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bao, Y., Kong, X., Yang, L., Liu, R., Shi, Z., Li, W., et al. (2014). Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer pain: An overview of systematic reviews. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014, 170396. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/170396.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bismark, R. S., Chen, H., Dy, G. K., Gage-Bouchard, E. A., & Mahoney, M. C. (2014). Complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with thoracic malignancies. Supportive Care in Cancer, 22(7), 1857–1866. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2144-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bjelakovic, G., Nikolova, D., Simonetti, R. G., & Gluud, C. (2008). Antioxidant supplements for preventing gastrointestinal cancers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3), CD004183. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004183.pub3.

  • Bruera, E., Kuehn, N., Miller, M. J., Selmser, P., & Macmillan, K. (1991). The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS): A simple method for the assessment of palliative care patients. Journal of Palliative Care, 7(2), 6–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Can, G., Erol, O., Aydiner, A., & Topuz, E. (2009). Quality of life and complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer patients in Turkey. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 13(4), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2009.03.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conrad, A. C., Muenstedt, K., Micke, O., Prott, F. J., Muecke, R., & Huebner, J. (2014). Attitudes of members of the German Society for Palliative Medicine toward complementary and alternative medicine for cancer patients. Journal of Cancer Research Clinical Oncology, 140(7), 1229–1237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1656-9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dai, Z. J., Shao, Y. P., Kang, H. F., Tang, W., Xu, D., Zhao, Y., et al. (2015). Relationship between apurinic endonuclease 1 Asp148Glu polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer risk: An updated meta-analysis. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 21(16), 5081–5089. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v21.i16.5081.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ezeome, E. R., & Anarado, A. N. (2007). Use of complementary and alternative medicine by cancer patients at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-7-28.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gürdil-Yilmaz, S., Opak-Yücel, B., & Çuhadar, D. (2017). Knowledge and attitudes of the faculty of theology students on organ transplantation. Journal of Religion and Health, 56(3), 1042–1051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0351-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haq, S., Ali, S., Mohammad, R., & Sarkar, F. H. (2012). The complexities of epidemiology and prevention of gastrointestinal cancers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13(10), 12556–12572. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms131012556.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalender, M. E., Buyukhatipoglu, H., Balakan, O., Suner, A., Dirier, A., Sevinc, A., et al. (2014). Depression, anxiety and quality of life through the use of complementary and alternative medicine among breast cancer patients in Turkey. Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics, 10(4), 962–966. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1482.138010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kav, T. (2009). Use of complementary and alternative medicine: A survey in Turkish gastroenterology patients. BMC Complementary Alternative Medicine, 9, 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-9-41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kong, S. C., Hurlstone, D. P., Pocock, C. Y., Walkington, L. A., Farquharson, N. R., Bramble, M. G., et al. (2005). The incidence of self-prescribed oral complementary and alternative medicine use by patients with gastrointestinal diseases. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 39(2), 138–141.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kucukoner, M., Bilge, Z., Isıkdogan, A., Kaplan, M. A., Inal, A., & Urakci, Z. (2013). Complementary and alternative medicine usage in cancer patients in southeast of Turkey. African Journal of Traditional Complementary Alternative Medicine, 10(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajtcam.v10i1.4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawsin, C., DuHamel, K., Itzkowitz, S. H., Brown, K., Lim, H., Thelemaque, L., et al. (2007). Demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates to CAM use among survivors of colorectal cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 15(5), 557–564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1656-9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2016). Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What’s in a name? Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov.

  • Paiva, C. E., Manfredini, L. L., Paiva, B. S., Hui, D., & Bruera, E. (2015). The Brazilian Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a feasible, valid and reliable instrument for the measurement of symptoms in advanced cancer patients. PLoS ONE, 7, e0132073. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132073.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paltiel, O., Avitzour, M., Peretz, T., Cherny, N., Kaduri, L., Pfeffer, R. M., et al. (2001). Determinants of the use of complementary therapies by patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 19(9), 2439–2448.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sadırlı-Kurt, S., & Ünsar, S. (2009). Edmonton symptom assessment scale for patients with cancer: Its validity and reliability in Turkish. Journal of Firat Health Services, 4(11), 79–94. [Kanserli Hastalarda Edmonton Semptom Tanılama Ölçeği (ESTÖ): Türkçe Geçerlilik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması. Fırat Sağlık Hizmetleri Dergisi,] Article in Turkish.

  • Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2017). Cancer statistics 2017. CA Cancer Journal For Clinicians, 67(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuna, S., Dizdar, O., & Calis, M. (2013). The prevalence of usage of herbal medicines among cancer patients. J BUON, 18(4), 1048–1051.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ucan, O., Pehlivan, S., Ovayolu, N., Sevinc, A., & Camci, C. (2008). The use of complementary therapies in cancer patients: A questionnaire-based descriptive survey from southeastern Turkey. American Journal of Clinical Oncology, 31, 589–594. https://doi.org/10.1097/COC.0b013e31817700cc.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, H., & Sellick, K. (2004a). Symptoms, psychological distress, social support, and quality of life of Chinese patients newly diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Cancer Nursing, 27(5), 389–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, H., & Sellick, K. (2004b). Quality of life of Chinese patients newly diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 41(3), 309–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yildiz, I., Ozguroglu, M., Toptas, T., Turna, H., Sen, F., & Yildiz, M. (2013). Patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use among Turkish cancer patients. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16(4), 383–390.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yıldırım, Y. (2010). Patterns of the complementary and alternative medicine in women with metastatic cancer. Cancer Nursing, 33(3), 194–200. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e3181c295ac.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank all of our patients participated in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Health Science Faculty, Uludag University, 16059, Bursa, Turkey

    Seda Pehlivan

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Başkent University, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Ali Süner

  3. Nursing of Internal Medicine, Nursing Faculty, Ege University, 35100, İzmir, Turkey

    Yasemin Yıldırım & Çiçek Fadıloğlu

Authors
  1. Seda Pehlivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ali Süner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yasemin Yıldırım
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Çiçek Fadıloğlu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seda Pehlivan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

Ethics committee approval was received for this study. All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of university ethics committee.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pehlivan, S., Süner, A., Yıldırım, Y. et al. Investigation into Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches for Turkish Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer. J Relig Health 57, 1497–1508 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0546-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0546-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation