Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with cancer: A UK survey

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Summary

Over the past decade Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use in the UK has increased dramatically. However, little research appears to exist regarding its use in patients diagnosed with cancer. The study was descriptive using a survey design. Questionnaire data was collected from 127 adult patients with a diagnosis of cancer from both Scotland and England. CAM use was reported by 29% of the sample. The use of relaxation, meditation and the use of medicinal teas were the most frequently used therapies. Findings suggest that CAM use within patients diagnosed with cancer in the UK has increased which has implications for patient and health care professional education.

Zusammenfassung

In den letzten zehn Jahren hat die Anwendung von Methoden der komplementär-alternativen Medizin (engl. Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM) in Grossbritannien stark zugenommen. Bislang existieren jedoch kaum Daten über die Anwendung von CAM-Methoden bei Patienten mit Krebserkrankungen. Bei der vorliegenden Untersuchung handelte es sich um eine deskriptive Studie mit Survey-Design, in der Fragebogen-Daten von 127 Krebspatienten aus Schottland und England ausgewertet wrnden. CAM-Anwendungen waren bei 29% der Probanden durchgeführt wurden. Die am häufigsten angewendeten Behandlungsmaßnahmen waren Entspannungs- und Meditationstechniken sowie die Verabreichung von Heiltees. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie lassen vermuten, dass die Anwendung von CAM-Methoden bei Krebspatienten in Großbritannien insgesamt zugenommen hat. Dies wird wahrscheinlich Konsequenzen bei der Schulung von Patienten und Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen zur Folge haben.

Introduction

The use of complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) appears to be widespread, and its use has steadily increased over the last ten to fifteen years in both America and Europe (Ernst and White, 2000). CAM has been described as ‘diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention which complements mainstream medicine by contributing to a common whole, by satisfying a demand not met by orthodoxy or by diversifying the conceptual frameworks of medicine’ (Ernst and Cassileth, 1998).

More specifically within the United Kingdom (UK), there has been a rapid rise in prominence of CAM use with an estimated 15 million users nationwide (Andrew, 2003; House of Lords Select Committee, 2000). In a recent telephone survey on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United Kingdom a 1-year prevalence of 20% was noted (Ernst and White, 2000). Bell and Sikora (1996) attributed this to the failure of modern medical science to provide a cure for the majority of common cancers, combined with increasing self-empowerment of patients, resulting in a major increase in the interest in both complementary and alternative treatments for cancer. Its use among patients diagnosed with cancer is also believed to be widespread, however there is still a paucity of data to substantiate its use in the UK in patients diagnosed with cancer.

CAM therapies appear to be widely used by cancer patients in many parts of the world. A systematic review by Ernst and Cassileth (1998) reviewed a total of 26 surveys documenting the prevalence of CAM use among patients with cancer. Their results highlighted the use of CAM therapies in adult populations ranging from 7% to 64%, with the average prevalence across all the studies at 31.4%. However, only two of these studies were UK based (Downer et al., 1994; Burke and Sikora, 1993). Also, Ernst and Cassileth (1998) reported that throughout the 1990s the most popular CAM therapies ranged from mind-body approaches, dietary and food supplements, homeopathy, spiritual healing, Chinese medications and botanical preparations.

Downer et al. (1994) reported that 16% of their cancer respondents in a London hospital had used CAM whilst undergoing conventional treatment; the cancer patients using CAM tended to be younger, of higher social class and female. Less than a decade later, Lewith et al. (2002) showed that 32% of patients indicated they were currently receiving some form of CAM, suggesting a trend in increased usage of CAM over recent years. An earlier survey showed that 70% of NHS hospitals in England and Wales were offering one or more complementary therapies in the management of cancer care, with relaxation and aromatherapy being the most commonly available (White, 1998).

The aim of the present study was to assess the use of CAM therapies in patients with cancer. The data presented in this paper are the detailed results from the UK sample (n=127), part of a larger European study (Molassiotis et al., 2005).

Section snippets

Methods

This study was a descriptive survey, being a subgroup analysis of a larger set of dat from a European study (Molassiotis et al., 2005). One hundred and twenty seven adult patients with a diagnosis of cancer, from three centres both in Scotland and England, participated in the study between May and June 2003, with data collected in oncology outpatient clinics and a hospice on selected days. Data was collected using a questionnaire originally developed by Swisher et al. (2002). All participating

Results

A total of 127 patients completed the questionnaires for evaluation in the UK, 13.3% of the total European sample (9.7% from Scotland; 3.6% from England).

Discussion

This study of 127 patients in the UK provides initial evidence of the use of CAM therapies in patients diagnosed with cancer. Of these patients, 37 reported using CAM either in the past or currently. Patients conveyed a variety of reasons for using CAM and benefits gained from them. The most frequently used CAM therapies were relaxation/meditation techniques and the use of medicinal teas. Reflexology and spiritual or faith healing were also popular. A variety of sources were cited as to where

Acknowledgements

The author's wish to thank Bridget Johnston, Strathcarron Hospice, Denny, Scotland; Liz MacMillan, Lesley Newlands Susan Davidson Lynette McGeever Jennifer Wilson, Oncology Department, Falkirk Royal Infirmary, Falkirk, Scotland; and Morven Miller, Research Fellow, Cancer Care Research Centre, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.

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