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Cancer Patients Seek Alternatives
Sept. 10, 2002 -- A large majority of people with cancer are using alternative therapies and almost all of them report significant improvement in their well-being.
"This is the first study to specifically inquire about patients' attitudes regarding the effectiveness of alternative treatments," says Ruth E. Patterson, PhD, RD, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Public Health Sciences Division, in a news release.
"This is the first study to specifically inquire about patients' attitudes regarding the effectiveness of alternative treatments," says lead researcher Ruth E. Patterson, PhD, RD, from Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in a news release.
Of the 356 people in the study, about a third each had breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Overall, 70% used some form of alternative medicine. Either they'd received care from an alternative provider or they'd taken at least one alternative supplement (other than a once-a-day multivitamin) within the last year.
About 20% said they had seen an alternative provider -- naturopathic doctor, spiritual advisor, or massage therapist -- and almost 65% said they had used a dietary supplement.
Most patients used alternative therapies in addition to, rather than instead of, conventional medicine. Almost all the patients reported substantial improvements in their well-being from using such treatments.
Because of the possibility of negative drug-herb interactions, as well as the possibility that supplement use could interfere with chemotherapy, people with cancer need to be sure to discuss their use of supplements with their doctor, Patterson says.
Young, educated women were most likely to turn to alternative medicine to help them cope with their cancer. Income did not seem to play much of a role in the decision-making process.
The study appears in the September issue of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Research on Paradigm, Practice and Policy.
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