The relationship between the use of complementary therapy (CT) and satisfaction with medical treatment decision making and with the treating oncologist was evaluated in a sample of 166 women who were undergoing an initial course of chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. At the beginning of chemotherapy, 39% indicated already trying CT and an additional 13% reported planning to try CT. These women mentioned a variety of vitamin, nutritional, herbal, physical, mental, and spiritual approaches. Four months later, when most patients had completed chemotherapy, more than half (53%) reported using CT, with another 8% planning to try it. Regression analysis controlling for psychosocial and medical variables revealed that women who were younger and less satisfied with their treatment decisionmaking experience were significantly more likely to use CT. When predicting use of CT at the conclusion of treatment, baseline utilization was the greatest predictor, but dissatisfaction with the oncologist was also a significant predictor. These findings suggest that patients who are dissatisfied with their medical care may be more likely to use CT during treatment. Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between satisfaction with medical decision making and the patient-physician relationship to CT use among cancer patients. The findings also highlight the importance of good patient-physician communication about CT use throughout the cancer treatment experience.
Keywords: breast cancer; complementary therapy; patientphysician communication; satisfaction with medical decision makingThe use of complementary and alternative therapies by cancer patients has steadily increased over the past decade, 1-6 particularly among women with breast cancer.7-10 While findings regarding the characteristics of women who use complementary therapy (CT) are relatively consistent across studies, not much is known about the stimuli that influence the decision to use CT during conventional cancer treatment. For example, while there is some evidence that patientphysician communication about breast cancer treatment decisions may be frustrating for women, 11,12 it is not yet clear how patient satisfaction with this exchange may be related to CT use. This article presents data on CT utilization among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with an emphasis on the relationship between CT use and patients' satisfaction with medical treatment decision making as well as with their medical oncologist.
Prevalence and Correlates of CT Use Among Women With Breast CancerEstimates suggest that most adult cancer patients use some form of CT.13-16 CT use appears particularly prevalent among women with breast cancer relative to other illness populations. 3,17,18 In one study, breast cancer patients were twice as likely to report using CT than were prostate cancer or gastrointestinal cancer patients. 19 The lack of a concise definition of CT has hindered studies from providing reliable use estimates and has made comparisons across studies diffi...