Integration of complementary medicine in supportive cancer care: survey of health-care providers’ perspectives from 16 countries in the Middle East

Ben‐Arye, Eran; Schiff, Elad; Mutafoglu, Kamer; Omran, Suha; Hajjar, Ramzi R.; Charalambous, Haris; Dweikat, Tahani; Ghrayeb, Ibtisam; Bar-Sela, Gil; Türker, İbrahim; Hassan, Azza; Hassan, Esmat A.; Popper‐Giveon, Ariela; Saad, Bashar; Nimri, Omar; Kebudi, Rejin; Dagash, Jamal; Silbermann, Michael

doi:10.1007/s00520-015-2619-7

Cited by 21 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Family dynamics and religious beliefs play major roles in shaping the concepts of death in a good number of societies in the emerging world. In a recent survey, it became apparent that many cancer patients throughout the Middle East seek complimentary therapies for a family member suffering from cancer [22]. Death and dying is a deeply emotional event in most African and Asian cultures.…”

Section: Ethical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Silbermann¹

2016

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Section: Ethical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Silbermann¹

2016

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“…They are well proven in international biomedical literature on the antibacterial properties of honey [73]. Honey has been used with good results in the fields of dermatology and oncology [6][7][8][9][10][11]. This study is just one observational study with a small sample.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aloe could be an interesting alternative to other approaches, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic properties, but these studies use very small samples [72]. Aloe vera is used with good results in dermatology and oncology [7,9].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A classification drawn up in 1999 by the National Institute of Health (NIH) provides for the following categories: food and nutrition, psycho-therapies (meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis), traditional therapies (Chinese medicine, indigenous healing methods), pharmacological or biological treatment (homeopathy), manual healing (massage, chiropractic, reflexology, reiki, shiatsu, therapeutic touch) and phytotherapy (herbal medicine, aromatherapy) [4]. A quick look at scientific literature allows us to state that complementary medicine is used in different kinds of oncology, respiratory diseases in children, pregnancy, in pain, migraine and in the dressing of various skin lesions [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Ulcers on the lower limbs require special attention, as they have a significant impact on the patients' quality of life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Complementary Medicine and Venous Ulcers: Review of Literature

Se¹

2017

Health Care Current Reviews

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Introduction: Complementary medicine has ancient historical roots and its use is constantly changing. It alongside scientific medicine is useful in the treatment of many diseases, including oncological, respiratory, and dermatological. It is used in the treatment of pain and in the local treatment of various ulcers (lesions) skin. In particular, scientific medicine uses several treatments for venous ulcers with not completely effective outcomes. Effective treatment prevents complications and improves the quality of life of patients. There is scientific evidence on the efficacy of complementary medicine in the treatment of venous ulcers of the lower limbs. Methods:It was performed as a literature review on the databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE and COCHRANE with the aim of detecting the evidence of efficacy of complementary medicine interventions in the treatment of venous ulcers and ways to treat it. We used the keywords and thesaurus descriptors for complementary medicine. We included the following drawings of relevant studies to the subject of the research: systematic reviews randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case control studies, observational studies, case reports, studies, and expert opinion in English, conducted on humans. For the purpose of this research, 174 documents were identified, of which only 15 were relevant and were within the inclusion criteria.Results: An analysis of the literature shows that many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of aloe, calendula, standardized extract from the aerial parts of A. pichinchensis, Mimosa tenuiflora, modified linen bandages, products made of honey found on the market, herbal therapies, polarized light therapy combined with herbal and plant biomembranes. However, these findings are insufficient to support or deny that one treatment is more effective than another. These results are not widely generalizable because of the low number of samples studied. Conclusion:Despite the interest in complementary medicine and the treatment of venous ulcers, there is currently no truly effective treatment strategy. The detected evidence is insufficient to make significant changes in the treatment of venous leg ulcers with complementary medicine interventions. The available studies on the treatment of venous leg ulcers with products based on plants have not established the existence of a treatment that may be effective individually. Additional studies would be needed to demonstrate the efficacy of these treatments.

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“…The Middle East is a region with a high affinity for CTM, including the use of herbal medicines, which has been reported for >60% of patients receiving adjuvant or palliative care . We found that Middle Eastern oncology HCPs have a generally positive attitude toward the integration of CTM in supportive cancer care . In the current study, we collated and analyzed additional data from this cohort, examining specific herbs listed by HCPs as being used by their patients undergoing active oncology treatments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Potential risks associated with traditional herbal medicine use in cancer care: A study of Middle Eastern oncology health care professionals

Ben‐Arye

Samuels

Goldstein

et al. 2015

Cancer

Self Cite

113

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BACKGROUND The authors assessed the use of herbal medicine by Middle Eastern patients with cancer, as reported by their oncology health care professionals (HCPs). Herbal products identified by the study HCPs were evaluated for potential negative effects. METHODS Oncology HCPs from 16 Middle Eastern countries received a 17‐item questionnaire asking them to list 5 herbal products in use by their patients with cancer. A literature search (PubMed, Micromedex, AltMedDex, and the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database) was conducted to identify safety‐related concerns associated with the products listed. RESULTS A total of 339 HCPs completed the study questionnaire (response rate of 80.3%), identifying 44 herbal and 3 nonherbal nutritional supplements. Safety‐related concerns were associated with 29 products, including herb‐drug interactions with altered pharmacodynamics (15 herbs), direct toxic effects (18 herbs), and increased in vitro response of cancer cells to chemotherapy (7 herbs). CONCLUSIONS Herbal medicine use, which is prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, has several potentially negative effects that include direct toxic effects, negative interactions with anticancer drugs, and increased chemosensitivity of cancer cells, requiring a reduction in dosedensity. Oncology HCPs working in countries in which herbal medicine use is prevalent need to better understand the implications of this practice. The presence of integrative physicians with training in complementary and traditional medicine can help patients and their HCPs reach an informed decision regarding the safety and effective use of these products. Cancer 2016;122:598–610. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

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Integration of complementary medicine in supportive cancer care: survey of health-care providers’ perspectives from 16 countries in the Middle East

Cited by 21 publications

References 26 publications

Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Complementary Medicine and Venous Ulcers: Review of Literature

Potential risks associated with traditional herbal medicine use in cancer care: A study of Middle Eastern oncology health care professionals

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