Prevalence and Predictors of Complementary Therapy Use in Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Purpose: Information on the use of complementary therapies in patients with advanced-stage cancer is limited. Given the disease and treatment complexities associated with the care of patients with metastatic cancer, oncology clinicians would benefit from having an appreciation of the extent of usage of unconventional, adjunctive therapies among these patients. This study evaluated the prevalence and demographic predictors of complementary therapy use in a sample of women with metastatic breast cancer. Methods:Subjects with stage IV breast cancer were recruited from six treatment facilities in New England. A written, mailed survey assessing complementary therapy use and sociodemographic information was completed by each subject, while disease and treatment information was obtained from medical records. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results:Of the 173 participants, 78% used at least one type of complementary therapy, 43% used two or more types, and 23% used three or more types, excluding spiritual practices and physical exercise. When including spiritual practices and physical exercise, 90% used at least one complementary therapy, 70% used two or more types, and 45% used three or more types. Visits to alternative health practitioners were predicted by younger age (P ϭ .009) and higher education level (P ϭ .002). Younger participants (P ϭ .045) were more likely to use and spend more money on vitamins and herbal products (P ϭ .02). Conclusions:Use of unconventional therapies is pervasive among metastatic breast cancer patients, particularly among those who are younger and highly educated. Oncology providers need to assess patients' complementary therapy use and consider potential interactions with prescribed treatment protocols.

Complementary and alternative medicine: use and disclosure in radiation oncology community practice

“…Due to initial differences in frequency of CAM use being higher for females than males for all CAM use domains, our analyses were conducted separately for each gender. Covariates for all analyses in the stepwise linear regressions included age, education, diagnosis, and stage of disease, as each of these are related to frequency of CAM use [3,4]. The SPSS software was used for data analysis.…”

“…NCCAM reports a continuing increase in prevalence of CAM use in the general population [3]. The use of CAM in cancer patients has also significantly grown in the past decade [4]. Frequency estimates of CAM use in cancer patients range from 28% to 69%, with more typical estimates being 40-50% [5][6][7][8].…”

“…Benefits and risks of CAM for the cancer patient Several studies suggest that certain types of CAM (e.g., acupuncture and massage) may be effective support for symptom management in certain subtypes of cancer patients [4,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. However, there are risks including contraindications with use of certain dietary supplements concomitantly with cancer treatments [20,[22][23][24][25].…”

Ethics of Ongoing Cancer Care for Patients Making Risky Decisions

“…4,5 Patients may explicitly wish to retain the option to return to standard therapy, or they may desire access to conventional aspects of Western medicine such as narcotics and radiographic and laboratory studies. Some may want ongoing oncology advice, whereas others may want to use their oncologists' authority to order tests and procedures that will facilitate alternative plans of care.…”

Integrative Oncology for the Whole Person: A Multidimensional Approach to Cancer Care

“…Studies indicate that up to 80% of all cancer patients use some form of CAM during the course of their illness. [47][48][49] Among the more commonly used CAM modalities are acupuncture, massage, yoga, energy healing, Traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, mind-body interventions, and a wide variety of vitamins, mineral supplements, antioxidants, and herbs. 50,51 People with cancer use CAM for numerous reasons.…”