The use of complementary therapies among breast and prostate cancer patients in Finland

Abstract

This study describes the use of complementary therapies (CTs) among breast (women) and prostate cancer patients (men) in Finland. The data were collected using a self-administered postal questionnaire. Responses were received from 216 women (response rate 54.9%) and 190 men (response rate 55.4%). Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Fisher and Wilcoxon tests. Interpretation of the responses to the open-ended questions used the method of content analysis. Half the respondents (women 53%, men 50%) were interested in CTs. Women (59%) had seriously considered using CTs significantly (P = 0.006) more often than men (44%). Among the women and men who had considered the option, CT use was not started because there was not enough scientific evidence (women 56%, men 77%) or because conventional treatments had worked well enough (women 45%, men 70%). Almost one-third of all women (30%) and men (28%) either continued to use or started using CTs after they had fallen ill with cancer. They resorted to CTs in order to restore their hope in the future (women 36%, men 36%) and to do as much as they could for themselves (women 46%, men 29%). The results indicate that cancer patients are interested in CTs and use them quite frequently. This presents a major challenge to official health care: how should cancer patients be supported in the care relationship to make an informed decision about using CTs; what kind of advice should they be given; and how can patients' individual requirements be adequately met in nursing care?

Development of a Comprehensive Questionnaire of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Cancer Patients and Survivors

“…Previous studies have reported, among survivors of various cancers, CAM use rates of 53% (Miller et al, 1998), 83.3% (Richardson et al, 2000), and 21.9% (Begbie et al, 1996); for breast cancer, CAM use rates of 28.1% (Burnstein, Gelber, Guadagnoli, & Weeks, 1999); for prostate cancer, CAM use rates of 37% (Hall, Bissonette, & Theodorescu, 2003); and for a study of breast and prostate cancer survivors, CAM use rates of 30% (Salmenpera, 2002). In this group of cancer survivors, CAM use was common.…”

Presenting the alternative: cancer and complementary and alternative medicine in the Canadian print media

“…Of note in this research is that those CAM therapies most commonly used by cancer patients are those same therapies that are most commonly discussed in the Canadian print media [1,2,11,15,18], suggesting a potential relationship between media information and CAM decision-making. Similarly, the observed trend in reporting frequency parallels the trend in CAM use, which began to increase in the early 1990s and which seems to have leveled off over Fig.…”

“…Examples of such therapies commonly used by cancer patients are mind-body approaches, such as meditation or prayer, and biologically based therapies, such as herbs, vitamins, supplements, and special diets [1,2,11,15,18]. When these same therapies are used in place of conventional medicine, they are referred to as alternative therapies.…”

Prevalence of complementary/alternative medicines (CAMs) in a cancer population in northern Italy receiving antineoplastic treatments and relationship with quality of life and psychometric features

“…In studies published after 2000, the rates of CAM use range from 28% of prostate cancer patients in Finland [6] to 91% of radiotherapy or chemotherapy patients in the United States [7], where CAM is chiefly complementary [1].…”