Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in cancer patients: An Italian multicenter survey

Abstract

IntroductionComplementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) include a wide range of products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) and medical practices, developed outside of the mainstream Western medicine. Patients with cancer are more likely to resort to CAM first or then in their disease history; the potential side effects as well as the costs of such practices are largely underestimated.Patients and methodWe conducted a descriptive survey in five Italian hospitals involving 468 patients with different malignancies. The survey consisted of a forty-two question questionnaire, patients were eligible if they were Italian-speaking and receiving an anticancer treatment at the time of the survey or had received an anticancer treatment no more than three years before participating in the survey.RESULTSOf our patients, 48.9% said they use or have recently used CAM. The univariate analysis showed that female gender, high education, receiving treatment in a highly specialized institute and receiving chemotherapy are associated with CAM use; at the multivariate analysis high education (Odds Ratio, (OR): 1.96 95% Confidence Interval, CI, 1.27-3.05) and receiving treatment in a specialized cancer center (OR: 2.75 95% CI, 1.53-4.94) were confirmed as risk factors for CAM use.ConclusionRoughly half of our patients receiving treatment for cancer use CAM. It is necessary that health professional explore the use of CAM with their cancer patients, educate them about potentially beneficial therapies in light of the limited available evidence of effectiveness, and work towards an integrated model of health-care provision.

Resveratrol in Cancer Patients: From Bench to Bedside

“…As outlined above, several foods are naturally rich in resveratrol, like nuts, grapes, apples, red fruits, black olives, capers, brown or red rice and others [89]. Notably, they are very common in the Mediterranean diet which has demonstrated to have significant anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and cardioprotective properties [90]. Being an extremely reactive molecule as well as capable to interact both with cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins [89,90] in human cells, resveratrol has been studied over the years as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the therapy of cardiovascular diseases like myocardial ischemia [90,91], myocarditis [92], cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure [93,94].…”

“…Notably, they are very common in the Mediterranean diet which has demonstrated to have significant anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and cardioprotective properties [90]. Being an extremely reactive molecule as well as capable to interact both with cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins [89,90] in human cells, resveratrol has been studied over the years as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the therapy of cardiovascular diseases like myocardial ischemia [90,91], myocarditis [92], cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure [93,94]. The main mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects are based on its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties [89] as well as its improvements of calcium homeostasis in cardiomyocytes and reduction of cardiac fibrosis [95].…”

Use of prescription drugs among women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer in Denmark

“…Some limitations, however, also need to be considered. The primary weakness of our study was the lack of data on complementary and alternative medicines reported to be used by a considerable proportion of patients with cancer, as well as over‐the‐counter medication, which is also frequently used . Another limitation was the lack of data on the reasons for discontinuation of drug treatment.…”

“…The primary weakness of our study was the lack of data on complementary and TA B L E 2 Drug classes initiated among epithelial ovarian cancer patients between 3 months before and 6 months after the diagnosis, corresponding to the period of highest incidence rate of new drug treatment. The alternative medicines reported to be used by a considerable proportion of patients with cancer, [11][12][13] as well as over-the-counter medication, which is also frequently used. 14,15 Another limitation was the lack of data on the reasons for discontinuation of drug treatment.…”

Boswellic acid has anti‐inflammatory effects and enhances the anticancer activities of Temozolomide and Afatinib, an irreversible ErbB family blocker, in human glioblastoma cells

“…Considering the well-established anti-inflammatory activity of nutraceuticals (Berretta et al, 2017), we investigated about putative inhibitory effects of BA in the production of IL-8, IL-6, VEGF, MMP-9, and CXCL-12 in glioblastoma cells under proinflammatory conditions. First of all, incubation of cancer cells with LPS determines a significant stimulation of all analyzed interleukins and growth factors compared with the untreated one ( Figure 9).…”