Utilización de terapias complementarias y alternativas en niños con cáncer

Abstract

Cross-sectional study consisting of a survey of 398 caregivers of pediatrics patients with cancer evaluated in the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia. The survey collected sociodemographic and clinical information and evaluated the type of complementary and alternative therapies, mechanisms of action, and patterns of use of these treatments. Logistic regression was conducted to identify predictors of complementary and alternative therapies use. Results In this study complementary therapies were used not as a substitute but in addition to conventional treatments to cure or to control the disease or to treat symptoms. A total of 326 patients (81.9 %, CI95 %: 77.8 % to 85.6 %) had received some type of complementary therapy and 81 different types of therapies were used. The most common type of complementary therapy corresponded to the group of biologically based therapies (mainly berry juices). Female family caregivers with higher educational status were more likely to use complementary therapies. Time from diagnosis and having received surgical treatment were also associated with the use of therapies. Reinforcement of the immune system appears to be the most likely mechanism of action. Conclusion A high prevalence of use of complementary therapies was found in this sample. Pediatricians need to ask their patients about complementary and alternative therapy practices considering the potential for interactions with pharmacological treatments or adverse effects.

Perspectivas de pacientes y profesionales en torno al uso de medicinas alternativas y complementarias para el cuidado del cáncer: un estudio exploratorio

“…A review on the subject shows that communication difficulties are a relevant indirect risk for patient safety, referred to four categories that include differences in the philosophical values attributed to CAM between users and conventional care providers, difficulties in prescribing complementary medicines due to the lack of scientific evidence (rationale), and lack of information on CAM from conventional care providers (knowledge) (21). Communication and level of knowledge emerge from work experience, possibly related to the high frequency of use of CAMs by cancer patients (2,3) and the evidence on adverse effects and interaction with systemic treatment of cancer (21). However, it is possible that family experiences play some role in the perception of professionals regarding the use of CAMs and generate a greater interest in understanding them better.…”

“…However, prevalences differ greatly among countries (ranging from 5% to 74.8%), and even within countries there are marked differences among reported studies (1). There is little information on the use of CAMs in cancer patients in Colombia, and the available data from reference centers in Bogota indicate figures between 70% and 80% (2,3).…”

Efectos del yoga en la calidad de vida de pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de cáncer: un estudio piloto

“…Los cuidadores, para hacer frente a la enfermedad ya sea para curar o reducir síntomas muchas veces invalidantes, en el caso de pediatría, buscan opciones alternativas al tratamiento convencional (Maza et al, 2021;Sánchez et al, 2015;Sencer & Kelly, 2007). El yoga es una terapia categorizada como complementaria/alternativa de mente y cuerpo, que produce beneficios a nivel físico y psicoemocional (Giménez et al, 2020;Iyengar, 2019;Iyengar, 2020;Parkes, 2016;, que no ha reportado resultados perjudiciales para la salud de los pacientes, como ha sido evidenciado en investigaciones internacionales realizadas en pacientes oncológicos adultos (Adair et al, 2018;Banasik et al, 2011;Buffart et al, 2012;Danhauer et al, 2017;Nirmalananda, 2010;Prinster, 2017) y pediátricos (Diorio et al, 2015;Geyer et al, 2011;Hooke et al, 2016;Orsey et al, 2017;Thygeson et al, 2010;Wurz et al, 2014).…”