Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 21–2
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of CAM use, subjective effects of CAM used, reason for CAM use and factors contributing to reuse of CAM in patients with gastrointestinal cancer in Korea.
From April to May 2006, face-to-face structured interviews of patients with gastrointestinal cancer at a comprehensive oncology centre based on a teaching hospital in Seoul. Four hundred patients with gastrointestinal cancer who visited the outpatient department and were admitted to the hospital participated.
Among the participants, CAM was used by 75% of the patients with gastrointestinal cancer. The most common types of CAM used were traditional Korean medicine and folk remedies, accounting for 31.2 and 26.6%, respectively, of overall CAM usage. A total of 77.8% of the patients showed satisfaction with result of the use and 64.4% perceived some effectiveness of the CAM used. A total of 66.9% of patients who experienced CAM use showed their willingness to reuse. The main benefits from CAM were psychological and symptom improvement. Of the cancer patients who used CAM, 30.9% were dissatisfied, 25.8% did not have benefits from the use and 7.6% experience side-effects. Family and friends (54.4%) and media (24.5%) were the main informants. Gender and income level were predictive for the use (P < 0.01).
Among patients with gastrointestinal cancer, CAM use is common. It suggests that this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach to cancer patients and an efficient cancer patient management system. Proactive and consistent management of cancer patients’ use of CAM is thus necessary in the healthcare system (coexistence of Western and traditional medicine) in South Korea.
This work was supported by the research fund of Hanyang University (HY-2003-S).
