The status of alternative treatment in cancer patients in Turkey

• Published in: Cancer nursing Vol. 28; no. 5; p. 355
• Main Authors: Isikhan, Vedat, Komurcu, Seref, Ozet, Ahmet, Arpaci, Fikret, Ozturk, Bekir, Balbay, Oner, Guner, Perihan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2005
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Complementary Therapies - adverse effects; Complementary Therapies - education; Complementary Therapies - psychology; Complementary Therapies - utilization; Disease Progression; Educational Status; Female; Health Care Surveys; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Male; Marital Status; Middle Aged; Motivation; Neoplasms - complications; Neoplasms - ethnology; Neoplasms - therapy; Occupations; Pain - etiology; Pain - prevention & control; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - ethnology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Patient Education as Topic; Self Care - methods; Self Care - psychology; Severity of Illness Index; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Turkey; Turkey
• ISSN: 0162-220X
• DOI: 10.1097/00002820-200509000-00004

This study was designed to measure the frequency at which Turkish patients with cancer resort to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A total of 704 patients referred to the Gülhane Military Medical Academy and Ankara Numune Training Hospital between September 2002 and January 2003 were asked about the CAM therapies they used. Of these, 276 patients (39.2%) had used CAM. Gender, marital status, educational status, age, financial status, severity of pain, history of cancer in the family, and their own ideas concerning CAM therapies were found to be correlated with the frequency of resorting to CAM. Resorting to CAM may lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment, adverse drug interactions, treatment withdrawal, and disease progression. Therefore, it is very important to inform patients about these potential dangers. Further studies are needed to clarify the reasons that lead patients to resort to CAM.