BACKGROUND: Little is known about complementary medication use among older adults with cancer, particularly those who are receiving chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of complementary medication use and to identify the factors associated with its use among older adults with cancer. METHODS: The prevalence of complementary medication use (defined as herbal agents, minerals, or other dietary supplements, excluding vitamins) was evaluated in a cohort of adults aged ≥65 years who were about to start chemotherapy for their cancer. The associations between complementary medication use and patient characteristics (sociodemographics; comorbidities; and functional, nutritional, psychological, and cognitive status), medication use (number of medications and concurrent vitamin use), and cancer characteristics (type and stage) were analyzed. RESULTS: The cohort included 545 patients (mean age, 73 years; range, 65-91 years; 52% women) with cancer (61% stage IV). Seventeen percent of these patients (N = 93) reported using ≥1 complementary medication; the mean number of complementary medications among users was 2 (range, 1-10 medications). Complementary medication use was associated with 1) earlier cancer stage (29% had stage I-II disease vs 17% with stage III-IV disease; odds ratio [OR], 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.49) and 2) less impairment with instrumental activities of daily living (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.12-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Complementary medication use was reported by 17% of older adults with cancer and was more common among those who had less advanced disease (i.e., those receiving adjuvant, potentially curative treatment) and higher functional status. Further studies are needed to determine the association between complementary medication use and cancer outcomes among older adults.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about complementary medication use among older adults with cancer, particularly those who are receiving chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of complementary medication use and to identify the factors associated with its use among older adults with cancer. METHODS: The prevalence of complementary medication use (defined as herbal agents, minerals, or other dietary supplements, excluding vitamins) was evaluated in a cohort of adults aged ≥65 years who were about to start chemotherapy for their cancer. The associations between complementary medication use and patient characteristics (sociodemographics; comorbidities; and functional, nutritional, psychological, and cognitive status), medication use (number of medications and concurrent vitamin use), and cancer characteristics (type and stage) were analyzed. RESULTS: The cohort included 545 patients (mean age, 73 years; range, 65-91 years; 52% women) with cancer (61% stage IV). Seventeen percent of these patients (N = 93) reported using ≥1 complementary medication; the mean number of complementary medications among users was 2 (range, 1-10 medications). Complementary medication use was associated with 1) earlier cancer stage (29% had stage I-II disease vs 17% with stage III-IV disease; odds ratio [OR], 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-3.49) and 2) less impairment with instrumental activities of daily living (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.12-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Complementary medication use was reported by 17% of older adults with cancer and was more common among those who had less advanced disease (i.e., those receiving adjuvant, potentially curative treatment) and higher functional status. Further studies are needed to determine the association between complementary medication use and cancer outcomes among older adults.
Authors: Jennifer S Yates; Karen M Mustian; Gary R Morrow; Leslie J Gillies; Devi Padmanaban; James N Atkins; Brian Issell; Jeffrey J Kirshner; Lauren K Colman Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2005-02-15 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Arti Hurria; Supriya Gupta; Marjorie Zauderer; Enid L Zuckerman; Harvey J Cohen; Hyman Muss; Miriam Rodin; Katherine S Panageas; Jimmie C Holland; Leonard Saltz; Mark G Kris; Ariela Noy; Jorge Gomez; Ann Jakubowski; Clifford Hudis; Alice B Kornblith Journal: Cancer Date: 2005-11-01 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Grace K Dy; Lishan Bekele; Lorelei J Hanson; Alfred Furth; Sumithra Mandrekar; Jeff A Sloan; Alex A Adjei Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2004-12-01 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Joshua Bauml; Corey J Langer; Tracey Evans; Sheila N Garland; Krupali Desai; Jun J Mao Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2014-04-09 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Massimiliano Berretta; Chiara Della Pepa; Paolo Tralongo; Alberto Fulvi; Ferdinando Martellotta; Arben Lleshi; Guglielmo Nasti; Rossella Fisichella; Carmela Romano; Chiara De Divitiis; Rosaria Taibi; Francesco Fiorica; Raffaele Di Francia; Anna Di Mari; Lino Del Pup; Anna Crispo; Paolo De Paoli; Adriano Santorelli; Vincenzo Quagliariello; Rosario Vincenzo Iaffaioli; Umberto Tirelli; Gaetano Facchini Journal: Oncotarget Date: 2017-04-11
Authors: J Connor Wells; Aven Sidhu; Keyue Ding; Martin Smoragiewicz; Daniel Y C Heng; Frances A Shepherd; Peter M Ellis; Penelope A Bradbury; Derek J Jonker; Lillian L Siu; Karen A Gelmon; Christos Karapetis; Jeremy Shapiro; Louise Nott; Christopher J O'Callaghan; Wendy R Parulekar; Lesley Seymour; Jose G Monzon Journal: Oncologist Date: 2022-03-11