BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use influenced outcomes [survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)] of cancer patients whose condition had just been judged terminal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 2005 to October 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 481 terminally ill cancer patients at 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. We assessed how the use of CAM affected HRQOL and survival. RESULTS: In a follow-up of 481 patients and 163.8 person-years, we identified 466 deceased cases. On multivariate analyses, CAM users did not have better survival compared with nonusers [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.10]. Among mind-body interventions, prayer showed significantly worse survival (aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.43). Clinically, CAM users reported significantly worse cognitive functioning (-11.6 versus -1.3; P < 0.05) and fatigue (9.9 versus -1.0; P < 0.05) than nonusers. Compared with nonusers in subgroup analysis, users of alternative medical treatments, prayer, vitamin supplements, mushrooms, or rice and cereal reported clinically significant worse changes in some HRQOL subscales. CONCLUSION: While CAM did not provide any definite survival benefit, CAM users reported clinically significant worse HRQOLs.
BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use influenced outcomes [survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)] of cancerpatients whose condition had just been judged terminal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 2005 to October 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 481 terminally ill cancerpatients at 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. We assessed how the use of CAM affected HRQOL and survival. RESULTS: In a follow-up of 481 patients and 163.8 person-years, we identified 466 deceased cases. On multivariate analyses, CAM users did not have better survival compared with nonusers [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-1.10]. Among mind-body interventions, prayer showed significantly worse survival (aHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.43). Clinically, CAM users reported significantly worse cognitive functioning (-11.6 versus -1.3; P < 0.05) and fatigue (9.9 versus -1.0; P < 0.05) than nonusers. Compared with nonusers in subgroup analysis, users of alternative medical treatments, prayer, vitamin supplements, mushrooms, or rice and cereal reported clinically significant worse changes in some HRQOL subscales. CONCLUSION: While CAM did not provide any definite survival benefit, CAM users reported clinically significant worse HRQOLs.
Authors: Carolin C Hack; Peter A Fasching; Tanja Fehm; Johann de Waal; Mahdi Rezai; Bernd Baier; Gerold Baake; Hans-Christian Kolberg; Martin Guggenberger; Mathias Warm; Nadia Harbeck; Rachel Wuerstlein; Jörg-Uwe Deuker; Peter Dall; Barbara Richter; Grischa Wachsmann; Cosima Brucker; Jan W Siebers; Nikos Fersis; Thomas Kuhn; Christopher Wolf; Hans-Walter Vollert; Georg-Peter Breitbach; Wolfgang Janni; Robert Landthaler; Andreas Kohls; Daniela Rezek; Thomas Noesslet; Gunnar Fischer; Stefan Henschen; Thomas Praetz; Volker Heyl; Thorsten Kühn; Thomas Krauss; Christoph Thomssen; Andre Hohn; Hans Tesch; Christoph Mundhenke; Alexander Hein; Claudia Rauh; Christian M Bayer; Adib Jacob; Katja Schmidt; Erik Belleville; Peyman Hadji; Sara Y Brucker; Diethelm Wallwiener; Sherko Kümmel; Matthias W Beckmann; Daniela Paepke Journal: Integr Cancer Ther Date: 2016-09-14 Impact factor: 3.279
Authors: L J Standish; E Sweet; Eunjung Kim; F Dowd; Ryan McLaughlin; P Chiang; L Dale; M Gaul; M R Andersen Journal: Integr Cancer Ther Date: 2021 Jan-Dec Impact factor: 3.279
Authors: Mauro Mazzocut; Ivana Truccolo; Marialuisa Antonini; Fabio Rinaldi; Paolo Omero; Emanuela Ferrarin; Paolo De Paoli; Carlo Tasso Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2016-06-16 Impact factor: 5.428