BACKGROUND: In total, 40-70% of cancer patients use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). Many of them ask for advice from non-medical practitioners (NMPs). Our aim was to investigate the attitude of NMPs regarding their treatments for cancer patients. METHODS: A survey was performed on members of NMP associations, using an online questionnaire on diagnosis and treatment, goals for using CAM, communication with the oncologist, and sources of information. RESULTS: Of the 1,500 members of the NMP associations, 299 took part. The treatments were found to be heterogeneous. Homeopathy is used by 45% of the NMPs; 10% believe it to be a treatment directly against cancer. Herbal therapy, vitamins, orthomolecular medicine, ordinal therapy, mistletoe preparations, acupuncture, and cancer diets are used by more than 10% of the NMPs. None of the treatments is discussed with the respective physician on a regular basis. CONCLUSIONS: Many therapies provided by NMPs are biologically based and therefore may interfere with conventional cancer therapy. Thus, patients are at risk of interactions, especially as most NMPs do not adjust their therapies to those of the oncologist. Moreover, risks may arise from these CAM methods as NMPs partly believe them to be useful anticancer treatments. This may lead to the delay or even omission of effective therapies.
BACKGROUND: In total, 40-70% of cancerpatients use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). Many of them ask for advice from non-medical practitioners (NMPs). Our aim was to investigate the attitude of NMPs regarding their treatments for cancerpatients. METHODS: A survey was performed on members of NMP associations, using an online questionnaire on diagnosis and treatment, goals for using CAM, communication with the oncologist, and sources of information. RESULTS: Of the 1,500 members of the NMP associations, 299 took part. The treatments were found to be heterogeneous. Homeopathy is used by 45% of the NMPs; 10% believe it to be a treatment directly against cancer. Herbal therapy, vitamins, orthomolecular medicine, ordinal therapy, mistletoe preparations, acupuncture, and cancer diets are used by more than 10% of the NMPs. None of the treatments is discussed with the respective physician on a regular basis. CONCLUSIONS: Many therapies provided by NMPs are biologically based and therefore may interfere with conventional cancer therapy. Thus, patients are at risk of interactions, especially as most NMPs do not adjust their therapies to those of the oncologist. Moreover, risks may arise from these CAM methods as NMPs partly believe them to be useful anticancer treatments. This may lead to the delay or even omission of effective therapies.
Authors: Eran Ben-Arye; Jamal Mahajna; Radi Aly; Mohammed Saleem Ali-Shtayeh; Yedidia Bentur; Efraim Lev; Gary Deng; Noah Samuels Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol Date: 2016-05-07 Impact factor: 4.553
Authors: Christian Keinki; Emadaldin Ahmadi; Karin Kastrati; Bijan Zomorodbakhsch; Jutta Hübner Journal: In Vivo Date: 2022 Sep-Oct Impact factor: 2.406
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: Carolin C Hack; Janina Hackl; Nina B M Hüttner; Hanna Langemann; Judith Schwitulla; Svenja Dietzel-Drentwett; Peter A Fasching; Matthias W Beckmann; Anna-Katharin Theuser Journal: Integr Cancer Ther Date: 2018-05-30 Impact factor: 3.279