Carmen Loquai1, Dagmar Dechent2, Marlene Garzarolli3, Martin Kaatz4, Katharina C Kaehler5, Peter Kurschat6, Frank Meiss7, Oliver Micke8, Ralph Muecke9, Karsten Muenstedt10, Annette Stein11, Dorothée Nashan12, Christoph Stoll13, Irene Schmidtmann14, Jutta Huebner15. 1. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. Electronic address: carmen.loquai@unimedizin-mainz.de. 2. Institute of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. 3. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Dresden, Germany. 4. Department of Dermatology, Wald Klinikum Gera, Germany. 5. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany. 6. Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Germany. 7. Department of Dermatology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany. 8. Department of Radio-Oncology, Franziskus Hospital Bielefeld, Germany. 9. Department of Radio-Oncology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. 10. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinic Offenburg, Germany. 11. Practice of Dermatology, Dresden, Germany. 12. Department of Dermatology, Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH, Germany. 13. Clinic Herzoghoehe Bayreuth, Germany. 14. Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. 15. Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: About half of patients with cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). So far, data on melanoma patients are missing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors for the use of CAM in this patient group. METHODS: All patients with melanoma being attended at one of 7 skin cancer centres in Germany between March 2012 and March 2013 were invited to take part in a survey using a structured questionnaire on CAM. The physicians filled in a second part on the diagnosis, state and former and current therapy. RESULTS: Nearly half of the 1089 participants (41.0%) used CAM and half of those using CAM (56.8%) marked that this made them feel better. Biological-based CAMs which consists of substances taken were used by 25.9% of all patients (63.1% of those using CAM). Predictors of CAM use were education, psychological support, interest in CAM and previous CAM use. CAM users show higher physical activity, more often use psychosocial help and have contact with a self-help group. Family and friends (41.0%) as well as print media (41.7%) are the main sources of information. Most important reasons to use CAM are to strengthen one's own forces (57.7%) or the immune system (63.4%) and to be able to do something for oneself (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Communication on CAM should become a regular topic in counselling melanoma patients. To increase safety, patients and physicians must have access to evidence-based information on these methods and their interactions with modern cancer treatments.
BACKGROUND: About half of patients with cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). So far, data on melanomapatients are missing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors for the use of CAM in this patient group. METHODS: All patients with melanoma being attended at one of 7 skin cancer centres in Germany between March 2012 and March 2013 were invited to take part in a survey using a structured questionnaire on CAM. The physicians filled in a second part on the diagnosis, state and former and current therapy. RESULTS: Nearly half of the 1089 participants (41.0%) used CAM and half of those using CAM (56.8%) marked that this made them feel better. Biological-based CAMs which consists of substances taken were used by 25.9% of all patients (63.1% of those using CAM). Predictors of CAM use were education, psychological support, interest in CAM and previous CAM use. CAM users show higher physical activity, more often use psychosocial help and have contact with a self-help group. Family and friends (41.0%) as well as print media (41.7%) are the main sources of information. Most important reasons to use CAM are to strengthen one's own forces (57.7%) or the immune system (63.4%) and to be able to do something for oneself (53.7%). CONCLUSION: Communication on CAM should become a regular topic in counselling melanomapatients. To increase safety, patients and physicians must have access to evidence-based information on these methods and their interactions with modern cancer treatments.
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