Awareness and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Korean Lung Cancer Patients
Open Access
- 1 April 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
- Vol. 84 (2), 105-114
- https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2020.0098
Abstract
Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been used frequently, and its use continues to increase in lung cancer patients, despite insufficient scientific of its efficacy. To investigate this situation, we analyzed the current awareness and use of CAM in Korean lung-cancer patients. Methods: This prospective survey-based study was performed at seven medical centers in South Korea between August and October 2019. The survey assessed general patient characteristics and the awareness and use of CAM. We analyzed differences in the clinical parameters of patients aware and not aware of CAM and of CAM non-users and users. Results: Of the 434 patients included in this study, 68.8% responded that they were aware of CAM and 30.9% said they had experienced it. In univariate analysis, the patients aware of CAM were younger with poor performance status, had advanced-stage lung cancer, received more systemic therapy, and received concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). By multiple logistic regression, younger age, poor performance status, advanced stage, and prior CCRT were identified as independent risk factors for CAM awareness. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics and cancer-associated clinical parameters of CAM non-users and users. Conclusion: Specific clinical parameters were associated with patients awareness of CAM, although there were no significantly different characteristics between CAM users and non-users.Keywords
This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
- Epidemiology of Lung Cancer in Korea: Recent TrendsTuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 2016
- Historical review on thymosin α1 in oncology: preclinical and clinical experiencesExpert Opinion on Biological Therapy, 2015
- Definitive radiotherapy with concurrent oncothermia for stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer: A case reportExperimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 2015
- Awareness, use, attitude and perceived need for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) education among undergraduate pharmacy students in Sierra Leone: a descriptive cross-sectional surveyBMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014
- Perception of Patients with Cancer towards Support Management Services and Use of Complementary Alternative Medicine - a Single Institution Hospital-Based Study in Saudi ArabiaAsian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2014
- Thymosin plus cisplatin with vinorelbine or gemcitabine for non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsThoracic Cancer, 2011
- How Many Cancer Patients Use Complementary and Alternative MedicineIntegrative Cancer Therapies, 2011
- Use of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients: a European surveyAnnals of Oncology, 2005
- Alternative Medicine — The Risks of Untested and Unregulated RemediesThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1998
- Apparent response of small cell lung cancer to an extract of mistletoe and homoeopathic treatment.Thorax, 1989