Original Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

A population-based study of prevalence of complementary methods use by cancer survivors

A report from the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors

  1. Ted Gansler MD, MBA1,*,
  2. Chiewkwei Kaw MS2,
  3. Corinne Crammer PhD, MDiv, MM2,
  4. Tenbroeck Smith MA2

Article first published online: 4 AUG 2008

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.23659

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 113, Issue 5, pages 1048–1057, 1 September 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gansler, T., Kaw, C., Crammer, C. and Smith, T. (2008), A population-based study of prevalence of complementary methods use by cancer survivors. Cancer, 113: 1048–1057. doi: 10.1002/cncr.23659

Author Information

  1. 1

    Health Promotions, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia

  2. 2

    Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia

*American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street, Atlanta, GA 30303

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 AUG 2008
  2. Article first published online: 4 AUG 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 31 MAR 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 20 MAR 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 14 JAN 2008

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (105K)

REFERENCES

  • 1
    AARP, NCCAM. Complementary and alternative medicine: what people 50 and older are using and discussing with their physicians. Washington, DC: AARP; 2007.
  • 2
    Barnes PM,Powell-Griner E,McFann K,Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. Adv Data. 2004; 343: 1‒19.
  • 3
    Eisenberg DM,Davis RB,Ettner SL, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990‒1997: results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998; 280: 1569‒1575.
  • 4
    Eisenberg D,Kessler R,Foster C,Norlock FE,Calkins DR,Delbanco TL. Unconventional medicine in the United States: prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. N Engl J Med. 1993; 328: 246‒252.
  • 5
    Mao JJ,Farrar JT,Xie SX,Bowman MA,Armstrong K. Use of complementary and alternative medicine and prayer among a national sample of cancer survivors compared with other populations without cancer. Complement Ther Med. 2007; 15: 21‒29.
  • 6
    Cassileth BR,Lusk EJ,Strouse TB,Bodenheimer BJ. Contemporary unorthodox treatments in cancer medicine. A study of patients, treatments, and practitioners. Ann Intern Med. 1984; 101: 105‒112.
  • 7
    Kessler RC,Davis RB,Foster DF, et al. Long-term trends in the use of complementary and alternative medical therapies in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2001; 135: 262‒268.
  • 8
    National Center for Health Statistics. NHIS Survey Description. 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Available at: ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/NHIS/2002/srvydesc.pdf Accessed November 10, 2007).
  • 9
    Armstrong T,Cohen MZ,Hess KR, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine use and quality of life in patients with primary brain tumors. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2006; 32: 148‒154.
  • 10
    Chong OT. An integrative approach to addressing clinical issues in complementary and alternative medicine in an outpatient oncology center. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2006; 10: 83‒88.
  • 11
    Hann D,Allen S,Ciambrone D,Shah A. Use of complementary therapies during chemotherapy: influence of patients' satisfaction with treatment decision making and the treating oncologist. Integr Cancer Ther. 2006; 5: 224‒231.
  • 12
    Richardson MA,Sanders T,Palmer JL,Greisinger A,Singletary SE. Complementary/alternative medicine use in a comprehensive cancer center and the implications for oncology. J Clin Oncol. 2000; 18: 2505‒2514.
  • 13
    Vohra S,Feldman K,Johnston B,Waters K,Boon H. Integrating complementary and alternative medicine into academic medical centers: experience and perceptions of 9 leading centers in North America. BMC Health Serv Res. 2005; 5: 78.
  • 14
    Balneaves LG,Truant TL,Kelly M,Verhoef MJ,Davison BJ. Bridging the gap: decision-making processes of women with breast cancer using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Support Care Cancer. 2007; 15: 973‒983.
  • 15
    Hann D,Baker F,Denniston M,Entrekin N. Long-term breast cancer survivors' use of complementary therapies: perceived impact on recovery and prevention of recurrence. Integr Cancer Ther. 2005; 4: 14‒20.
  • 16
    Matthews AK,Sellergren SA,Huo D,List M,Fleming G. Complementary and alternative medicine use among breast cancer survivors. J Altern Complement Med. 2007; 13: 555‒562.
  • 17
    Moadel AB,Shah C,Wylie-Rosett J, et al. Randomized controlled trial of yoga among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients: effects on quality of life. J Clin Oncol. 2007; 25: 4387‒4395.
  • 18
    Eng J,Ramsum D,Verhoef M,Guns E,Davison J,Gallagher R. A population-based survey of complementary and alternative medicine use in men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Integr Cancer Ther. 2003; 2: 212‒216.
  • 19
    Rackley JD,Clark PE,Hall MC. Complementary and alternative medicine for advanced prostate cancer. Urol Clin North Am. 2006; 33: 237‒246,viii.
  • 20
    Singh H,Maskarinec G,Shumay DM. Understanding the motivation for conventional and complementary/alternative medicine use among men with prostate cancer. Integr Cancer Ther. 2005; 4: 187‒194.
  • 21
    Carlson LE,Speca M,Patel KD,Goodey E. Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress and levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and melatonin in breast and prostate cancer outpatients. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004; 29: 448‒474.
  • 22
    Hunt-Shanks TT,Blanchard CM,Baker F, et al. Exercise use as complementary therapy among breast and prostate cancer survivors receiving active treatment: examination of exercise intention. Integr Cancer Ther. 2006; 5: 109‒116.
  • 23
    Boon H,Brown JB,Gavin A,Westlake K. Men with prostate cancer: making decisions about complementary/alternative medicine. Med Decis Making. 2003; 23: 471‒479.
  • 24
    Roberts CS,Baker F,Hann D, et al. Patient-physician communication regarding use of complementary therapies during cancer treatment. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2005; 23: 35‒60.
  • 25
    Buettner C,Kroenke CH,Phillips RS,Davis RB,Eisenberg DM,Holmes MD. Correlates of use of different types of complementary and alternative medicine by breast cancer survivors in the nurses' health study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2006; 100: 219‒227.
  • 26
    Goldstein MS,Lee JH,Ballard-Barbash R,Brown ER. The use and perceived benefit of complementary and alternative medicine among Californians with cancer. Psychooncology. 2008; 17: 19‒25.
    Direct Link:
  • 27
    Smith T,Stein KD,Mehta CC, et al. The rationale, design, and implementation of the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors. Cancer. 2007; 109: 1‒12.
    Direct Link:
  • 28
    Lawsin C,Duhamel K,Itzkowitz SH, et al. Demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates to CAM use among survivors of colorectal cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2007; 15: 557‒564.
  • 29
    Owen JE,Goldstein MS,Lee JH,Breen N,Rowland JH. Use of health-related and cancer-specific support groups among adult cancer survivors. Cancer. 2007; 109: 2580‒2589.
    Direct Link:
  • 30
    Tough SC,Johnston DW,Verhoef MJ,Arthur K,Bryant H. Complementary and alternative medicine use among colorectal cancer patients in Alberta, Canada. Altern Ther Health Med. 2002; 8: 54‒56, 58‒60, 62‒64.
  • 31
    Wyatt GK,Friedman LL,Given CW,Given BA,Beckrow KC. Complementary therapy use among older cancer patients. Cancer Pract. 1999; 7: 136‒144.
    Direct Link:
  • 32
    Wolsko PM,Eisenberg DM,Davis RB,Phillips RS. Use of mind-body medical therapies. J Gen Intern Med. 2004; 19: 43‒50.
    Direct Link:
  • 33
    Mertens AC,Sencer S,Myers CD, et al. Complementary and alternative therapy use in adult survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2008; 50: 90‒97.
    Direct Link:
  • 34
    Berrigan D,Dodd K,Troiano RP,Krebs-Smith SM,Barbash RB. Patterns of health behavior in US adults. Prev Med. 2003; 36: 615‒623.
  • 35
    Bertakis KD,Azari R,Helms LJ,Callahan EJ,Robbins JA. Gender differences in the utilization of health care services. J Fam Pract. 2000; 49: 147‒152.
  • 36
    Bardia A,Barton DL,Prokop LJ,Bauer BA,Moynihan TJ. Efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine therapies in relieving cancer pain: a systematic review. J Clin Oncol. 2006; 24: 5457‒5464.
  • 37
    Deng G,Cassileth BR,Yeung KS. Complementary therapies for cancer-related symptoms. J Support Oncol. 2004; 2: 419‒426.
  • 38
    Grzywacz JG,Suerken CK,Neiberg RH, et al. Age, ethnicity, and use of complementary and alternative medicine in health self-management. J Health Soc Behav. 2007; 48: 84‒98.
  • 39
    Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the American Public IoM. Complementary and alternative medicine in the United States. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005.
  • 40
    Siegel K,Bradley CJ,Lekas HM. Causal attributions for fatigue among late middle-aged and older adults with HIV infection. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2004; 28: 211‒224.
  • 41
    Conboy L,Kaptchuk TJ,Eisenberg DM,Gottlieb B,Acevedo-Garcia D. The relationship between social factors and attitudes toward conventional and CAM practitioners. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2007; 13: 146‒157.
  • 42
    Gump BB,Matthews KA,Scheier MF,Schulz R,Bridges MW,Magovern GJSr. Illness representations according to age and effects on health behaviors following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001; 49: 284‒289.
    Direct Link:
  • 43
    Lee MM,Lin SS,Wrensch MR,Adler SR,Eisenberg D. Alternative therapies used by women with breast cancer in 4 ethnic populations. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000; 92: 42‒47.
  • 44
    Bar-Sela G,Atid L,Danos S,Gabay N,Epelbaum R. Art therapy improved depression and influenced fatigue levels in cancer patients on chemotherapy. Psychooncology. 2007; 16: 980‒984.
    Direct Link:
  • 45
    Oster I,Svensk AC,Magnusson E, et al. Art therapy improves coping resources: a randomized, controlled study among women with breast cancer. Palliat Support Care. 2006; 4: 57‒64.
  • 46
    Weiger WA,Smith M,Boon H,Richardson MA,Kaptchuk TJ,Eisenberg DM. Advising patients who seek complementary and alternative medical therapies for cancer. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 137: 889‒903.
  • 47
    Eisenberg DM,Kessler RC,Van Rompay MI, et al. Perceptions about complementary therapies relative to conventional therapies among adults who use both: results from a national survey. Ann Intern Med. 2001; 135: 344‒351.
  • 48
    Henderson JW,Donatelle RJ. The relationship between cancer locus of control and complementary and alternative medicine use by women diagnosed with breast cancer. Psychooncology. 2003; 12: 59‒67.
    Direct Link:
View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (105K)