Study finds high use of complementary methods among cancer survivors
- From: rpautrey2 <rpautrey2@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 08:10:22 -0700 (PDT)
Study finds high use of complementary methods among cancer survivors
August 04, 2008
A new study from researchers at the American Cancer Society finds many
cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods, most often
prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation, and massage. Meanwhile,
the use of other methods, such as biofeedback, homeopathy, and
acupressure, are relatively uncommon. The study, appearing in the
American Cancer Society peer review journal Cancer, also finds women,
younger survivors, whites, individuals with higher income, and those
with more education were more likely to use complementary methods
(CM).
The study confirmed the findings of previous surveys that found cancer
patients use the same complementary methods used among the general
population and among people with other chronic diseases, such as
spiritual practices, relaxation methods, and dietary supplements.
"Our study found that several CM types are used by nearly half of
cancer survivors," said Ted Gansler, M.D., American Cancer Society and
study co-author. "Surprisingly, other methods such as acupuncture and
hypnosis were used by fewer than 2% of cancer survivors, even though
recent studies found them to be useful in relieving some cancer-
related symptoms, such as pain. We also found that the use of various
CM types is significantly influenced by gender, race, age, education,
cancer type, and how far the cancer had spread."
Previous studies on the use of complementary methods have relied on
data from patients at a single or a few centers, which seldom provide
nationally representative samples. Those studies have used small
sample sizes, have focused on a single or few cancer types, and have
involved patients in active treatment. For the current study,
researchers used data from more than 4,000 survivors of ten different
cancers participating in the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer
Survivors-I (SCS-I) who were surveyed 10 to 24 months after
diagnosis.
Survivors were asked if they had used any of 19 CMs to deal with their
cancer. The CMs most frequently reported were prayer/spiritual
practice (61.4%), relaxation (44.3%), faith/spiritual healing (42.4%),
nutritional supplements/vitamins (40.1%), meditation (15%), religious
counseling (11.3%), massage (11.2%), and support groups (9.7%). The
least prevalent CMs were hypnosis (0.4%), biofeedback therapy (1.0%),
and acupuncture/acupressure (1.2%).
The study also found cancer type was a significant predictor of CM
use. Melanoma and kidney cancer survivors were least likely to use
CMs, whereas breast and ovarian cancer survivors were most likely to
use them.
Source: American Cancer Society
This news is brought to you by PhysOrg.com
http://www.physorg.com/news137042255.html
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