Pu C-Y, Lan V M, Lan C-F, Lang H-C
Institute of Public Health and Department of Social Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2008 Jul;17(4):340-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2007.00865.x.
This paper investigates the determinants of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture utilization for cancer patients who are simultaneously having conventional Western medical treatments. This study used five leading cancers in Taiwan, namely cervical, breast, lung, liver and colorectal cancers. A total of 2499 cancer patients were interviewed, of which 2034 had full information and were analysed. Logistic regressions were used for both TCM and acupuncture. The results showed that type of cancer and cancer duration determine the utilization for alternative treatments. While socio-economic factors also affect choice of alternative medicine, the magnitude differs by types of alternative treatment and cancer. Compared with men and older patients, women and younger patients tend to prefer alternative medicine, and patients from south have higher preference for alternative medicine, which could be a reflection of local culture. Our results are useful for the government to determine higher users of TCM and acupuncture among cancer patients, and make policies to suit these patients' needs.
本文调查了同时接受传统西医治疗的癌症患者使用中医和针灸的决定因素。本研究选取了台湾地区五种主要癌症，即宫颈癌、乳腺癌、肺癌、肝癌和结直肠癌。共采访了2499名癌症患者，其中2034名信息完整并纳入分析。对中医和针灸的使用情况均采用逻辑回归分析。结果表明，癌症类型和患癌时长决定了替代疗法的使用情况。虽然社会经济因素也会影响替代医学的选择，但影响程度因替代疗法类型和癌症种类而异。与男性和老年患者相比，女性和年轻患者更倾向于选择替代医学，南部地区的患者对替代医学的偏好更高，这可能反映了当地文化。我们的研究结果有助于政府确定癌症患者中中医和针灸的高使用人群，并制定符合这些患者需求的政策。
