Malak Arzu Tuna, Karayurt Ozgül, Demir Emel, Yümer Aylin Sami
School of Health Sciences, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2009;10(6):1083-7.
This cross-sectional and descriptive study analysed complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices of patients with cancer diagnoses and influencing factors.
The subjects consisted of 55 cancer patients hospitalized in Canakkale State Hospital between November 2008 and March 2009 and who were willing to participate in the study. Research data were collected using a sociodemographic characteristics form regarding CAM practices of cancer patients and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (total points 20, rising with the degree of hopelessness). Written consent from the head physician of Canakkale State Hospital and verbal consents of the patients were obtained in order for the research to be performed. The data were analysed using the SPSS 13.0 program (numbers and percentages, chi-squared and Mann Whitney U tests).
Of the patients (49.1% female and 50.9% male) 78.2% had been living with a cancer diagnosis for more than two years. Of the 23.6% of patients with breast cancer and 21.8% with lung cancer, 87.2% uses CAM (72.7% received alternative treatment and 65.5% complementary treatment). Alternative treatments apply herbal treatments concomitantly such as honey, garlic; balsam apple, iscum album, tar oil and 29.1% of them only use stinging nettle. As a complementary treatment; 60% of patients pray for healing and 16.4% of them have massage regularly. Patients explained that they were using the alternative medicine in order to mitigate effects of the disease, to prevent its recurrence, to increase blood values, to feel psychologically relieved; and they were using complementary medicine just to feel psychologically relieved. Of 60% patients chose not to share their CAM practice with doctors and nurses. 36.4% of them use CAM on friend advice, 20% under media influence, 36.4% on their own initiative and 21.8% under family influence. The satisfaction from CAM is 61.1%. The rate of those who find alternative medicine expensive is 21.8%. There is statistically no correlation between CAM practice and age, gender, marital status, location they live for a long time, education and financial status of patients (p>0.05). The average of total hopelessness score of patients is 8.09 +/- 2.59, there is no statistically meaningful correlation between hopelessness score average of patients who use CAM and who do not use (p>0.05).
The cancer patients in the study who live in Canakkale province and in its districts use CAM. CAM practice does not vary by selected sociodemographic characteristics and the hope level. It is important that the health care professionals (nurses, doctors, etc) should be conscious of CAM-drug interactions and notify the patients about the risk.
本横断面描述性研究分析了癌症确诊患者的补充和替代医学（CAM）实践及其影响因素。
研究对象为2008年11月至2009年3月期间在恰纳卡莱州立医院住院且愿意参与研究的55名癌症患者。研究数据通过一份关于癌症患者CAM实践的社会人口学特征表格以及贝克绝望量表（总分20分，绝望程度越高分数越高）收集。为开展本研究，获得了恰纳卡莱州立医院主任医师的书面同意以及患者的口头同意。数据使用SPSS 13.0程序进行分析（数字和百分比、卡方检验和曼-惠特尼U检验）。
患者中女性占49.1%，男性占50.9%，78.2%的患者已被诊断患有癌症超过两年。在23.6%的乳腺癌患者和21.8%的肺癌患者中，87.2%使用CAM（72.7%接受替代治疗，65.5%接受补充治疗）。替代治疗同时使用草药治疗，如蜂蜜、大蒜；苦瓜、白千层、焦油，29.1%的患者仅使用荨麻。作为补充治疗，60%的患者祈祷康复，16.4%的患者定期接受按摩。患者解释说，他们使用替代医学是为了减轻疾病影响、预防复发、提高血液指标、获得心理安慰；而使用补充医学只是为了获得心理安慰。60%的患者选择不与医生和护士分享他们的CAM实践。其中36.4%的人根据朋友建议使用CAM，20%受媒体影响，36.4%出于自身主动，21.8%受家庭影响。对CAM的满意度为61.1%。认为替代医学昂贵的比例为21.8%。CAM实践与患者的年龄、性别、婚姻状况、长期居住地点、教育程度和经济状况之间在统计学上无相关性（p>0.05）。患者绝望总分的平均值为8.09±2.59，使用CAM和未使用CAM的患者绝望评分平均值之间在统计学上无显著相关性（p>0.05）。
本研究中居住在恰纳卡莱省及其辖区的癌症患者使用CAM。CAM实践不因所选的社会人口学特征和希望水平而有所不同。医护人员（护士、医生等）应意识到CAM与药物的相互作用并告知患者相关风险，这一点很重要。
