Regional Cancer Center Stockholm Gotland, Box 6909, 102 39, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer, K42, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019 Mar 13;19(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2452-5.
Access to and advice on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) are uncommon within Swedish conventional cancer care and little is known about cancer patients' own use of CAM. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore Swedish cancer patients´ patterns of CAM use, their experiences and preferences.
Questionnaires were distributed consecutively to 1297 cancer patients at a university hospital's out-patient oncology units. The response rate was 58% (n = 755). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between CAM use and gender, age and level of education. Open-ended responses were analyzed, using qualitative content analysis.
Lifetime CAM use was reported by 34% (n = 256), and 26% (n = 198) used CAM after cancer diagnosis. Being female, younger and having higher education predicted CAM use. Most commonly used methods were natural products including vitamins and minerals and relaxation. Main reasons for CAM use were improvement of physical, general and emotional wellbeing and increasing the body's ability to fight cancer. Satisfaction with CAM usage was generally high. Reported adverse effects were few and mild; 54% of users spent < 50 Euro a month on CAM. One third had discussed their CAM use with cancer care providers. More than half of all participants thought that cancer care providers should be able to discuss (58%) and to consider (54%) use of CAM modalities in cancer care.
Despite limited access and advice within conventional cancer care, one fourth of Swedish cancer patients use CAM. The insufficient patient-provider dialogue diverges with most patients' wish for professional guidance in their decisions and integration of CAM modalities in conventional cancer care. Concurrent and multimodal CAM use implies challenges and possibilities for cancer care that need to be considered.
在瑞典常规癌症治疗中，补充和替代医学（CAM）的获取和建议并不常见，而且对于癌症患者自身使用 CAM 的情况知之甚少。本横断面研究的目的是探讨瑞典癌症患者 CAM 使用的模式、他们的经验和偏好。
在一所大学医院的门诊肿瘤病房，连续向 1297 名癌症患者发放问卷，应答率为 58%（n=755）。使用描述性统计分析来分析调查数据。使用逻辑回归模型来调查 CAM 使用与性别、年龄和教育水平之间的关联。使用定性内容分析对开放式回答进行分析。
报告有终身 CAM 使用经历的患者占 34%（n=256），26%（n=198）在癌症诊断后使用 CAM。女性、年龄较小和受教育程度较高与 CAM 使用相关。最常用的方法是包括维生素和矿物质在内的天然产品以及放松疗法。使用 CAM 的主要原因是改善身体、总体和情绪健康状况，以及增强身体对抗癌症的能力。对 CAM 使用的满意度普遍较高。报告的不良反应很少且轻微；54%的使用者每月在 CAM 上的花费<50 欧元。三分之一的患者曾与癌症护理提供者讨论过他们的 CAM 使用情况。超过一半的参与者认为癌症护理提供者应该能够讨论（58%）并考虑（54%）在癌症护理中使用 CAM 方式。
尽管在常规癌症治疗中获取和建议有限，但四分之一的瑞典癌症患者使用 CAM。这种不足的医患对话与大多数患者希望在决策中获得专业指导以及将 CAM 方式纳入常规癌症治疗的愿望不符。同时使用和多模式 CAM 使用意味着癌症护理需要考虑的挑战和可能性。
