L. Vandecreek et al., Use of alternative therapies among breast cancer outpatients compared withthe general population, ALTERN TH H, 5(1), 1999, pp. 71-76
Context Breast cancer is the second largest cause of cancer death among wom
en in the United States. Given the fear associated with its morbidity and m
ortality, patients might seek a variety of alternative treatments. No caref
ul description of breast cancer patients' interest in or use of these thera
pies appears to exist.
Objective To create a profile that describes interest in and use of a wide
variety of alternative therapies available to breast cancer outpatients; to
gather data concerning related issues such as the number of appointments f
or these therapies, their cost, and reimbursement patterns; and to compare
these findings with a published profile of the general public.
Design An interview gauging patients' interest in and use of alternative tr
eatments followed by 2 questionnaires concerning (1) mental adjustment to t
he cancer experience and (2) personal growth in response to the encounter w
ith cancer.
Setting Suburban breast cancer clinic in a Midwestern university medical ce
nter
Participants 112 female breast cancer outpatients.
Main Outcome Measures Rankings of interest in and use of alternative treatm
ents by the patients interviewed
Results The 3 most frequently used alternative therapies were prayer (76%)
exercise (38%), and spiritual healing (29%). Comparison with the general pu
blic profiles revealed that breast cancer patients more frequently used 17
specific alternative therapies The largest increases were found in the use
of prayer (51% increase), spiritual healing (25% increase), and megavitamin
s (23% increase). Only chiropractic was used substantially more often among
general population.
Conclusion Breast cancer outpatients involved in conventional treatment are
more likely to use a wide range of alternative therapies than is the gener
al public. It is likely that the mortality and morbidity associated with br
east cancer motivates this increased use.