Use of complementary health practices by prostate carcinoma patients undergoing radiation therapy

BACKGROUND. There has been increasing interest in complementary health prac tices among patients, popular media, and even institutional health care pro viders. However, there is still surprisingly little information on the use of alternative medicine by patients undergoing treatment for prostate carci noma. METHODS. A prospective study of 50 consecutive patients undergoing radiatio n treatment for prostate carcinoma at a tertiary care referral center was c onducted. Patients were surveyed after the initiation of radiation therapy whether they had used complementary health practices at any time. RESULTS. The authors found that a surprisingly high proportion of patients (37%) relied on complementary health practices not prescribed by physicians . In contrast, according to a separate survey of the treating physicians, t he physicians believed that on average only 4% of their patients resorted t o such practices. The use of complementary health practices usually continu ed even after the initiation of definitive treatment for prostate carcinoma . Patients who used complementary health practices tended to have higher le vels of education and income, whereas there were no differences in age, rel igion, perception of health status, stage of prostate carcinoma, or prostat e specific antigen level. Herbal remedies were the most frequently utilized , by 60% of those using complementary health practices, followed by old-lim e remedies (47%), high dose vitamins (41%), chiropractic/ massage therapy a nd relaxation techniques (18% each), and special diets (12%). CONCLUSIONS. Patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma f requently rely on complementary health practices not prescribed by their tr eating physicians. Patients who do so tend to have higher education and inc ome levels and continue their complementary practices during the convention al treatment. As the health implications of these practices are unclear, fu rther research is clearly needed. (C) 2000 American Cancer Society.