Use of alternative therapy among pediatric oncology patients in Taiwan

Both alter native medicine and western medicine have been commonly used to treat pediatric cancer Patients in Taiwan. Each has its own intrinsic stren gths and weaknesses and they can be complementary. Little is known about me dical help-seeking behaviors of parents of pediatric cancer patients, espec ially those related to alternative therapies. This study investigated the e xtent and parental expectations on use of alternative therapies. All Primar y caregivers of 63 eligible patients were interviewed. Use of alternative t herapies, regardless of education level or social status of their families, is prevalent (n = 46, 73%) in Taiwan. Commonly used alte,native therapies included, in order of popularity, formulated functional food (n = 22, 48%), temple worship/shamanism (n = 19, 40%), traditional Chinese medicine (n = 9, 20%), secret recipes/herbs (n = 13, 28%), and diet supplements (n = 9, 1 9%). Such Practices generally occur without medical guidance from oncologis ts, largely because of poor interactions between pal mts and oncologists. F uture efforts should be made to encourage both parents and oncologists to d iscuss this issue. Nurses may serve as mediators by developing mutual trust and a sharing relationship between these groups.