Use of alternative treatments by patients after surgery for gynecologic malignancies

Objective: To determine how frequently patients with gynecologic cancers us e alternative cancer therapies, which types of alternative treatments are u sed, who recommends them, and differences between eastern and western Germa ny. Methods: A total of 445 patients at two Berlin hospitals were questioned ab out use of alternative treatments in semi-structured interviews. Results: Overall 20% of patients reported using alternative treatments. Bre ast cancer patients accounted for the largest group. There was no differenc e in mean age or history of recurrence, radiotherapy or chemotherapy betwee n patients who sought alternative treatments and those who did not. Self-em ployed or professional women used alternative treatments most frequently (3 3 %; p = 0.04). Patients after breast-sparing surgery used alternative ther apies more frequently than those after mastectomy (p = 0.02). Most (78%) of patients sought alternative treatments within 1 year of the primary diagno sis. Patients from the former West Germany used alternative treatments almo st twice as commonly as their counterparts from the former East Germany (27 % vs. 14%). Mistletoe (45%), vitamin (44%) and selenium (20%) preparations were the most commonly used. Most (56%) of patients using alternative metho ds reported that they had been recommended by physicians. Conclusions: Gynecologic cancer patients should be asked about use of alter native treatments.