TY - JOUR
T1 - Status of Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Patients with Cancer in Korea
T2 - an Online Survey of Online Cancer Support Groups (KCSG PC21-20)
AU - Kim, Jung Sun
AU - Kwon, Jung Hye
AU - Rha, Sun Young
AU - Lee, Sang Cheol
AU - Chang, Yoon Jung
AU - Kwon, In Sun
AU - You, Kyung Han
AU - Yoon, Ho Young
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2023by theKoreanCancerAssociation.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Purpose An increasing number of patients with cancers are interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which lacks scientific evidence. This study aimed to determine how CAM was used and how media affected patients in online cancer support groups (OCSG). Materials and Methods Between August 18 and September 12, 2021, an online survey was conducted among the members of OCSG. The survey consisted of five parts: baseline characteristics, attitudes toward and experience with CAM, source of information and reliabilities, experience with anthelmintics, and online health information literacy and usage. Results Among the 644 responders, a total of 221 patients with cancer completed the survey, and 78.2% (173/221) used CAM. The users’ median age was 52 years; 46.8% were males, and 43.9% had metastatic disease. Fifty-three CAM users (30.6%) discussed their physicians about CAM. In addition, 16.2% (28/173) of CAM users had the experience of anthelmintics. The use of anthelmintics in patients with cancers was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.95), metastatic disease (OR, 10.88; 95% CI, 3.39 to 34.86), previous exposure to CAM information (OR, 5.57; 95% CI, 1.01 to 30.72), experience with more types of CAM (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.05), and side effects (OR, 5.10; 95% CI, 1.46 to 17.75). Conclusion Use of anthelmintics, a CAM of which information is widespread online, is affected by several factors. This study will provide essential information for developing a CAM management strategy in this digital age.
AB - Purpose An increasing number of patients with cancers are interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which lacks scientific evidence. This study aimed to determine how CAM was used and how media affected patients in online cancer support groups (OCSG). Materials and Methods Between August 18 and September 12, 2021, an online survey was conducted among the members of OCSG. The survey consisted of five parts: baseline characteristics, attitudes toward and experience with CAM, source of information and reliabilities, experience with anthelmintics, and online health information literacy and usage. Results Among the 644 responders, a total of 221 patients with cancer completed the survey, and 78.2% (173/221) used CAM. The users’ median age was 52 years; 46.8% were males, and 43.9% had metastatic disease. Fifty-three CAM users (30.6%) discussed their physicians about CAM. In addition, 16.2% (28/173) of CAM users had the experience of anthelmintics. The use of anthelmintics in patients with cancers was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.95), metastatic disease (OR, 10.88; 95% CI, 3.39 to 34.86), previous exposure to CAM information (OR, 5.57; 95% CI, 1.01 to 30.72), experience with more types of CAM (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.05), and side effects (OR, 5.10; 95% CI, 1.46 to 17.75). Conclusion Use of anthelmintics, a CAM of which information is widespread online, is affected by several factors. This study will provide essential information for developing a CAM management strategy in this digital age.
KW - Anthelmintics
KW - Complementary and alternative medicine
KW - Neoplasms
KW - Survey
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152494234&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4143/crt.2022.1483
DO - 10.4143/crt.2022.1483
M3 - Article
C2 - 36596728
AN - SCOPUS:85152494234
SN - 1598-2998
VL - 55
SP - 442
EP - 451
JO - Cancer Research and Treatment
JF - Cancer Research and Treatment
IS - 2
ER -