Purpose: Population studies indicate that > 40% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Data suggest that most patients are not well informed of their chosen CAM therapy and do not discuss it with their health care providers (HCPs). However, no information exists on the use of CAM among veterans with cancer. We evaluated the type and prevalence of CAM use among VA patients with cancer, the disclosure of its use, and the beliefs veterans hold regarding CAM therapies.
Methods: Cancer patients from the radiation oncology and medical oncology clinic waiting areas of a VA hospital were surveyed by convenience sampling over a 3-month period. A hard copy-validated survey regarding attitudes and beliefs of CAM was used to evaluate patient responses. Relationships of the use and beliefs regarding CAM therapies were examined and analyzed using chi-square test and Spearman correlation.
Results: Two hundred twenty-two questionnaires were distributed to predominantly male veteran outpatient cancer patients, and 196 patients (97% male) returned completed questionnaires (88.3% response rate). Twenty-nine of the 196 (14.8%) patients reported CAM use. Dietary supplements (55.2%) and herbal supplements (41.4%) were the most commonly used forms of CAM; acupuncture (6.9%) and meditation techniques (6.9%) were the least common. Of the patients reporting CAM use, 89.7% of patients discussed their using CAM with their physicians. CAM users compared with nonusers believed that using CAM would improve their physical health (P < .0001), boost their immune system (P < .0001), reduce stress (P < .05), reduce symptoms such as pain or fatigue related to cancer and its treatment (P < .05), help them to live longer (P < .05), help cure their cancer (P < .05), prevent development of future health problems (P < .001), and help them to cope with the experience of having cancer (P < .0001). Neither group felt that CAM would decrease their emotional distress. Users of CAM believed that the use of CAM was encouraged by their family (P < .001) as well as their HCPs (P < .05), and their HCPs were open to their use of CAM (P < .05). Nonusers of CAM more often believed that CAM treatments were not based on scientific research (P < .0001), might interfere with the conventional cancer treatments (P < .001),CAM treatments cost too much money (P < .05), they do not have time to go to CAM treatments (P < .05), and they do not have adequate knowledge about CAM treatments (P < .05).
Conclusions: Whereas the prevalence of CAM use among veteran cancer patients is lower than that of the general population, they are more likely to report its use to their HCPs. Veterans have divergent beliefs regarding the potential benefits of CAM therapies. Because both users and nonusers of CAM express lack of knowledge regarding CAM treatments, veteran patients with cancer may benefit from education regarding the various CAM modalities and their utilities.
