Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies

Research

Ann Ragnhild Broderstad¹  Kiwumulo Nakandi²  Barbara Wider²  Dana C. Mora²  Agnete E. Kristoffersen²  Trine Stub²  Johanna Hök Nordberg³  Mona Bjelland⁴  Jorunn V. Nilsen⁴ 

[1] Centre for Sami Health Research, Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway;National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway;Regional Cancer Center Stockholm Gotland, Stockholm, Sweden;Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences & Society, Division of Nursing & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Stockholm, Sweden;The Norwegian Cancer Society, Oslo, Norway;

关键词: Cancer;    Late effects;    Long-term effects;    Complementary therapies;    Supportive care;    CAM;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-022-03790-z

 received in 2022-08-04, accepted in 2022-11-11,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe increasing number of patients surviving cancer leads to more people experiencing late and long term-effects from the disease and its treatment. Fatigue, sleep disorders, early menopause, pain, and nerve damage are commonly reported. Methods helping people to recover after cancer treatment are therefore essential. The aims of this study were threefold; (1) to determine the level of cancer patients suffering from late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment in Norway, (2) explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities used for managing these adversities, and (3) describe self-perceived benefits and harms of the CAM interventions.MethodsThe study was conducted in cooperation with the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS) and consisted of an online cross-sectional study among members of the NCS user panel with present or previous cancer (n = 706). The study was carried out in September/October 2021 using a modified cancer-specific version of the International Questionnaire to Measure Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (I-CAM-Q). A total of 315 women and 153 men agreed to participate, resulting in a response rate of 67%.ResultsMost of the participants (83%) suffered from late and long-term effects of cancer treatment; mostly fatigue (59.2%), sleep disorder (41.5%), hot flashes (39.2%), nerve damage (polyneuropathy, 38.0%), and pain (36.6%) with a mean number of 5.1 different late and long-term effects. Late and long-term effects were positively associated with younger age and college/university education. Nearly half of the participants experiencing late and long-term effects (43%) reported having used CAM to treat these complaints. Most frequently used were self-help practices (26%) such as relaxation therapy (19%), yoga (14%) and meditation (13%), but also visits to CAM providers were reported by 22%. Herbal- and other natural remedies to treat late and long-term effects were used by 13%. A high percentage of CAM users reported self-perceived improvements of their symptoms (86% for self-help practices, 90% for visits to CAM providers). Few experienced adverse effects of the CAM treatment.ConclusionA large proportion of cancer patients suffered from a wide range of late and long-term effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and they use CAM to treat these complaints to a rather high degree. Relaxation therapy, yoga, meditation, massage, and acupuncture were the most frequently used therapies regardless of complaint. The therapies used are generally considered to be both safe and beneficial for the respective complaint, indicating that the participants seem to be well informed about the choices they make.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

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