title: Physician perspectives on unconventional cancer therapies.
abstract: The popularity of unconventional therapies has grown dramatically in recent years. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study investigating the perspectives of physicians involved with cancer care regarding their reactions to this trend and their ways of trying to meet associated challenges. Nine oncologists, nine general practitioners, and one surgeon were interviewed over the telephone, employing open-ended questions. The physicians were unanimously interested in having information available about unconventional therapies. They also expressed a desire to be supportive of patient choices in this area, provided conventional therapy was not compromised. However, there was little interest in initiating communication about unconventional therapies, with most seeing such discussions as a poor use of their time. Suggestions for future research, as well as educational and policy strategies, are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project, Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, North York, Canada.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voros
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Labrecque
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chart
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009864:Ontario; D010358:Patient Participation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'