title: Use of herbs in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
abstract: Of 113 consecutive ovarian cancer patients identified in a gynecologic clinic in a major academic medical center in San Francisco, 41 patients were successfully contacted, were eligible, and participated in a telephone survey. We contacted women identified consecutively in the clinic database as having ovarian cancer and sent a letter introducing our research team and asking for help. Members of the research team then contacted the women to conduct the telephone interviews. Fifty-one percent (95% CI 35-67) of the women had taken herbs sometime since they were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Most herb uses occurred concurrently with chemotherapy. Only 12% (95% CI 4-26) used an herbalist or other health practitioner for guidance in herb use. Only one woman took herbs instead of chemotherapy. A large number of women attending our practice in the San Francisco Bay area use herbs as complementary medicine during their cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Services, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-San Francisco, Box 1702, San Francisco, CA 94143-1702, USA. Bethan.Powell@ucsfmedctr.org
authors.forename: C Bethan
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dibble
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dall'Era
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal