Attitudes and use of complementary medicine in men with prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with cancer are increasingly incorporating complementary therapies into the overall treatment. We determine the prevalence and patterns of use of complementary therapies among patients with prostate cancer.


METHODS
Patients attending 6 urology institutions for prostate cancer management completed a self-administered questionnaire on complementary therapy. All men diagnosed with prostate cancer were eligible, regardless of age, stage of disease or treatment.


RESULTS
A total of 1,099 patients returned the questionnaire. The overall response rate was 78.5%. Complementary therapies had previously been or were currently being used by 23.5% (258) and 18.2% (200) of patients, respectively. Higher levels of education and income were associated with greater use of complementary therapy (p <0.002 by logistic regression). Patients with progressive disease or those primarily treated with hormones were most likely to use complementary therapy. Among the patients using complementary therapy 90% believed that it would help them live longer and improve quality of life, 60% believed it would relieve symptoms and 47% expected it to cure disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Complementary therapies are used by a large number of patients with prostate cancer, particularly those with progressive disease or who have undergone multiple treatments. Health care providers need to recognize this growing pattern of use of complementary therapy. Among patients who use complementary therapy the perception of benefit is much greater than that supported by scientific data. Future research should aim to unravel the complex psychosocial dynamics that influence the decision to use complementary therapy by men with prostate cancer and to educate patients about the efficacy of such therapies.
Wilkinson
Simon
S
Department of Health Studies and Weiss Memorial Hospital, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Gomella
Leonard G
LG
Smith
Joseph A
JA
Brawer
Michael K
MK
Dawson
Nancy A
NA
Wajsman
Zev
Z
Dai
Lanting
L
Chodak
Gerald W
GW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires