title: Non-conventional treatments sought by patients after surgery for intramedullary spinal cord tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite modern microsurgical techniques and interdisciplinary treatment options, intramedullary spinal cord tumors often lead to profound neurological deficits. Some patients may search for non-scientific or unconventional therapeutic options to treat the symptoms induced by the tumor itself or arising from treatment. The extent of non-scientific therapy use, the rationale behind it, and costs of these forms of therapy are unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was sent to 60 patients of a single neurosurgical center who had undergone surgery for an intramedullary spinal cord tumor. A retrospective study was carried out based on this data. Histological findings ranged from ependymoma (52.9%), hemangioblastoma (17.6%), cavernoma (14.7%), astrocytoma (8.8%), oligodendroglioma (2.9%) to ganglioglioma (2.9%). Non-scientific therapy was defined as a method not used in routine clinical practice for the treatment of symptoms induced by intramedullary spinal cord tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 questionnaires was returned. About 55.3% of the patients claimed to use non-scientific therapies. No significant difference between histological types and the percentage of alternative therapy use was detected. There was a gender difference. One third (non user group) to one fourth (user group) did not feel adequately informed about their disease. The monthly costs for non-scientific therapies ranged from 50 to 500 Euros. The main motive for the use of non-scientific therapies was the wish to try everything possible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the daily clinical routine, patients' use of non-scientific therapies may be largely overlooked and underestimated. Neurooncologists should be aware of this phenomenon and encourage an open but critical dialogue with their patients.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurosurgery, Hamburg, Germany. fraimund@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raimund
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hessler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Regelsberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westphal
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Heese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012648:Self Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires