title: Application of alternative medicine in gastrointestinal cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  [corrected] Alternative medicine is a set of therapeutic procedures which are no part of official practice. At present, the use of alternative medicine among cancer patients is significant and the purpose of this study was to get more information on the methods and products of alternative medicine. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the frequency of the use of alternative medicine among gastrointestinal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire in writing. We included 205 patients with the diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancy in the study but the questionnaire was fulfilled by 193 patients and the presented data were based on their answers. The questions were about the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, the reasons for their use of alternative medicine, and their information sources about alternative medicine. We divided existing alternative therapies into 6 categories: herbal therapy, special diets, psychotherapy, body-mind therapy, spiritual therapy, and other supplements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 48 (24.9%) patients did not use any type of alternative therapy; 145 (75.1%) patients used at least one product and 124 (64.25%) patients used herbal preparations (beetroot juice was consumed by 110 [56.99%] patients); 136 (70.5%) patients were informed about alternative therapies by other patients; 145 (75.1%) used alternative medicine to increase the chances for cure; 88 (45.6%) of interviewed patients would like to participate in future research in this field.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of alternative medicine is evidently significant among cancer patients. Further research should be conducted in order to find out interactions of these products with other drugs and potential advantages and disadvantages of this form of treatment.
authors: Clinic for Internal Medicine, Oncology Institute of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia. nikolic.ivan@onk.ns.ac.rs
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Nikolić
authors: Dragana
authors: D
authors: Smiljenić
authors: Biljana
authors: B
authors: Kukić
authors: Bogdan
authors: B
authors: Bogdanović
authors: Tomislav
authors: T
authors: Petrović
authors: Tatjana
authors: T
authors: Ivković-Kapicl
authors: Dejan
authors: D
authors: Kozarski
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Djan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires