title: Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: an Italian multicentric survey.
abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common in patients with cancer and its use is steadily increasing over time. We performed a multicenter survey in which the use of CAM in 442 Italian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the commonest form of leukemia in Western countries, was assessed. Data were collected by means of a face-to-face standardized questionnaire with several items. Mean age was 69 years; 258 patients (58%) were male and 184 (42%) female. Seventy-three patients (16.5%) were found to be CAM users. The most common CAM therapies were green tea, aloe formulations and high dose vitamins. Predictors of CAM use were female gender, younger age, higher education level, internet availability and newspaper reading. The reasons for CAM popularity among these patients are complex. Given the number of patients combining therapy with CAM and its possible drug interactions, doctor interest as well as patient education about CAM should be improved.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Oncology Unit.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Arena
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laurenti
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coscia
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortelezzi
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiarenza
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pozzato
authors.forename: Maria Luigia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vigliotti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nunziata
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fragasso
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selleri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deaglio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Sala
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Del Poeta
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Simeon
authors.forename: Luig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aliberti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.forename: Pellegrino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Feo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires