title: Complementary and alternative medicine use by breast cancer patients at time of surgery which increases the potential for excessive bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of complementary or alternative medicine has increased greatly over the last decade. This study describes a cross-sectional survey of women with breast cancer to describe their use of herbs and supplements that might have placed them at elevated risk for bleeding at the time of their primary treatment surgery for breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present cross-sectional survey results from a cohort of 316 women with breast cancer. The participants included a convenience sample of 98 women who received integrative oncology treatment from local providers and a larger group of women recruited from the local cancer registry who were matched on their similarity to the integrative oncology patients' demographic characteristics and stage of cancer at time of diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost 16% of women with breast cancer report using one or more herbs or supplements thought to potentially increase their risk for adverse bleeding-related outcomes at the time of their primary surgical treatment. This does not include the 22% who used fish and flaxseed oils, which were at one time thought to increase risk for bleeding but for which there is now evidence to suggest that they are safe. conclusion: Further research is needed to better understand the risks associated with use of a variety of herbs and supplements among women approaching surgery.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA rander@fhcrc.org.
authors.forename: M Robyn
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.affiliation: Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA, USA.
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Leanna J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Standish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: bleeding; breast cancer; complementary and alternative medicine; interaction; surgery