title: Use of Traditional Indigenous Medicine and Complementary Medicine Among Indigenous Cancer Patients in Queensland, Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cancer toll on Indigenous Australians is alarming with overall cancer incidence and mortality rates higher and the 5-year survival rate lower for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Meanwhile, a range of approaches to health and illness-including both complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional Indigenous medicine (TM)-are used by cancer patients. Little work has focused on Indigenous cancer patients with regard to CAM/TM use. This article reports findings from the first examination of the prevalence and profile of TM/CAM use and users among Indigenous Australians with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire was administered via face-to-face interviews to 248 Indigenous Australian cancer patients diagnosed with a range of cancer types. All received treatment and were recruited from 1 of 4 large hospitals located in Queensland, Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A substantial percentage (18.7%) of Indigenous cancer patients use at least one TM/CAM for support with their care, including traditional Indigenous therapy use (2.8%), visiting a traditional Indigenous practitioner (2.8%), CAM use (10.7%), visiting a CAM practitioner (2.4%), and attending relaxation/meditation classes (4.0%). Having a higher level of educational attainment was positively associated with CAM practitioner consultations (P = .015). Women with breast cancer were more likely to attend relaxation/meditation classes (P = .019). Men with genital organ cancer were more likely to use traditional Indigenous therapies (P = .017) and/or CAM (P = .002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial percentage of Indigenous Australians reported using TM/CAM for their cancer care, and there is a need to expand examination of this area of health care using large-scale studies focusing on in-depth specific cancer(s).
authors.affiliation: University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia jon.adams@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Patricia C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Valery
authors.affiliation: University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broom
authors.affiliation: Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garvey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011793:Queensland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Indigenous; cancer; complementary and alternative medicine; relaxation/meditation classes; traditional Indigenous practitioner; traditional medicine