title: Epidemiology of complementary and alternative medicine therapy use in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivorship patients in Australia.
abstract: In addition to prescribed conventional medicines, many allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors also use complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM), however, the frequency and types of CAMs used by allogeneic HSCT survivors remain unclear. Study participants were adults who had undergone an allogeneic HSCT between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2012. Participants completed a 402-item questionnaire regarding the use of CAM, medical complications, specialist referrals, medications and therapies, infections, vaccinations, cancer screening, lifestyle, and occupational issues and relationship status following stem cell transplantation. A total of 1475 allogeneic HSCT were performed in the study period. Of the 669 recipients known to be alive at study sampling, 583 were contactable and were sent study packs. Of 432 participants who returned the completed survey (66% of total eligible, 76% of those contacted), 239 (54.1%) HSCT survivors used at least one form of CAM. These included dietary modification (13.6%), vitamin therapy (30%), spiritual or mind-body therapy (17.2%), herbal supplements (13.5%), manipulative and body-based therapies (26%), Chinese medicine (3.5%), reiki (3%), and homeopathy (3%). These results definitively demonstrate that a large proportion of HSCT survivors are using one or more form of CAM therapy. Given the potential benefits demonstrated by small studies of specific CAM therapies in this patient group, as well as clearly documented therapies with no benefit or even toxicity, this result shows there is a large unmet need for additional studies to ascertain efficacy and safety of CAM therapies in this growing population.
authors: Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Julian
authors: 0000-0002-7086-538X
authors: J
authors: Lindsay
authors: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Masrura
authors: M
authors: Kabir
authors: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Cancer Institute NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Gilroy
authors: Cancer Institute NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Gemma
authors: G
authors: Dyer
authors: Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Brice
authors: Department of Haematology, St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Moore
authors: Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Blood Research Centre, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Greenwood
authors: Department of Haematology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Hertzberg
authors: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Gottlieb
authors: Institute of Haematology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Larsen
authors: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Megan
authors: M
authors: Hogg
authors: Department of Haematology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Louisa
authors: L
authors: Brown
authors: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Gillian
authors: G
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Haematology, St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: Tan
authors: Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Blood Research Centre, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Ward
authors: Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Blood Research Centre, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Kerridge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
keywords: Blood and marrow transplantation (BMT); complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); quality of life; survivors