Use of non-conventional medicine two years after cancer diagnosis in France: evidence from the VICAN survey.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the use of non-conventional medicine (NCM) in a representative sample of French patients 2 years after cancer diagnosis.


METHODS
The study was based on data obtained in the VICAN survey (2012) on a representative sample of 4349 patients 2 years after cancer diagnosis. Self-reported data were collected at telephone interviews with patients. The questionnaire addressed the various types of non-conventional treatments used at the time of the survey.


RESULTS
Among the participants, 16.4% reported that they used NCM, and 45.3% of this group had not used NCM before cancer diagnosis (new NCM users). Commonly, NCMs used were homeopathy (64.0%), acupuncture (22.1%), osteopathy (15.1%), herbal medicine (8.1%), diets (7.3%) and energy therapies (5.8%). NCM use was found to be significantly associated with younger age, female gender and a higher education level. Previous NCM use was significantly associated with having a managerial occupation and an expected 5-year survival rate ≥80% at diagnosis; recent NCM use was associated with cancer progression since diagnosis, impaired quality of life and higher pain reports.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study on NCM use 2 years after cancer diagnosis in France. In nearly half of the NCM users, cancer diagnosis was one of the main factors which incited patients to use NCM. Apart from the NCM users' socioeconomic profile, the present results show that impaired health was a decisive factor: opting for unconventional approaches was therefore a pragmatic response to needs which conventional medicine fails to meet during the course of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Better information of patients and caregivers is needed to allow access to these therapies to a larger population of survivors.
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France. aline.sarradon@inserm.fr.|Inst Paoli Calmettes, SESSTIM, Marseille, France. aline.sarradon@inserm.fr.
Aline
A
Sarradon-Eck
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France.
Anne-Déborah
AD
Bouhnik
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France.|ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, Marseille, France.
Dominique
D
Rey
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France.|ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, Marseille, France.
Marc-Karim
MK
Bendiane
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France.|CHU de la Réunion, Unité de Soutien Méthodologique, Saint Denis, France.|CHU de la Réunion, INSERM, CIC 1410, Saint-Pierre, France.
Laetitia
L
Huiart
Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, "Economics & Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information", Marseille, France.|ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, Marseille, France.
Patrick
P
Peretti-Watel
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Cancer survivors; Cohort study; Complementary and alternative medicine; Coping; France; Integrative medicine