Complementary and Alternative Medicine Modality Use and Beliefs Among African American Prostate Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives-To examine the cultural beliefs and attitudes of African American prostate cancer survivors regarding the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities.Research Approach-Mixed methods with primary emphasis on a phenomenology approach. Setting-In-person interviews in participants' homes and rural community facilities.Participants-14 African American men diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer.Methodologic Approach-Personal interviews using a semistructured interview guide.Main Research Variables-Prostate cancer, CAM, African American men's health, culture, herbs, prayer, spirituality, and trust.Findings-All participants used prayer often; two men used meditation and herbal preparations. All men reported holding certain beliefs about different categories of CAM. Several men were skeptical of CAM modalities other than prayer. Four themes were revealed: importance of spiritual needs as a CAM modality to health, the value of education in relation to CAM,

Complementary and alternative medicine use among newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients

“…Hispanic and black men were significantly more likely to report mind-body medicine use with or without prayer. A prior study suggested that prayer is a highly valued CAM modality among African American prostate cancer survivors as a way to cope with their disease [33]. Patients being cared for by Kaiser Permanente in Northern California were significantly more likely to report biologically based CAM use.…”

Shared Decision-Making for Cancer Care Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities: A Systematic Review

“…36,40,43,45,47 Spirituality was cited repeatedly as both a coping mechanism and a factor in the decision-making process. Spirituality was a particularly strong coping mechanism among African Americans.…”

“…Spirituality was a particularly strong coping mechanism among African Americans. 40,45 Specifically, spirituality played a strong role in having faith in the providers, strengthening the relationship with providers, and following the providers’ recommendations for treatment. In these studies, prayer was not viewed as a sufficient treatment option by itself.…”

“…In these studies, prayer was not viewed as a sufficient treatment option by itself. 40,45 For several minority groups, spirituality may have limited patients’ role in decision-making by causing them to put their trust in their providers and their religious faith; alternatively highly spiritual patients may have had a psychosocial characteristic that also stimulated a high level of faith in their providers. For example, in a study of low acculturated Asian Americans, providers reported that patients were more passive in treatment decision-making.…”

Understanding the Attitudes of Patients with Cancer Toward Complementary and Alternative Therapies

“…7 In addition, the integration of CAM services into health care systems and the improved regulation of practitioners and practices encourage patients with cancer to participate in such services as part of their cancer care. 3,8 However, the willingness of patients with cancer to practice CAM therapies can also be related to more personal and subjective reasons, such as their health beliefs, [9][10][11][12] their beliefs regarding the risks and benefits of CAM use 8,11,[13][14][15][16][17] as well as the conventional treatment, 3,8,14,18 and their past experiences. 3,8 Personal and subjective parameters may also influence patients' posttreatment satisfaction and perceived effectiveness, and these are unnecessarily related to objective scales and outcomes.…”