Quality of life in terminally ill cancer patients: what is the role of using complementary and alternative medicines?

Abstract

Background and purpose Cancer is the world’s second greatest cause of mortality and a leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries. Patients employ a number of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods to deal with the problems and difficulties of cancer, which can have an impact on their quality of life (QOL). The aim of the present study was to assess the correlation between QOL and the use of different CAM methods in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. In southern Iran, 238 individuals with advanced cancer were studied in oncology centers and doctors’ offices. During the months of January to August 2021, patients were selected using convenience sampling. A demographic information questionnaire, the EORTC core quality of life questionnaire, and the CAM questionnaire were used to collect data. Results The results showed that terminally ill cancer patients had a good quality of life. Last year, 85.7% of participants used at least one kind of CAM. Furthermore, 45.4% of participants used only one form of CAM, 30.3% used two types of CAM, 6.7% used three types of CAM, and 3.4% used four to five types of CAM. When all CAM users were compared to non-CAM users, CAM users had significantly higher social QOL and overall quality of life. Two subscales of QOL symptoms and function were correlated with cancer history, income, and use of CAMs, and the scores of QOL symptoms and function were greater in CAM users compared to non-CAM users. Among all the study variables, only the usage of CAM was correlated to overall QOL among terminally ill cancer patients. Conclusion The current study found that using CAM could affect different aspects of QOL in terminally ill cancer patients. As a result, it is feasible that using CAM could help these people enhance their health and QOL.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in Shanghai outpatients with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional survey

“…In Iran, gender, age, and economic status were associated with CAM use (34), suggesting that the use of CAM measures is in uenced by the cultural traditions of the region. Consistent with previous studies (33,35), we found that patients used different CAM measures, with natural products and mind-body practices as the most popular modalities.…”

“…In this study, we found that the main mind-body practices used by CKD patients were acupuncture and massage, whereas that used by cancer patients was spiritual therapy (33,35). Many cancer patients have late-stage disease and often opt for psychological reassurance (35), whereas CKD patients often require measures to treat somatic symptoms. Patients with CKD can have multiple co-morbidities, which may explain why they used CAM measures more often than conventional medicines to treat CKD.…”

Effects of COVID-19 fear and anxiety on attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine use in women with gynecological cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The negative effects of COVID-19 on cancer patients, which are thought to continue for many years, are important. The use of effective coping mechanisms can reduce this psychological burden imposed on cancer patients [7] , [14] , [17] , [31] . CAM use is one of the coping methods commonly used by cancer patients.…”

“…However, the immune system of cancer patients can be suppressed due to the cancer and its treatment (e.g., chemotherapy) [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] . For these reasons, cancer patients are defined as a population at high-risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes [1] , [3] , [6] , [7] .…”

“…In cancer patients, the use of CAM varies according to socioeconomic status, location, religious and spiritual background, and the type of cancer [7] , [17] , [20] , [21] . A study conducted with 956 cancer patients from 14 European countries revealed that the prevalence of CAM use varies significantly among patients with different types of cancer: pancreatic cancer (56.3%), breast cancer (44.7%), gynecological cancer (40.3%), lung cancer (23.6%), and head and neck cancer (22.7%) [22] .…”