A Study on Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Tcam) Usage Among Malaysian Cancer Patients
Corresponding Author(s) : Nagarajan Srinivasan
International Journal of Allied Medical Sciences and Clinical Research,
Vol. 2 No. 3 (2014): 2014 Volume 2- Issue -3
Abstract
Background
Usage of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) has gained popularity over the past few years. However, very little is known about TCAM utilization among Malaysian cancer patients.
Aim
This study aims to identify the determinants of TCAM usage.
Objectives
This study intends to determine the relationship between the cancer patients’ demographic factors, patient’s satisfaction with conventional treatment, knowledge on TCAM and healthcare professional’s influence on TCAM usage. Patient’s perceptions towards TCAM will also be determined.
Methodology
Simple random and convenient sampling method was used to recruit 354 patients from Hospital Kuala Lumpur between February to April 2013. All patients were directly interviewed with a structured questionnaire.
Results
In this study, 172 respondents were TCAM users. There were no significant differences between demographic background of respondents in the use of TCAM using ANOVA. Minimal correlation was found between patient’s satisfaction with the conventional treatment and usage of TCAM (r = 0.091). Poor correlation was found between healthcare professional’s influence and TCAM usage (r = -0.213) indicating an increase in healthcare professional’s influence will cause TCAM usage by cancer patients to decrease. Patient’s TCAM knowledge correlated negatively with the TCAM usage (r = -0.555) indicated that cancer patients are less likely to use TCAM when they have more TCAM knowledge.
Conclusion
Healthcare professionals should be fully equipped with the necessary TCAM knowledge while maintaining patient’s satisfaction with the conventional treatment. They should also intervene patients’ TCAM usage where a potential drug interaction or a harmful adverse event can occur.
Keywords
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[1] www.cancer.org [Cancer Fact & Figures 2012]. Retrieved September 27, 2012, [updated ; cited 2012 September 27]. Available from: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf.
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[3] Zainal, A. O., & Nor Saleha, I. T. (2007). Malaysian Cancer Statistics – Data and Figure 2007. Malaysia: Ministry of Health.
[4] Farooqui M, Hassali MA, & Aishah AS. Complementary and Alternative (CAM) Use by Malaysian oncology patients. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2012; 18(2):144-120.
[5] Siti Z., Tahir A, & Farah AI. Use of traditional and complementary medicine in Malaysia: a baseline study. Complementary Therapies of Medicine 2009; 17(5):292-299.
[6] Stephen JC, & Andrew JM. Interaction between complementary and alternative medicine with conventional anti-cancer medicine. CancerForum 2011; 35(1).
[7] Ernst E & White AR. Prospective studies of the safety of acupuncture: a systematic review. Am J Med. 2011; 110(6):481–485.
[8] Maha, N & Shaw, A. Academic doctors' views of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and its role within the NHS: an exploratory qualitative study, BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine 2007; 7:17
[9] Shin JY., Kim SY., Park B. et al., (2012). Predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Cancer Care: Results of a Nationwide Multicenter Survey in Korea.
[10] Wong LC, Chan E, Tay S, Lee KM, Back M.. (2010). Complementary and alternative medicine practices among Asian radiotherapy patients. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol, 6(4):357-363.
[11] Molassiotis A, Ortega PF, Pud D, Ozden G, Scott JA, Panteli V et al.. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients: a European survey. Annals of Oncology 2005; 16(4):655-663.
[12] Cohen SM & Arnold LL. Chemical Carcinogenesis, Toxicological Sciences 2011; 120(Supp 1): S76-S92
[13] Paltiel, O., Avitzour, M., & Peretz, T. et al., (2001). Determinants of the Use of Complementary Therapies by Patients with Cancer, J Clin Oncol 19:2439-2448
[14] Astin JA. Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study. Journal of the American Medical Association 1998; 279(19):1548–1553.
[15] Putipun P, Sutheechet N, & Ratanamongkol P. A Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Cancer Patients Treated with Radiotherapy in Thailand. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012; doi:10.1155/2012/670408
[16] Hyodo I, Amano N, Eguchi K, Narabayashi M, Imanishi J, Hirai M et al.. Nationwide Survey on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Patients in Japan. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005; 23(12):2645-2654.
[17] Chang KH, Rachel B, Choong MA, Sweeney KJ & Kerin MJ. Complementary and alternative medicine use in oncology: A questionnaire survey of patients and health care professionals. BMC Cancer 2011; 11:196
[18] Soraya HS, Suhainan S, Nor AE, Mohd RS, & Sharifah NASH. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Malay Breast Cancer Survivors. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2011; 17(1):50-56
[19] Shih V, Chiang J, & Chan A. Complementary and alternative (CAM) usage in Singaporean adult cancer patients. Annals of Oncology 2009; 20(4):752-757.
References
[2] Latest Cancer Statistics. (2012). Retrieved from World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/index.html
[3] Zainal, A. O., & Nor Saleha, I. T. (2007). Malaysian Cancer Statistics – Data and Figure 2007. Malaysia: Ministry of Health.
[4] Farooqui M, Hassali MA, & Aishah AS. Complementary and Alternative (CAM) Use by Malaysian oncology patients. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2012; 18(2):144-120.
[5] Siti Z., Tahir A, & Farah AI. Use of traditional and complementary medicine in Malaysia: a baseline study. Complementary Therapies of Medicine 2009; 17(5):292-299.
[6] Stephen JC, & Andrew JM. Interaction between complementary and alternative medicine with conventional anti-cancer medicine. CancerForum 2011; 35(1).
[7] Ernst E & White AR. Prospective studies of the safety of acupuncture: a systematic review. Am J Med. 2011; 110(6):481–485.
[8] Maha, N & Shaw, A. Academic doctors' views of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and its role within the NHS: an exploratory qualitative study, BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine 2007; 7:17
[9] Shin JY., Kim SY., Park B. et al., (2012). Predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Cancer Care: Results of a Nationwide Multicenter Survey in Korea.
[10] Wong LC, Chan E, Tay S, Lee KM, Back M.. (2010). Complementary and alternative medicine practices among Asian radiotherapy patients. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol, 6(4):357-363.
[11] Molassiotis A, Ortega PF, Pud D, Ozden G, Scott JA, Panteli V et al.. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients: a European survey. Annals of Oncology 2005; 16(4):655-663.
[12] Cohen SM & Arnold LL. Chemical Carcinogenesis, Toxicological Sciences 2011; 120(Supp 1): S76-S92
[13] Paltiel, O., Avitzour, M., & Peretz, T. et al., (2001). Determinants of the Use of Complementary Therapies by Patients with Cancer, J Clin Oncol 19:2439-2448
[14] Astin JA. Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study. Journal of the American Medical Association 1998; 279(19):1548–1553.
[15] Putipun P, Sutheechet N, & Ratanamongkol P. A Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Cancer Patients Treated with Radiotherapy in Thailand. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012; doi:10.1155/2012/670408
[16] Hyodo I, Amano N, Eguchi K, Narabayashi M, Imanishi J, Hirai M et al.. Nationwide Survey on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Patients in Japan. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005; 23(12):2645-2654.
[17] Chang KH, Rachel B, Choong MA, Sweeney KJ & Kerin MJ. Complementary and alternative medicine use in oncology: A questionnaire survey of patients and health care professionals. BMC Cancer 2011; 11:196
[18] Soraya HS, Suhainan S, Nor AE, Mohd RS, & Sharifah NASH. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Malay Breast Cancer Survivors. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2011; 17(1):50-56
[19] Shih V, Chiang J, & Chan A. Complementary and alternative (CAM) usage in Singaporean adult cancer patients. Annals of Oncology 2009; 20(4):752-757.