Prevalence of the use of traditional complementary and alternative medicine amongst cancer patients in a tertiary care center in Kerala, India

BACKGROUND: Unmet needs of cancer patients prompt them to seek care from Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) practitioners. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of TCAM use in a multi-specialty tertiary cancer center in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of cancer patients who used TCAM during the study period. The patients were recruited based on covenience sampling method. RESULT: 320 cancer patients were approached, out of which 279 (87.2%) patients responded, and the prevalence of TCAM use was 34.4%. Home remedies (36%) figure prominently, with family advice (40%) being the primary influence for the TCAM use. The key expectation was an improvement in the quality of life (49%). TCAM use was pronounced during the chemotherapy phase (50%). Most patients (76%) using TCAM reported satisfaction with the treatment. Majority of the patients did not disclose concomitant use of TCAM to their treating physicians (71%). CONCLUSION: TCAM use by cancer patients is prevalent in Kerala. The study results point towards a need for large scale surveys, implementation of pharmacovigilance, patient education and research to identify and integrate TCAM interventions in cancer care that are safe and have beneficial effects.