Application of alternative medicine in gastrointestinal cancer patients

Abstract

Bacground/Aim. Alternative medicine is a set of therapeutic procedures which are no part of official practice. At present, the use of alternative medicine among cancer patients is significant and the purpose of this study was to get more information on the methods and products of alternative medicine. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the frequency of the use of alternative medicine among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Methods. The research was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire in writing. We included 205 patients with the diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancy in the study but the questionnaire was fulfilled by 193 patients and the presented data were based on their answers. The questions were about the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, the reasons for their use of alternative medicine, and their information sources about alternative medicine. We divided existing alternative therapies into 6 categories: herbal therapy, special diets, psychotherapy, body-mind therapy, spiritual therapy, and other supplements. Results. A total of 48 (24.9%) patients did not use any type of alternative therapy; 145 (75.1%) patients used at least one product and 124 (64.25%) patients used herbal preparations (beetroot juice was consumed by 110 [56.99%] patients); 136 (70.5%) patients were informed about alternative therapies by other patients.; 145 (75.1% ) used alternative medicine to increase the chances for cure; 88 (45.6%) of interviewed patients would like to participate in future research in this field. Conclusion. The use of alternative medicine is evidently significant among cancer patients. Further research should be conducted in order to find out interactions of these products with other drugs and potential advantages and disadvantages of this form of treatment.Uvod/Cilj. Alternativna medicina je skup terapijskih postupaka koji, zbog nedostatka dokaza o delotvornosti, nisu deo klasicne medicinske prakse. Alternativna medicina je danas znacajno zastupljena medju bolesnicima te je i cilj ove studije bio da se blize informise o pojedinostima njene upotrebe, kao i o metodama i proizvodima alternativne terapije. Metode. Istrazivanje je sprovedeno uz pomoc anonimnog upitnika u pisanoj formi. Obuhvaceno je 205 bolesnika sa dijagnostikovanim gastroenteroloskim malignitetom, ali upitnik je ispunilo 193 bolesnika i svi podaci prikazani u radu se odnose na njih. Pitanja iz upitnika odnosila su se na sociodemografske karakteristike bolesnika, razloge upotrebe i izvore informacija o alternativnoj medicini. Oblici alternativne terapije bili su svrstani u sest kategorija: biljna terapija, specijalne dijete, psihoterapija, terapija koja deluje na um i telo, duhovna terapija i drugi suplementi. Rezultati. Ukupno 48 (24,9%) bolesnika nije koristilo nijedan od oblika alternativne terapije. Bar jedan vid terapije koristilo je 145 (75,1%) bolesnika, a njih 124 (64,25%) upotrebljavalo je biljne preparate (sok od cvekle 110 ili 56,99%). O alternativnoj terapiji 136 (70,5%) bolesnika informisalo se od drugih bolesnika. Da bi povecali sanse za izlecenjem, 145 (75,1%) koristilo je alternativnu medicinu, a 88 (45,6%) zelelo bi da bude deo narednih istrazivanja u ovoj oblasti. Zakljucak. Zastupljenost alternativne medicine evidentno je znacajna kod onkoloskih bolesnika, te bi dalja istrazivanja trebalo sprovoditi u pravcu otkrivanja interakcija ovih proizvoda sa drugim lekovima, kao i mogucih prednosti i nedostataka ovakvog oblika lecenja.