Uso de terapias integrativas e complementares por pacientes em quimioterapia

Abstract

Objective: To know about the complementary and integrative therapies used by patients undergoing oncology chemotherapy. Methodology: This is a qualitative study carried out with six cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment in an Oncology Service in the southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through interview in June, 2010, and the content analysis was of thematic type. Results: The therapies approached in this study were homeopathy, phitotherapy, and medicinal plants. It was perceived that they increase the feeling of well-being, allow the establishment of positive bonds with health professionals, are part of popular knowledge, and are interconnected to scientific knowledge. Conclusions: It is apprehended that the use of integrative and complementary therapies on oncology allows the approximation of the professional nurse to the patient undergoing chemotherapy, knowing him/her in his complexity.