Abstract

Objective: Many patients with cancer prefer alternative medicine for various reasons. In the study, use of alternative medicine by patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy and the factors affecting this behaviour were investigated, and the effect of regular use of alternative medicine on the response to chemotherapy was analyzed.

Material and Method: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer histopathologically in 2008 and who completed chemotherapy were included in the study. An interview was carried out with all patients after the cycles of chemotherapy were completed. Details of age, gender, area of residence, educational level tumor histology, stage, response to chemotherapy and advice regarding alternative medicine were collected.

Results: A total of 201 patients, 191 male and 10 female, with a mean age of 58.8 years were included. A minimum of one alternative medicine was suggested to 158 (78.6%),and 55 (27.4%) had used alternative medicine regularly during the chemotherapy. Responses to chemotherapy did not differ in those who had and had not used alternative medicine (complete response, 16.4% and 8.2%) (p=0.416). There was no difference in age (58.5 and 58.9 years), gender, area of residence, educational level, tumor histology and stage between the two groups of patients who had and had not used alternative medicine (p=0.409, p=1.000, p=0.423, 0.520, p=1.000, p=0.346).

Conclusion: Use of complementary alternative medicine with chemotherapy is common in patients with lung cancer. Advice is commonly given by people close to the patient. There is no relation between use of alternative medicine and socio-demographic and tumor characteristics, and regular use of alternative medicine does not affect response to chemotherapy.(Tur Toraks Der 2010; 11: 117-20)