Patterns of alternative medicine use by cancer patients

Objective: To assess the patterns of alternative medicine use in patients of a public hospital oncology unit, and to compare patients' experience of alternative with conventional medicine. Design and setting: Self-administered questionnaire survey of cancer patients attending specialist consulting rooms at the Royal North Shore Hospital and the Oncology Outpatient Clinic at Port Macquarie Base Hospital during August 1995. Participants: 507 patients attended the clinics; 335 (66%) returned questionnaires, of which 319 (62%) were sufficiently complete for analysis. Main outcome measures: Expectations of and satisfaction with both conventional and alternative treatment, use of alternative treatment, and patient characteristics associated with this use. Results: Expectations of and satisfaction with both conventional and alternative treatment were very high. Alternative treatments (most commonly dietary and psychological methods) were used by 21.9% of patients. Median annual cost of alternative therapy was $530, with most patients reporting ''value for money''. Younger age and being married were positively associated, and satisfaction with conventional treatment was negatively associated, with alternative medicine use; 40% of patients did not discuss alternative medicine with their physician. Conclusions: A significant proportion of cancer patients use one or more forms of alternative therapy. The use of alternative therapy may reflect on deficiencies in the current standard of care.