RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Complementary and alternative medicine use among general surgery, hepatobiliary surgery and surgical oncology patients
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 422
OP 426
VO 52
IS 5
A1 Colin Schieman
A1 Luke R. Rudmik
A1 Elijah Dixon
A1 Francis Sutherland
A1 Oliver F. Bathe
YR 2009
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/52/5/422.abstract
AB Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common, particularly among cancer patients. We sought to define the frequency of CAM use among general surgery, hepatobiliary and surgical oncology patients and to define some of the determinants of CAM use in patients with benign and malignant disease.Methods: We asked all patients attending the clinics of 3 hepatobiliary/surgical oncology surgeons from 2002 to 2005 to voluntarily respond on first and subsequent visits to a questionnaire related to the use of CAM. We randomly selected patients for review.Results: We reviewed a total of 490 surveys from 357 patients. Overall CAM use was 27%. There was significantly more CAM use among cancer (34%) versus noncancer patients (21%; p = 0.008), and the use of CAM was more common in patients with unresectable cancer (51%) than resectable cancer (22%; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in use between men and women. There did not appear to be a change in CAM use with progression of cancer. The most common CAM was herbs or supplements (58% of all users), which were most frequently used by patients with malignant disease. Among the 27 herbs reported to be ingested, 10 are associated with bleeding and hepatotoxicity, as described in the literature.Conclusion: Prospective studies evaluating surgical outcomes related to CAM use are needed.