Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Gynaecologic Oncology

Objectives: To explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among gynaecologic oncology patients in Nova Scotia. Methods: Over a 3-month period, 163 patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning CAM. Those entering the study provided demographie information such as age, address, and employment status, as weil as medical information and details of their use of alternative therapies. Results: A total of 152 patients were entered into the study, giving a response rate of 93.3%. Of these, 116 had used at !east one type of CAM, classifying them as users (76.3%). Women who considered themselves "more religious" were more likely to be CAM users (P = 0.001 ). There were no significant differences found between users and nonusers with respect to other patient characteristics reported. Patients with cervical cancer were less likely to use CAM than participants with another primary gynaecological malignancy (P = 0.040). The most frequent CAM therapy practised was spirituality/prayer (52.6%). Most women used CAM to improve their physical well-being, and 53.3% of the women were interested in receiving more information on CAM. Conclusion: A significant number of women undergoing conventional treatment for gynaecologic cancer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, also use CAM. Women are using CAM for numerous reasons and believe they are benefiting from CAM in many ways. Physicians need to be aware of this high usage rate and should explore their patients' attitudes to and opinions about CAM. Objectifs : Étudier le recours à la médecine complémentaire et parallèle (MCP) par les patientes en oncologie gynécologique de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Méthodes : On a demandé à 163 patientes, sur une période de trois mois, de remplir un questionnaire portant sur la MCP. Celles qui ont participé à l'étude ont fourni des renseignements démographiques comme l'âge, l'adresse et l'emploi, ainsi que des renseignements médicaux et des détails relativement à leur utilisation de traitements parallèles. Résultats : Un total de 152 patientes ont été inscrites à l'étude, pour un taux de réponse de 93,3 %. De ces patientes, 116 ont eu recours à au moins un type de MCP, ce qui en fait des utilisatrices (76,3 %). Les femmes qui considéraient être« plus croyantes» avaient davantage de chances d'être des utilisatrices (P = 0,001 ). On n'a constaté aucune différence significative entre les utilisatrices et les autres patientes par rapport aux autres caractéristiques des patientes. Les patient