Understanding the Attitudes of Patients with Cancer Toward Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Abstract Background: The high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients with cancer can be explained by reasons such as growing scientific evidence and improved regulation. However, subjective considerations are also relevant for practicing CAM and perceiving its effectiveness. The current study aimed at qualitatively estimating patients' prior beliefs and expectations, as well as their level of satisfaction after the treatment. Patients and methods: Patients with cancer who received six weekly sessions of CAM during their oncologic treatments participated in the study. They detailed their prior expectations and their level of posttreatment satisfaction. The open-ended answers were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. In addition, the contents before and after the intervention were compared. Results: Over a 2-year period, 163 patients entered the study, 135 of whom completed all six CAM sessions. The content analysis of the pretreatment expectations ...