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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 2/2015

01-02-2015 | Original Article

Expectations from an integrative medicine consultation in breast cancer care: a registry protocol-based study

Authors: Noah Samuels, Elad Schiff, Ofer Lavie, Orit Gressel Raz, Eran Ben-Arye

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 2/2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the rationale given by oncology health care practitioners (HCPs) for referral of their patients with breast cancer to a complementary medicine (CM) consultation with patient expectations from the CM treatment process.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, registry protocol-based, open-label study. We compared the indications given by oncology HCPs for their referral of patients to the CM consultation with patient expectations from the CM therapeutic process. Patients were asked regarding prior CM use for cancer- and non-cancer-related indications.

Results

A total of 127 patients referred to the CM consultation were studied, with half reporting prior CM use. The most popular treatment for non-cancer-related indications was acupuncture (46.9 %), with only 20.3 % reporting herbal medicine use (P ≤ 0.04). For cancer-related indications, herbal medicine was the most popular modality (42.4 %), with 11.6 % reporting acupuncture use. The most frequently cited indications for referral were general symptom reduction (19.7 %), emotional/spiritual relief (18.1 %), alleviation of weakness and fatigue (17.3 %), and reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms (10.2 %). For patients, the most important outcome was alleviation of weakness and fatigue (70.4 %), followed by emotional/spiritual relief (50 %), and the reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms (33.3 %). The correlation between HCP indications for referral and patient expectations was poor (Cohen’s kappa of 0.19, 0.328, and 0.20, respectively).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that expectations from a CM treatment process differ greatly between oncology HCPs and patients with breast cancer. The use of a structured clinical referral process and a better understanding of patient concerns are factors which play a central role in the CM referral process.
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Metadata
Title
Expectations from an integrative medicine consultation in breast cancer care: a registry protocol-based study
Authors
Noah Samuels
Elad Schiff
Ofer Lavie
Orit Gressel Raz
Eran Ben-Arye
Publication date
01-02-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 2/2015
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2361-6

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