Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25358688›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2014

Prayer-for-health and complementary alternative medicine use among Malaysian breast cancer patients during chemotherapy.

Ping Lei Chui, Khatijah Lim Abdullah, Li Ping Wong, Nur Aishah Taib

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. An education on pharmacologically active complementary and alternative medicine and its effects on cancer treatment: literature review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Review
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  5. Quality of life in terminally ill cancer patients: what is the role of using complementary and alternative medicines?Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
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  7. Article
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  10. Review
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  17. Quality of life and complementary and alternative medicine use among women with breast cancer.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2018
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  19. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ping Lei ChuiDepartment of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. chuipinglei@um.edu.my.
Khatijah Lim Abdullah
Li Ping Wong
Nur Aishah Taib

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe inclusion of prayer-for-health (PFH) in the definition of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) has resulted in higher levels of CAM use. The objective of this study was to assess PFH and CAM use among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

methodsA cross-sectional study was performed at two chemotherapy providers. Patients were questioned about use of three categories of CAM, mind-body practices (MBPs), natural products (NPs) and traditional medicine (TM). PFH was also examined separately from CAM to better characterise the patterns of CAM and PFH used during chemotherapy.

resultsA total of 546 eligible patients participated in the study; 70.7% (n = 386) reported using some form of CAM, and 29.3% (n = 160) were non-CAM users. When PFH was excluded as a CAM, fewer patients reported the use of CAM (66.1%; n = 361). The total number of patients who used MBPs decreased from 342 to 183. The most common CAM use category was NPs (82.8%), followed by MBPs (50.7%), and TM (35.7%). CAM users were more likely to have a tertiary education (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.15-3.89 vs. primary/lower), have household incomes > RM 3,000 (≈944 USD) per month (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.40-3.84 vs. ≤RM 3,000 (≈944 USD)), and have advanced cancer (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.18-2.59 vs. early stage cancer), compared with non-CAM users. The CAM users were less likely to have their chemotherapy on schedule (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.58 vs. chemotherapy postponed) than non-CAM users. Most MBPs were perceived to be more helpful by their users, compared with the users of NPs and TM.

conclusionCAM use was prevalent among breast cancer patients. Excluding PFH from the definition of CAM reduced the prevalence of overall CAM use. Overall, CAM use was associated with higher education levels and household incomes, advanced cancer and lower chemotherapy schedule compliance. Many patients perceived MBP to be beneficial for improving overall well-being during chemotherapy. These findings, while preliminary, clearly indicate the differences in CAM use when PFH is included in, and excluded from, the definition of CAM.

Indexed as

Complementary TherapiesFaith HealingAdultAgedAntineoplastic AgentsBreast NeoplasmsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalaysiaMiddle AgedPerceptionReligionAntineoplastic Agents

Identifiers

PMID25358688
PMCPMC4230750

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.