ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2021
Discovering the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Oncology Patients: A Systematic Literature Review.
Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture-related interventions improve chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2024Pooled it
- Traditional herbal medicine for anorexia in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Pooled it
- Evaluation of Web-based Information on Phytotherapy for Cancer Patients: A Quality and Readability Analysis.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2026Article
- Differences in Self-purchased Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Patient-reported Satisfaction between Female-specific and Non-female-specific Cancer Patients.Journal of cancer prevention · 2026Article
- Women's Lived Experiences in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Breast Cancer Management: A Phenomenological Study.Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association · 2026Article
- The role of physicians in herbal medicine; knowledge, attitudes, and practices: A cross-sectional.Journal of education and health promotion · 2026Article
- Listening in: Identifying Considerations for Integrating Complementary Therapy into Oncology Care Across Patient, Clinic, and System Levels-A Case Example of a Digital Meditation Tool.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
- Enhancing health system efficiency in China: considering the interaction between use of primary care and the demand for secondary and tertiary care.Health policy and planning · 2025Article
- Phytoconstituents as emerging therapeutics for breast cancer: Mechanistic insights and clinical implications.Cancer pathogenesis and therapy · 2025Review
- Does anxiety influence the use of complementary or alternative medicine among cancer patients?Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2025Article
- Feelings of guilt among cancer patients and the usage of complementary or alternative medicine - A cross-sectional survey.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Personal Use and Attitude toward Integrative Medicine and Nursing among Employees at a German University Hospital: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.Complementary medicine research · 2025Article
- Bridging the gap: attitudes and practices toward complementary and alternative medicine among oncology patients and healthcare professionals in Croatia.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Alternative Health and Conventional Medicine Discourse About Cancer on TikTok: Computer Vision Analysis of TikTok Videos.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Green Extraction of Plant Materials Using Supercritical COPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Assessment of the anti-cancer potential ofSaudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2024Article
- Complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer patients in Iran: A systematic review.Preventive medicine reports · 2024Article
- Complementary and alternative medicine use in migraine patients: results from a national patient e-survey.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Introducing a standardized assessment of patients' interest in and usage of CAM in routine cancer care: chances and risks from patients' and physicians' point of view.Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2023Article
- Patients Are Using Dietary Supplement for the Treatment of Their Diseases without Consultation with Their Physicians and Pharmacists.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients with cancer pursue all possible opportunities of effective remedies. In Saudi Arabia, most patients have tried complementary medicine during their cancer treatment plan; however, some complementary medicines might pose a danger to health. In Arab countries, studies regarding the use of complementary medicines and the intentions behind using complementary medicines among cancer patients are inadequate and all but nonexistent. The aim of this review was to focus on demographic, prevalence, and reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer.
methodsA rigorous literature search was conducted for articles published in the English language, using the search terms "complementary and alternative medicine," "oncology," "malignancy" AND "cancer patients" in five scientific databases, namely, Medical Literature On-Line (MEDLINE), PubMed, Web of Science, Psychology Information (PsycINFO), and Google Scholar, from 2010 to 2020.
resultsOf the 13,160 studies returned from the search, only 12 were eligible and included in this review. The combined prevalence for using complementary and alternative medicines across all studies totaled 25%-80% of cancer patients for the treatment of their cancers. Natural products, including vitamins and minerals, herbal products, and relaxation, were the most common type of complementary and alternative medicines used. The reason for using complementary and alternative medicines was reported to be their helpfulness in recovering, healing, and improving health. Most of the studies mentioned that participants obtained their complementary and alternative medicines from multiple sources, including the media, family and friends, and physicians.
conclusionThe use of complementary and alternative medicines in cancer patients can be inferred as an attempt to investigate all possibilities, a manifestation of a coping style, or an illustration of unmet desires in the cancer management continuum. Anyhow, there should be adequate communication between healthcare providers and patients, which is crucial for establishing a trusting healthcare provider-patient relationship.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.