Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42596559›Full record

ArticleIntegrative cancer therapies

Exploratory and Pioneering Study on Courses Involving Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Within an Integrative Approach at University of Messina Medical School.

Giuliana Ciappina, Enrica Toscano, Valentina Urzì Brancati, Giordana Di Mauro, Irene Campo, Letteria Minutoli, Alessia Bignucolo, Irene Cacciola, Giovanna Spatari, Angela Alibrandi and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Integrative cancer therapies. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

15 authors.

Giuliana CiappinaDivision of Medical Oncology, Policlinico "G. Martino" Hospital, University of Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0813-3126
Enrica ToscanoSchool of Specialization in Medical Oncology, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Italy.ORCID 0009-0003-2362-764X
Valentina Urzì BrancatiDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Giordana Di MauroSchool of Specialization in Medical Oncology, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Italy.
Irene CampoSchool of Specialization in Medical Oncology, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Italy.
Letteria MinutoliDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Alessia BignucoloDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4379-291X
Irene CacciolaDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Giovanna SpatariDepartment of Biomedical and Dentistry Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy.
Angela AlibrandiDepartment of Economics Section of Statistical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Messina, Italy.
Domenico Antonio RestivoDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Silvana ParisiDepartment of Biomedical and Dentistry Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy.
Natalia CatalanoDepartment of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Italy.
Pierluigi ConsoloDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Massimiliano BerrettaDivision of Medical Oncology, Policlinico "G. Martino" Hospital, University of Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9837-9148

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used by patients with chronic diseases, including cancer, but many physicians still have little knowledge about these medical methods and/or do not believe in their efficacy. This leads to inadequate doctor-patient communication and self-prescription of CAM with a high risk of interaction with standard cancer treatments. Information about CAM should be planned at all levels of medical education, starting from university, to promote the use of CAM among specialists. The primary objective of this study, conducted between October 2023 and February 2024, was to assess the opinion and impact of learning about CAM in future graduating physicians.

methodsOne hundred and sixty medical students attended a 2-hour CAM academic training course; they also completed an anonymous 35-item questionnaire divided into 2 sections. The items included in the first section investigated their attitudes toward CAM. The second part of the survey investigated the students' opinion about the course they had attended and re-evaluated their knowledge of CAM.

resultsOf the 160 participants, 79.4% were aware of the existence of other forms of medicine besides conventional medicine, and the most well-known CAM were Oriental and Chinese medicine (48.8%), homeopathy (8.1%), and acupuncture (5%). About 58.4% percent of participants agreed that universities should teach CAM, 51.3% believed that different medical approaches can coexist, and 78.1% did not consider Western medicine to be the only therapeutic option. One hundred percent found the teaching of CAM useful, 88.8% agreed that CAM should be taught in all medical/health/biological degrees, and 88.1% would propose an integrative approach.

conclusionClinical practice can be significantly improved by introducing CAM into university training programs. This will meet the educational needs of modern and innovative medicine, with the hope that in the future, physicians will be able to provide patients with tailored treatments choosing their options from both conventional and alternative medicine and will discourage patients from seeking treatment and medical advice from non-medical practitioners.

Indexed as

Complementary TherapiesIntegrative MedicineAdultCurriculumEducation, MedicalFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleSchools, MedicalStudents, MedicalSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultCAMcancereducationintegrative medicinetraining physiciansuniversity medicine courses

Identifiers

PMID42596559
PMCPMC13477524

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.