Toledo P C
HCor - Hospital do Coração, Brazil
Title: Use of integrative and complementary practices in patients with solid tumors submitted to adjuvant pharmacological anti-neoplastic therapy
Biography
Biography: Toledo P C
Abstract
Integrative and complementary practices considered non conventional by Western medicine are used in patients’ management, and in symptoms and side effects’ relieve aiming to restore and extend patients’ quality of life. The purposes of this study were: to assess the use of integrative and complementary practices in patients with solid tumors submitted to adjuvant therapy; to verify motivation and satisfaction related to the use of such practices; and to perform the translation of the I-CAM-Q questionnaire. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, with convenience sample, which has been organized in two phases: at first, the I-CAM-Q questionnaire was translated and applied to the casuistic. The I-CAM-Q was translated and applied to a 15-patient sample in a pilot study in order to verify its conformity and, after the final version was elaborated, it was applied to the casuistic. Patients aging more than 18 years, with solid tumors, previously submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy, and admitted to the chemotherapy center were included in the study. All subjects were interviewed after the first chemotherapy cycle, being used for such purpose questionnaires involving sociodemographic data, as well as I-CAM-Q and EORTC-QLQ-30. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to assess the frequency of use of integrative practices, as well as tests of mean values in order to identify associations between symptoms and the use of such practices. In total, 60 patients participated in the study. Most subjects were females (65.0%), with higher education (58.3%), belonging to social class B, according to socioeconomic classifications (68.3%). All patients reported they had visited a doctor in the previous 12 months, and out of 60 patients, 18 (30.0%) reported visiting health professionals of the field of integrative medicine. The health professionals found to be mostly visited were physicians (9.7 visits, on average) and acupuncturists (8.0 visits). Patients reported that physicians prescribed integrative practices for 11 of them (18.5%), manipulation being the most common one. Herbal treatments and medicines were used by 14 patients (23.5%), with three patients reporting Matricaria recutita (5%). In the category of vitamins and minerals, 15 patients (25.1%) reported making use of them; being calciferol the most cited one (8.3%). Among the most frequent self-help integrative practices, praying for their health was mentioned by 56 patients (93%). Comparison between groups showed that patients using herbs and vitamins, as well as patients performing self-help activities, scored fewer points in the scale of Role Performance. However, patients used to performing self-help activities scored more points in scales of Fatigue, Pain and Constipation.