Pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use in pediatric oncology patients in a South Indian hospital

Abstract

Background: Even though the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) is thought to be more prevalent among pediatric cancer patients, no studies have been reported on a South Indian population. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the use of CAMs among pediatric cancer patients in a tertiary care South Indian hospital. Patients and methods: Two hundred and seventy-seven pediatric cancer patients who received conventional therapy for the treatment of various types of cancer were enrolled from a pediatric oncology department in South India. Results: Of the enrolled children, 7.58% used CAMs, of which the most commonly used was Ayurveda followed by Siddha. Most of the CAM users were upper middle class. There were no statistically significant differences between the usage of CAMs and baseline characteristics except for socioeconomic status. None of the parents of the enrolled children disclosed their CAM treatment to an oncologist. Conclusion: Parents must be educated about CAM therapy and advised to discuss all treatment-related issues with an oncologist. Pharmacists can play a bridging role between oncologists and parents, and other healthcare professionals should also be familiar with the benefits and disadvantages of using CAM therapy to be able to guide the parents.

Keywords

• Cancer
• Children
• Complementary and alternative medicines