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Complementary and alternative medicine use during chemotherapy for neuroendocrine tumours

28 March 2019

Professional

02 March 2019

Volume 28 · Issue 6

ISSN (print): 0966-0461

ISSN (online): 2052-2819

Abstract

Exploring the patient experience of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can provide insight into the needs, preferences and values of patients with an neuroendocrine tumour (NET). Use and interest in CAM after a NET diagnosis has not been investigated until now. The authors aimed to identify the types of CAM being used by patients undergoing chemotherapy and what types of CAM patients considered most beneficial. Patients were identified for clinical audit from one hospital's NET nurse chemotherapy database. A questionnaire was given to 79 patients who had completed intravenous chemotherapy during the previous 3 years. CAM use by NET patients was found to be popular and included practices to support both physical and emotional health. Massage and taking vitamin and mineral supplements were most widely used. The antioxidant effects of some high-dose supplements may impact on chemotherapy outcomes. Massage, despite its irregular use, was perceived by patients to be the most useful CAM.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) generally refers to a variety of approaches that are not considered part of Western medicine. Complementary medicine refers to therapies used together with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine refers to therapies used as a substitute for conventional medicine, which is generally not recommended (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2016). For example, CAM includes the practices of hypnotherapy, food supplements, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture and nutrition, to name a few. It is not clear if patients know the important distinction between complementary and alternative practices, however.

There are some grey areas within the practice of nutrition. Naturopaths and nutritional therapists are often termed ‘alternative’, as supplements may be prescribed as part of their advice. Although dietetic therapy is not usually termed ‘complementary’, dietitians may recommend supplements or therapies with a good evidence base to complement medical treatments, or to use as an alternative when all conventional treatments have failed. Therefore, for the purpose of this article, dietetic interventions were also included when looking at the use of CAM.

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Neuroendocrine tumours

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Complementary and alternative medicine

Chemotherapy

Therapeutics

Massage