Sixty-five percent of cancer patien...

Sixty-five percent of cancer patients who participated in a reflection on alternative cancer therapies reported that they routinely use a range of dietary supplements--the greatest in number common type of alternative therapy.

In the studious mood which was conducted on population living in western Washington, more than 70 percent of adult patients said they use counterparts as a kind of alternative therapy, and almost all reported substantial improvements in their well-being as a result

Researchers identified patients as users of alternative medicine if they received care from an alternative provider within the past year or had used at least united alternative supplement or therapy. Depending upon the type of therapy, 83 to 97 percent of the participants in the observe said they used alternative medicine for general health, and nearly all reported that these therapies improved their well-being.

Patients who underwent multiple cancer treatments--chemotherapy, radiation or surgery--were twice as likely to use alternative medicine as compared to those who had undergone surgery alone. examine respondents who reported using dietary fill ups said that they use several different proceedss simultaneously.

The conclusions of the survey Show that add to use is common among cancer patients, and that healthcare providers ne to be made aware of this situation, says compassion E. Patterson, RD, principal researcher in the consideration reported September 4 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Research forward Paradigm, Practice and Policy.

"Anyone who is in active cancer treatment should talk to his or her medical team about the use of vitamins and supplements" she says.

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