Background We analyzed the use of alternative medicine by womenwho had received standard therapy for early-stage breast cancerdiagnosed between September 1993 and September 1995.
Methods A cohort of 480 patients with newly diagnosed early-stagebreast cancer was recruited from a Massachusetts statewide cohortof women participating in a study of how women choose treatmentfor cancer. Alternative medical treatments, conventional therapies,and health-related quality of life were examined.
Results New use of alternative medicine after surgery for breastcancer was common (reported by 28.1 percent of the women); suchuse was not associated with choices about standard medical therapiesafter we controlled for clinical and sociodemographic variables.A total of 10.6 percent of the women had used alternative medicinebefore they were given a diagnosis of breast cancer. Women whoinitiated the use of alternative medicine after surgery reporteda worse quality of life than women who never used alternativemedicine. Mental health scores were similar at base line amongwomen who decided to use alternative medicine and those whodid not, but three months after surgery the use of alternativemedicine was independently associated with depression, fearof recurrence of cancer, lower scores for mental health andsexual satisfaction, and more physical symptoms as well as symptomsof greater intensity. All groups of women reported improvingquality of life one year after surgery.
Conclusions Among women with newly diagnosed early-stage breastcancer who had been treated with standard therapies, new useof alternative medicine was a marker of greater psychosocialdistress and worse quality of life.
Source Information
From the Department of Adult Oncology (H.J.B., J.C.W.) and the Center for Outcomes and Policy Research (S.G., J.C.W.), Dana–Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School; and the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School (E.G.) — all in Boston.
Address reprint requests to Dr. Weeks at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA 02115, or at jane_weeks{at}dfci.harvard.edu.
Use of Alternative Medicine by Women with Breast Cancer
Ernst E., Caspi O., Koffler K., Sechrest L., Coyne J. C., Calzone K., Weber B. L., Pouwer F., Rubes R. H., Astin J. A., Knobf M. T., Pasacreta J., Burstein H. J., Weeks J. C.
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N Engl J Med 1999;
341:1155-1157, Oct 7, 1999.
Correspondence
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