The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study

Konrad Reszka; Łukasz Moskal; Agata Remiorz; Agata Walas; Mateusz Guzik; Natalia Kierbiedź; Krzysztof Szewczyk; Urszula Staszek-Szewczyk

doi:10.5114/ms.2021.107452

eISSN: 2300-6722
ISSN: 1899-1874

Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne

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abstract:

Original paper

The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study

Konrad Reszka

¹

,

Łukasz Moskal

¹

,

Agata Remiorz

¹

,

Agata Walas

¹

,

Mateusz Guzik

¹

,

Natalia Kierbiedź

¹

,

Krzysztof Szewczyk

^{1, 2}

,

Urszula Staszek-Szewczyk

^{1, 3, 4}

Department of Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Head of the Department: Prof. Rafał Matkowski MD, PhD
Department of Oncology, Division of Surgical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
1st Department of Surgical Oncology, Wroclaw Regional Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Wroclaw, Poland
Department of Brachytherapy, Wroclaw Regional Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Wroclaw, Poland

Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne 2021; 37 (2): 91–99

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ms.2021.107452

Online publish date: 2021/06/30

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AMA

Reszka K, Moskal Ł, Remiorz A, et al. The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne. 2021;37(2):91-99. doi:10.5114/ms.2021.107452.

APA

Reszka, K., Moskal, Ł., Remiorz, A., Walas, A., Guzik, M.,  & Kierbiedź, N. et al. (2021). The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, 37(2), 91-99. https://doi.org/10.5114/ms.2021.107452

Chicago

Reszka, Konrad, Łukasz Moskal, Agata Remiorz, Agata Walas, Mateusz Guzik, Natalia Kierbiedź,  and Krzysztof Szewczyk et al. 2021. "The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study". Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne 37 (2): 91-99. doi:10.5114/ms.2021.107452.

Harvard

Reszka, K., Moskal, Ł., Remiorz, A., Walas, A., Guzik, M., Kierbiedź, N., Szewczyk, K.,  and Staszek-Szewczyk, U. (2021). The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, 37(2), pp.91-99. https://doi.org/10.5114/ms.2021.107452

MLA

Reszka, Konrad et al. "The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study." Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, vol. 37, no. 2, 2021, pp. 91-99. doi:10.5114/ms.2021.107452.

Vancouver

Reszka K, Moskal Ł, Remiorz A, Walas A, Guzik M, Kierbiedź N et al. The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods
and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among
oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne. 2021;37(2):91-99. doi:10.5114/ms.2021.107452.

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Introduction
Nowadays, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is gaining more adherents in Poland. Awareness of CAM methods among medical professionals is unsatisfactory. The gap that has been created in the Polish health care system opens the field for abuse. Poor knowledge about the popularity of CAM therapies among oncological patients in Poland led us to the evaluation of their prevalence and features. Aim of the research: To assess the prevalence of CAM procedures and their impact on conventional cancer treatment in Poland.

Material and methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, Poland. The final research group came to 355 respondents (209 women, 146 men, response rate 58%). Inclusion criteria comprised the following: diagnosed cancer, staged from early to advanced, and ongoing conventional treatment. Exclusion criteria were as follows: incomplete diagnostic path for cancer, age below 18 years, and complete remission of the disease.

Results
CAM methods were used by 156 (43.9%) patients. The most popular were herbal drugs (50.6%), linseed (49.4%), and apricot seeds (32.7%). Approximately 40% of patients informed their doctor about CAM usage. More than 7% had resigned from standard treatment in the past. Almost 2% of respondents considered suspending therapy in the future. Factors associated with CAM use were as follows: female gender (51.2% vs. 33.56%; p < 0.05), secondary and higher education (47.1% secondary, 51.8% higher vs. 19.2% primary, 38.46% vocational; p < 0.05), education associated with health care (68.4% vs. 41.0%; p < 0.05).

Conclusions
CAM techniques are popular among oncological patients in Poland and are often used on their own. No single factor affecting CAM use was established. Besides oncological treatment, patients should be informed about the effectiveness and the side-effects of CAM and the dangers associated with standard treatment refusal.

keywords:

The prevalence of complementary and alternative methods and their impact on conventional cancer treatment among oncological patients in Poland – an institutional study

Konrad Reszka 1 , Łukasz Moskal 1 , Agata Remiorz 1 , Agata Walas 1 , Mateusz Guzik 1 , Natalia Kierbiedź 1 , Krzysztof Szewczyk 1, 2 , Urszula Staszek-Szewczyk 1, 3, 4

complementary and alternative medicine, oncological patients, Polish health care system

Konrad Reszka

¹

,

Łukasz Moskal

¹

,

Agata Remiorz

¹

,

Agata Walas

¹

,

Mateusz Guzik

¹

,

Natalia Kierbiedź

¹

,

Krzysztof Szewczyk

^{1, 2}

,

Urszula Staszek-Szewczyk

^{1, 3, 4}