Original ResearchUse of complementary and alternative medicine: A multicenter cross-sectional study in 1089 melanoma patients

- About 40% of patients with melanoma are interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and nearly 20% use CAM.
- Most often used CAMs are supplements and other substance-bound methods.
- Most often used sources of information are family and print media.
- Aims are to strengthen body and immune system or to do something for oneself.
- Using CAM is associated with believing stress to cause cancer.

BackgroundAbout half of patients with cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). So far, data on melanoma patients are missing.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors for the use of CAM in this patient group.MethodsAll patients with melanoma being attended at one of 7 skin cancer centres in Germany between March 2012 and March 2013 were invited to take part in a survey using a structured questionnaire on CAM. The physicians filled in a second part on the diagnosis, state and former and current therapy.ResultsNearly half of the 1089 participants (41.0%) used CAM and half of those using CAM (56.8%) marked that this made them feel better. Biological-based CAMs which consists of substances taken were used by 25.9% of all patients (63.1% of those using CAM). Predictors of CAM use were education, psychological support, interest in CAM and previous CAM use. CAM users show higher physical activity, more often use psychosocial help and have contact with a self-help group. Family and friends (41.0%) as well as print media (41.7%) are the main sources of information. Most important reasons to use CAM are to strengthen one's own forces (57.7%) or the immune system (63.4%) and to be able to do something for oneself (53.7%).ConclusionCommunication on CAM should become a regular topic in counselling melanoma patients. To increase safety, patients and physicians must have access to evidence-based information on these methods and their interactions with modern cancer treatments.