Medicinal herbs for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a Brazilian hospital - An exploratory study

IntroductionIntegrative Oncology when combined with conventional care can be effective and reduce adverse symptoms of cancer and its treatment. The purpose of this exploratory study was to explore whether individualised medicinal herbs given to cancer patients at a Brazilian hospital improved symptoms and wellbeing.MethodsThis exploratory study was carried out between May 2012 and January 2013. Data from nineteen patients who received medicinal herbs every 21 days for three months were compared before and after their treatment and also with 14 patients who did not receive medicinal herbs who acted as a comparison group. An adapted version of the MYMOP was used to identify patients' self-reported symptoms and perceptions of wellbeing.ResultsAfter completing the medicinal herbs' treatment with the intervention group, 10 patients reported feeling better (p value = 0.24) and nine felt worse. Of the comparison group eight patients reported feeling better (p value = 0.29), four felt worse, and two declared feeling no alterations. The Student T test was used to compare differences between the medicinal herbs' and comparison group. The results for the intervention group didn't achieve statistically significant changes (p value = 0.48), compared to the comparison group.ConclusionThe medicinal herb treatment delivered as part of the integrative care in oncology produced clinically significant effects for over half of the patients while undergoing conventional cancer treatment. However, the wellbeing improvement was not statistically different from a group of cancer patients who did not receive herbs.