A Study on Use of Alternative Therapy in Cancer

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of alternative therapy and to describe the characteristics of cancer patients used alternative therapy. The sample of this study were 232 consisted of cancer patients who visited at Pusan National University Hospital, Dong-a, Kosin University Hospital. The data were gathered from August, 1 to October, 30 1999 and analyzed by using SPSSWIN program for frequency, percentile and $X^2$-test. The important results of this study are as follows. 1. In population-sociological characteristics, sexual distribution showed female 52.6%, and the male 47.4%, age distribution showed that more than 60year old group are most as 31.5%. 2. In the disease characteristics, colon and rectal cancer patients were most as 19.0%. In the type of pain, the most of subjects were "dully pain" as 25.4%. In the pain level, 134 subjects complained pain, mean maximal pain score was $7.3{\pm}2.29$ in 10 points rating scale. 3. 132 patients (56.9%) among 232 cancer patients had used alternative therapy. The most common type of alternative therapy was dietary and nutritional therapy 44%, the place of use. home 43.2%, duration, less than 3 months, 56.8%. The most common motive was a recommendation by friends or family. The degree of satisfaction after the use of alternative therapy was high for 22.0%. 4. In the relation between general characteristic and utilization of alternative therapy, the only living area was showed a significant statistical differance($X^2$ = 4.070, P= .044). also in the relation between disease characteristic and utilization of alternative therapy, morbidity periods, the size of higher pain, the type of treatment were showed a significant statistical differance($X^2$= 7.964, 7.303, 3.565, P=.044, .026, .042). In conclusions, these findings indicate that cancer patients use various complementary and in alternative therapy. therefore, suggested that medical doctors or nurses verify the true effects or side-effects from the most common complementary or alternative therapies through experiments.