Department of Radiation Oncology, Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Ontario, Toronto, Canada, M4N 3M5. eileen.rakovitch@sw.ca
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMS) are frequently used by patients with breast cancer and their use may be related to the presence of psychosocial distress. The objective of this study is to assess the presence of anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients who use CAM and assess how they perceive their risks of recurrence and dying from breast cancer compared to non-users.
Breast cancer patients attending ambulatory clinics at a single cancer center were approached by their oncologist. Participants completed a self-administered survey regarding CAM usage, beliefs associated with CAM, views of their risks of developing recurrent cancer, and of dying of breast cancer. The presence of anxiety and depression was scored using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Responses were scored and compared between CAM users and non-users.
A total of 251 patients completed the survey. CAM usage was reported by 43% of patients. Individuals who used CAM were younger [53.1 versus 63.0 year (p