[Self medication with Annona muricata L. (corossol) as an anti-cancer agent in Reunion]. / Automédication par Annona muricata L. (corossol) à visée anticancéreuse à la Réunion.

INTRODUCTION: Annona muricata L. also called soursop, graviola, guanabana and sapoty (French creole) is a fruit tree growing in tropical countries. The fruits, seeds, leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine. Potential anticancer effects encourage patients to consume this product as self medication. The object of the study was to determine the prevalence of use of graviola as an anticancer agent by patients treated for a lung cancer. METHODS: Our survey took place in two thoracic oncology day cares units of the university hospital of Reunion. All the patients treated by chemotherapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer were asked the same questions in a face to face interview over a 6-month period. RESULTS: One hundred questionnaires were collected. Sixty seven patients consumed graviola. In 53.7%, graviola was consumed as an anticancer agent and 25 patients took it regularly. Most often graviola was ingested as an infusion of boiled leaves (69.5%). The supply was exclusively local. CONCLUSIONS: A quarter of patients treated by chemotherapy for a lung cancer in Reunion consume graviola regularly as self medication. The consequences of this intake, drug interactions and side effects are unknown and would be interesting to identify.

[Complementary and alternative medicine use by lung cancer patients]. / Le recours aux médecines « complémentaires et alternatives ¼ par les patients atteints d'un cancer bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and alternative medicine (CMA) use is frequent among cancer patients. Only few results are available about lung cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate how often the CMA were used by lung cancer patients and to define the type of CMA used. METHODS: Every lung cancer patients with an ongoing chemotherapy in the respiratory department of the University Hospital of Nancy were approached between November 2014 to July 2015. A detailed and anonymous survey was conducted and the socioeconomic characteristics were collected from medical records. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were questioned. On 82 patients having answered, 19.5 % had used at least a CMA. The main CMA used was the physical exercise in 50 % of the patients. CMA users were significantly younger with a mean age of 56.4 years versus 65.4 years (P=0.0007). More than half patients did not indicate to their specialist that they used a CMA. The main information source was the circle of acquaintances. CONCLUSIONS: CMA use is frequent among lung cancer patients. The physical exercise is quoted most of the time among the various CMA. There is a real lack of communication on the subject between the physician and the patient. It is thus imperative that the pulmonologists give much interest to these practices in order to give better advices and to reinforce the patient-physician relationship.