Family strategies for managing childhood cancer: Using traditional and complementary medicine in Southern Egypt.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The use of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is common in children with cancer globally. We aimed to assess the prevalence, types, reasons, perceived effectiveness, and disclosure rate of T&CM use among children with cancer in Southern Egypt. We also investigated whether T&CM use contributed to delays in initial presentation and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was utilized. Data were collected via an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Eligible children and their caregivers at the South Egypt Cancer Institute were invited to participate. RESULTS: Eighty-six children completed the study (response rate = 86%). T&CM use was reported by 52 (60.5%) patients, with six (11.5%) experienced delayed presentation. The reasons for T&CM use were complementary for 37 (71%) and alternative for 15 (29%) of the participants. The types of T&CM used included herbal (63%), nutritional (33%), witchcraft (29%), and religious (19%) therapies. Approximately 48% of users employed multiple T&CM types. Family members recommended T&CM for 60% of the users. Most patients (65%) perceived T&CM as effective, with 71% initiating its use during the early phases of treatment. Almost all participants (98%) reported that healthcare providers did not inquire about T&CM use. T&CM usage was more prevalent among wealthier families (p = .023). There was no significant relationship between T&CM use and patient gender, diagnosis, residence, or paternal educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The significant utilization of T&CM among children with cancer highlights the need for healthcare providers to engage in open and early discussions with families regarding T&CM use.

Health technology assessment in traditional and complementary medicine: a scoping review of international activity and examples of acupuncture.

BACKGROUND: Traditional therapies are crucial in maintaining and improving human well-being. China's healthcare policymakers are attempting to use health technology assessment (HTA) as a decision-making supportive tool. The value assessment framework for Chinese patent medicine (CPM) has been developed and is being adopted and validated widely by research institutions. Subsequently, the healthcare decision-makers particularly hanker for the value framework of traditional non-pharmacological therapies. METHODS: To construct a practical value framework for traditional non-pharmacological therapies, a scoping review methodology was adopted to identify the evaluation domains and obstacles. A search, screening, and analysis process was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Evidence was retrieved from scientific databases and HTA agencies' websites. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 5 guidelines records and 17 acupuncture HTA reports. By synthesizing the valuable reports of CPM and acupuncture evaluation in representative countries, this study found that Mainland China was promoting the comprehensive value assessment of CPM, whereas the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, the United States, and Malaysia had carried out the HTA evaluation of acupuncture for various conditions among which chronic pain was the most common. UK and Singapore applied the HTA results to support acupuncture reimbursement decisions. Three domains, including safety, effectiveness, and economy, were commonly adopted. The identified biggest challenge of evaluating traditional non-pharmacological therapies is the scarce high-quality clinical evidence. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified value domains and issues of traditional therapies, and pointed out future research implications, to promote the development value framework of traditional therapies.

Survey of the use of traditional and complementary medicine among children with cancer at three hospitals in Cameroon.

INTRODUCTION: There is lack of diagnostic and treatment resources with variable access to childhood cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), which may lead to subsequent poor survival. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) used in Cameroon. Secondarily, we explored determinants of T&CM use, associated costs, perceived benefits and harm, and disclosure of T&CM use to medical team. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional survey among parents and carers of children younger than 15 years of age who had a cancer diagnosis and received cancer treatment at three Baptist Mission hospitals between November 2017 and February 2019. RESULTS: Eighty participants completed the survey. Median patient age was 8.1 years (IQR4.1-11.1). There was significant availability (90%) and use (67.5%) of T&CM, whereas 24% thought T&CM would be good for cancer treatment. Common T&CM remedies included herbs and other plant remedies or teas taken by mouth, prayer for healing purposes and skin cutting. Living more than five hours away from the treatment center (P = 0.030), anticipated costs (0.028), and a habit of consulting a traditional healer when sick (P = 0.006) were associated with the use of T&CM. T&CM was mostly paid for in cash (53.7%) or provided free of charge (29.6%). Of importance was the fact that nearly half (44%) did not want to disclose the use of TM to their doctor. CONCLUSION: Pediatric oncology patients used T&CM before and during treatment but were unlikely to disclose its use to the child's health care team.

Methodological issues on "Stakeholder attitudes to the regulation of traditional and complementary medicine professions: a systematic review".

Systematic reviews cling to the doctrine that science has an updating databank and attempt to identify all available evidence by featured eligibility criteria to find the answer to a unique scientific question. Therefore, to reach this aim, these researches should use a wise method and comprehensive search strategy, as they are widely used to guide clinical and political decisions and the establishment of future researches. We would like to appreciate Jenny Carè, Amie Steel, and Jon Wardle for the valuable article "Stakeholder attitudes to the regulation of traditional and complementary medicine professions: a systematic review". Some important missed search terms in the field of traditional medicine names and traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) regulation concepts were discussed in the article.

Twenty years of traditional and complementary medicine regulation and its impact in Malaysia: achievements and policy lessons.

BACKGROUND: Many countries are trying to integrate traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) into their health care systems. However, it is not easy to integrate T&CM within a given health care system. This study aims to draw policy outcomes and lessons from the case of Malaysia, which has been making efforts for over 20 years to integrate various types of T&CM into the national health care system (NHS). METHODS: Documents were searched in major databases and websites using words such as Malaysia and T&CM, and additional documents were secured using snowballing techniques. Data were classified and organized according to the World Health Organization health systems framework. RESULTS: Malaysia has focused on managing the safety and quality of T&CM, and to that end it has been institutionalized by enacting specialized laws rather than by applying existing medical law directly. Malaysia was able to institutionalize T&CM by adopting a step-by-step approach that considered the appropriateness of administrative policies and measures. CONCLUSIONS: Malaysia's experiences in implementing its T&CM policies will raise practical implications for countries struggling to integrate their existing T&CM into the NHS and utilize it for universal health coverage.

Conventional health care service utilization among cancer survivors that visit traditional and complementary providers in the Tromsø study: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used among cancer patients worldwide. Cancer patients in Norway mainly visit T&CM providers in addition to conventional health care services. It is not known how their utilization of T&CM providers influences their use of conventional health care services. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between the utilization of conventional health care services among cancer survivors that visit T&CM providers and those that do not, and their associated factors. METHOD: Health care service utilization data were obtained from cancer survivors 40 years and above participating in the Tromsø Study: Tromsø 7 conducted in 2015-2016. Data were collected from self-administered questionnaires. Pearson chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, t-test, and logistic regression were used, with the significance level considered at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Of 1553 individuals, 10% (n = 155) reported visiting T&CM providers in the past 12 months. As both cancer survivors visiting and not visiting T&CM providers were frequent users of conventional health care, no significant differences were found in the overall use of conventional health care (98.1vs.94.5%, p = .056). Users of T&CM providers were however more likely to visit physiotherapists (40.1% vs 25%, p < .001), emergency rooms (29.2% vs 16.5%, p < .001), chiropractors (17% vs 6%, p < .001), and psychologist/psychiatrist (8.9% vs 3.4%, p < .001). They also had more frequent visits to conventional health care (11.45 vs 8.31 yearly visits, p = 0.014), particularly to general practitioners (5.21 visits vs. 3.94 visits, p = .002). CONCLUSION: Results from this study show that visits to T&CM providers are associated with more visits to conventional health care services among cancer survivors. Further studies are needed to investigate the reasons for this high use behavior.

Stakeholder attitudes to the regulation of traditional and complementary medicine professions: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There has been a considerable increase in the number of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) practitioners over the past 20 years and in some jurisdictions are estimated to outnumber general practitioners. Despite this globally significant role, it is apparent that worldwide not all T&CM professions operate under adequate accountability and regulatory oversight for maintaining public protection. To date there has been no published systematic examination of stakeholder opinions regarding regulated and unregulated T&CM occupations. In response, this review aims to investigate, describe, and analyse attitudes held by a range of stakeholder groups towards the regulation of T&CM professions. METHODS: A database search of AMED, CINAHL, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted for original research published between 2000 and 2020 on stakeholder opinions regarding the regulation of T&CM professions. RESULTS: Sixty studies across 15 countries reported on the views of six health care stakeholder groups: consumers, T&CM practitioners, conventional medicine practitioners, professional associations, education providers, and policy-makers. Across all stakeholder groups there was between 15% and 95% (median 61%) support for, and 1% to 57% (median 14%) opposition to the regulation of various T&CM professions. The main reasons for supporting regulation included providing greater public protection, raising training and practice standards, establishing title protection, and gaining acceptance from conventional medicine providers. Concerns regarding regulation included potential restrictions to practice, misappropriation of practice, and medical oversight of T&CM practitioners. Few studies canvassed the views of professional associations (n = 6), education providers (n = 2), and policy-makers (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be broad support for the regulation of T&CM professions, although there was wide variation in attitudes as to how this should be applied. Further research, with a particular focus on policy-makers, education providers, and professional associations, is critical to inform appropriate health policy and practice recommendations relating to T&CM professional regulation across jurisdictions. Systematic review registration: the a priori protocol for this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO and is available at: www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42020198767 .

Medical pluralism, sorcery belief and health seeking in Vanuatu: a quantitative and descriptive study.

Set in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, this study explores the relationship between cultural knowledge and beliefs concerning illness and health-seeking behaviour within the context of medical pluralism. Concentrating on the nation's high rates of diabetes and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, this research analyses the way in which understandings of disease aetiology and healing efficacy impact upon treatment-related decisions. Data were obtained through a mixed-methods community survey of 313 adult respondents developed in collaboration with ni-Vanuatu health experts, community leaders and survey enumerators, and comprised of open and closed-ended questions. As the results demonstrate, framed by cultural and religious beliefs, multifaceted indigenous conceptualizations of health and illness in Vanuatu are directly linked to pluralist health seeking practices, including the concurrent use of formal and informal health services. The interwoven identification of sociocultural, physical and clinical determinants of disease highlights the complex manner in which health is understood and maintained by ni-Vanuatu. In successfully addressing the rising burden of NCDs, it is integral that health interventions and service providers acknowledge the complex conceptualization of disease and ensure the provision of holistic care that embraces rather than ignores the steadfast role of local systems of belief, and of traditional, religious and other informal forms of healthcare provision.

Nutritional traditional and complementary medicine strategies in pediatric cancer: A narrative review.

Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) strategies are commonly used by pediatric cancer patients. Nutritional approaches to T&CM include bioactive compounds, supplements, and herbs as well as dietary approaches. Pediatric cancer patients and their families commonly request and use nutritional T&CM strategies. We review the potential risks and benefits of nutritional T&CM use in pediatric cancer care and provide an overview of some commonly used and requested supplements, including probiotics, antioxidants, cannabinoids, vitamins, turmeric, mistletoe, Carica papaya, and others. We also discuss the role of specific diets such as the ketogenic diet, caloric restriction diets, whole-food diets, and immune modulating diets. There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of some T&CM agents for the supportive care of children with cancer. However, further study is needed into these agents and approaches. Open communication with families about T&CM use is critical.

Ethnopharmacological study of natural products used for traditional cancer therapy in Algeria.

Traditional and complementary medicine constitutes an important, and often underestimated, source of healthcare for multiple diseases including cancer. However, little is known about the ethnomedical knowledge and practices in Northern Africa. The main objective of this study is to identify and analyze the variety of natural products used in Algerian ethnopharmacology for cancer therapy. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews with 225 traditional healers, herbalists and practitioners were realized in twelve locations in Algeria throughout field studies performed from June 2015 to July 2019. Interviews covered popular and vernacular names of the natural product, mode of use and administration, dose, period of treatment, toxicity and side effects among other data. The obtained results reveal the use of 113 medicinal plants (belonging to 53 families and 104 genera), 10 animal species and various products and by-products from different origins such as honey, olive oil, thorns, urine, milk, animal fat and the alkaline water of Zamzam. Basing on the frequency of citation (FC), use reports (UR) and use value (UV), the most used natural products for cancer treatment are honey (FC = 181, UR = 194, UV = 0.65), Nigella sativa L. (FC = 131, UR = 152, UV = 0.54), Aristolochia longa L. (FC = 118, UR = 144, UV = 0.51), Berberis vulgaris L. (FC = 111, UR = 142, UV = 0.51), Curcuma longa L. (FC = 107, UR = 121, UV = 0.43), Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (FC = 102; UR = 119, UV = 0.43), Citrus limon (L.) Obseck (FC = 97, UR = 120, UV = 0.43), Artemisia herba-alba Asso (FC = 92, UR = 115, UV = 0.41) and the holy water 'Zamzam' (FC = 110, UR = 110, UV = 0.43) respectively. Mixtures of two or more ingredients were frequently used. The use of Pelophylax saharicus skin' was reported for the first time for the treatment of visible tumors and skin cancer. This is the first study documenting the traditional uses of various natural products for cancer treatment in Algeria. Our findings are relevant to document the traditional uses of numerous natural products and to provide background basis to search for novel compounds for cancer therapy.

Use of traditional and complementary medicine among Norwegian cancer patients in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used by cancer patients in Northern Norway, in particular spiritual forms like traditional healing. T&CM is mainly used complementary to conventional cancer treatment and is rarely discussed with conventional health care providers, increasing the risk of negative interaction with conventional cancer care. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of T&CM among cancer patients in Tromsø, and to investigate the differences in T&CM use between people living with cancer, people with cancer previously, and people without a history of cancer. METHOD: Data was drawn from the seventh survey of the Tromsø study conducted in 2015-2016. All inhabitants of Tromsø aged 40 and above were invited to participate (n = 32,591) of whom n = 21,083 accepted the invitation (response rate 65%). Data was collected thorough three self-administered questionnaires and a comprehensive clinical examination. Pearson chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests and one-way ANOVA tests were used to describe differences between the groups while binary logistic regressions were used for adjusted values. RESULTS: Eight percent of the participants (n = 1636) reported to have (n = 404) or have had (n = 1232) cancer. Of the participants with cancer at present 33.4% reported use of T&CM within the last year, 13.6% had consulted a T&CM provider, 17.9% had used herbal medicine/natural remedies and 6.4% had practiced self-help techniques. The participants with cancer at present were more likely to have visited a T&CM provider than participants with cancer previously (13.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.020). Among the participants with cancer at present, 6.4% reported to have consulted a TM provider, 5.8% had consulted an acupuncturist, while 4.7% had consulted other CM providers. Women were significantly more likely than men to have used acupuncture and self-help techniques. No significant gender differences were found regarding visits to other CM providers, TM providers nor use of herbal medicine/natural remedies. CONCLUSION: The findings are in line with previous research suggesting that both men and women use TM complementary to other CM modalities outside the official health care system. As herbal medicine might interact with conventional cancer treatment, health care providers need to discuss such use with their patients.

"Then I went to a hospital abroad": acknowledging implications of stakeholders' differing risk understandings related to use of complementary and alternative medicine in European health care contexts.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a rather novel issue within public healthcare and health policy-making. CAM use in Europe is widespread, patient-initiated, and patient-evaluated, and the regulation across countries has been evaluated as disharmonized. CAM users are left in an uncertain position, and patient safety may be threatened. How "risk" is understood by individuals in health policy-making and clinical encounters involving the use of CAM has not yet been much debated. The aim of this article is to explore and discuss the existence and possible consequences of differing risk understandings among stakeholders maneuvering in the complex landscape of CAM practice and CAM regulation contextualized by European public healthcare systems. METHODS: Qualitative data were derived from two studies on CAM in European healthcare contexts. Findings from the EU project CAMbrella on legislation and regulation of CAM were mixed with data from an interview study exploring risk understandings, communication, and decision-making among Scandinavian CAM users and their doctors. In a secondary content analysis, we constructed the case Sara as a typology to demonstrate important findings with regard to risk understandings and patient safety involving European citizens' use of CAM in differing contexts. RESULTS: By combining and comparing individual and structural perspectives on risk and CAM use, we revealed underexplored gaps in risk understandings among individuals involved in European CAM regulation and legislation, and between CAM users and their medical doctors. This may cause health risks and uncertainties associated with CAM use and regulation. It may also negatively influence doctor-CAM user communication and CAM users' trust in and use of public healthcare. CONCLUSION: Acknowledging implications of stakeholders' differing risk understandings related to CAM use and regulation may positively influence patient safety in European healthcare. Definitions of the concept of risk should include the factors uncertainty and subjectivity to grasp the full picture of possible risks associated with the use of CAM. To transform the findings of this study into practical settings, we introduce sets of questions relevant to operationalize the important question "What is risk?" in health policy-making, clinical encounters and risk research involving European patients' use of CAM.

Usage of Traditional and Complementary Medicine among Dengue Fever Patients in the Northeast Region of Peninsular Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The recent epidemic of dengue fever (DF) in Malaysia was alarming. The treatment of DF remains supportive as there is no anti-viral agent or vaccine available as yet. Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) provides an alternative option for the treatment of DF but there is limited evidence with regard to its usage. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, types and predictor factors of T&CM usage among DF patients in the northeast region of Peninsular Malaysia. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study of DF patients in the northeast region of Peninsular Malaysia who had been admitted to a tertiary centre from January 2014 until December 2015. Serologically-confirmed DF patients aged 18 years and above were randomly selected. Phone interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding the use of T&CM during hospitalisation. Notes were made regarding the prevalence and type of T&CM used. Binary logistic regressions were used to identify the predictor factors of T&CM usage. RESULTS: A total of 241 DF patients with a mean age of 36.62 (SD = 14.62) years were included. The estimated prevalence of T&CM usage was 84.6% (95%CI: 80.1%, 89.2%). The most common T&CM used were crab soup (85.3%), papaya leaf extract (64.2%) and isotonic drinks (61.8%). The significant predictors for T&CM usage were age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.97; 95%CI: 0.94, 0.99], tertiary education (AOR 3.86; 95%CI: 1.21, 12.32) and unemployment (AOR 2.55; 95%CI: 1.02, 6.42). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of T&CM usage in our population is high. Age, tertiary education and unemployment influence the use of T&CM.

A systematic review of integrative clinical trials for supportive care in pediatric oncology: a report from the International Society of Pediatric Oncology, T&CM collaborative.

PURPOSE: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) use in children with cancer is well established among high-income, upper middle-income, low-middle-income, and low-income countries (HIC, UMIC, LMIC, LIC, respectively). In HIC, a developing body of evidence exists for several T&CM therapies; however, evidence in other income settings is less well described despite a significantly higher use when compared to reports from HIC. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for T&CM for a variety of supportive care indications among children with cancer. METHODS: We performed a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines of randomized, controlled clinical trials from inception through September 2016. Our eligibility criteria were limited to T&CM studies performed in children and adolescents undergoing treatment for a pediatric malignancy. RESULTS: Of 6342 studies identified, 44 met inclusion criteria. Two clinical trials reported on acupuncture, 1 reported on aromatherapy, 9 evaluated massage therapy, and 32 reported on dietary supplements. Twenty-two studies were performed in HIC, 15 in UMIC, and 7 in LMIC. T&CM therapies were most commonly investigated for the prevention or management of mucositis, weight loss, and febrile neutropenia. Encouraging results were reported for select interventions; however, the majority of studies were classified as poor to fair quality. CONCLUSION: Our search revealed numerous clinical studies investigating the use of T&CM for supportive care purposes in pediatric oncology in HIC, UMIC, and LMIC. Although limited, these results could inform supportive care resource allocation and indicate where T&CM may serve to fill gaps where access to care may be limited.

Turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to traditional and complementary medicine practice does not make it go away: a qualitative study exploring perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders towards the integration of traditional and complementary medicine into medical school curriculum in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: A substantial proportion of healthcare professionals have inadequate understanding of traditional and complementary medicine and often consider their use inappropriate. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study to understand the perceptions and attitudes of medical students, medical school faculty and traditional and complementary medicine practitioners. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Thematic approach was used in data analysis to identify emerging themes and sub themes. Data analysis was supported with use of Atlas.ti v6.1.1. RESULTS: The majority of participants commended the inclusion of traditional and complementary medicine principles into medical school curricula. The main reasons advanced were that: patients are already using these medicines and doctors need to understand them; doctors would be more accommodating to use and not rebuke patients, thereby minimizing delays in care due to pursuit of alternative therapies; promote patient safety; foster therapeutic alliance and adherence to therapy; uphold patients' right to self-determination; lead to discovery of new drugs from traditional medicines; and set ground for regulation of practices and quality control. However, participants anticipated operational and ethical challenges that include inadequate number of faculty to teach the subject, congested curricula, increased costs in research and development to produce evidence-base data, obstruction by pharmaceutical companies, inaccessibility to and depletion of medicinal plants, and potential conflicts due to diversity in culture and values. A substantial minority of participants thought traditional medicine need not be taught in medical schools because there is lack of scientific evidence on efficacy, safety, and side effects profiles. These shortfalls could make the determination of benefits (beneficence) and harm (maleficence) difficult, as well as compromise the ability of physicians to adequately disclose benefits and harms to patients and family, thereby undermining the process of informed consent and patient autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: Training medical students in principles of traditional and complementary medicine is considered reasonable, feasible, and acceptable; and could lead to improvement in health outcomes. There are anticipated challenges to implementing a hybrid medical school curricula, but these are surmountable and need not delay introducing traditional and complementary medicine principles into medical school curricula in Uganda.

Sociocultural hegemony, gendered identity, and use of traditional and complementary medicine in Ghana.

This study investigated gender differences in the use of traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) in Ghana. Using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, we collected data from March to June 2013 from 324 randomly sampled adults in the Ashanti region. The prevalence of TCM use in the prior 12 months was 86 percent. Females constituted the majority (61 percent) of TCM users. Female TCM users were more likely than male users to have had only a basic education, been traders (p Ë‚ .0001), and have health insurance (p Ë‚ .05). Using multiple logistic regression, TCM use was associated with urban residence for females (odds ratio [OR] = 7.82; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-47.83) but negatively related for males (OR = 0.032; 95 percent CI: 0.002-0.63). Being self-employed was associated with TCM use among males (OR = 7.62; 95 percent CI: 1.22-47.60), while females' TCM use was associated with higher income (OR = 3.72; 95 percent CI: 1.21-11.48) and perceived efficacy of TCM (OR = 5.60; 95 percent CI: 1.78-17.64). The African sociocultural structure vests household decision-making power in men but apparently not regarding TCM use, and the factors associated with TCM use largely differed by gender. These findings provide ingredients for effective health policy planning and evaluation. Adoption and modernization of TCM should apply a gendered lens.

The use of traditional and complementary medicine among diabetes patients, and the awareness and attitudes of physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and reasons for use of traditional and complimentary medicines in diabetic patients, and the attitudes and behaviours of physicians towards the issue. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2015 to April 2016 at Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey, and comprised people aged 18 or more with an existing diagnosis of diabetes. A semi-structured questionnaire was used as the data-collection tool.. RESULTS: There were 386 respondents, and 179(46.4%) of them said they had used at least one type of traditional and complimentary medicine related to their diabetic condition. A significant relationship was noted between such usage and age, educational level, type of diabetes, monthly income, duration of diabetes, diabetic complications, gylcated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels <10 and ?10, and prescribed treatment. Besides, 135(75.41%) participants said they had not discussed their use of traditional and complimentary medicines with their physicians. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating diabetic patients, physicians should ask their patients about their use of traditional and complimentary medicines, and should provide them with detailed information on the subject.

Traditional and complementary medicine used with curative intent in childhood cancer: A systematic review.

Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) strategies are widely utilized in pediatric oncology, with many families reporting T&CM use with the intention to cure cancer. Study of T&CM agents presents many challenges, as a heterogeneous group of agents and techniques are used for a variety of different purpose in many different oncologic conditions. We present a systematic review of the literature examining published reports in which T&CM agents are used with an intention of cure. Twenty-two reports were identified, with most reports being of poor quality. Novel paradigms are likely needed to further investigate T&CM agents.

Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use among Cancer Patients in Asian Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Globally, cancer patients frequently use T&CM during their treatment for various reasons. The primary concerns regarding the use of T&CM among cancer patients are the potential risks associated with interactions between pharmaceuticals and T&CM, as well as the risk of noncompliance with conventional cancer treatments. Despite the higher prevalence of T&CM use in Asia, driven by cultural, historical, and resource-related factors, no prior review has tried to estimate the prevalence and influencing factors of T&CM use and disclosure among cancer patients in this region. This study aims to examine the prevalence and disclosure rates of T&CM use among cancer patients in Asia to assess various factors influencing its use across different cancer treatment settings in Asia. Systematic research on T&CM use was conducted using four databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHAL) from inception to January 2023. Quality was assessed using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of T&CM use, and data analysis was performed using Stata Version 16.0. Among the 4849 records retrieved, 41 eligible studies conducted in 14 Asian countries were included, involving a total of 14,976 participants. The pooled prevalence of T&CM use was 49.3%, ranging from 24.0% to 94.8%, and the disclosure rate of T&CM use was 38.2% (11.9% to 82.5%). The most commonly used T&CM modalities were herbal medicines and traditional medicine. Females were 22.0% more likely to use T&CM than males. A subgroup analysis revealed the highest prevalence of T&CM use was found in studies conducted in East Asia (62.4%) and those covered by both national and private insurance (55.8%). The disclosure rate of T&CM use to physicians remains low. Moreover, the factors influencing this disclosure are still insufficiently explored. Since the disclosure of T&CM use is a crucial indicator of patient safety and the quality of cancer treatment prognosis, future research should focus on identifying the determinants of non-disclosure.

Digital roots: harnessing digital platforms in advancing traditional and complementary medicine for cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The rise in cancer rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), combined with limited access to Western pharmaceuticals, has sparked growing adoption of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) for cancer treatment in the region. However, many challenges exist, including the lack of reliable evidence-based research on these products, scarcity of standardized documentation as part of cancer registries, limited physician expertise, and negative effects on mortality. Nonetheless, herbal medicines also present opportunities for further research, development, and stakeholder education, potentially benefiting the regional healthcare systems in SSA countries and global health as whole. Recent trends highlight the willingness of patients to use mobile-based applications that provide accurate information on herbal therapeutics, reflecting the increasing adoption of internet and smart/mobile phone services in SSA. To maximize the potential benefits of traditional and complementary medicine, it is necessary to bridge the trust gap between the public, local practitioners, and Western healthcare providers. Sustained funding and policy support are needed to complement these initiatives. Our preliminary survey hopes to inspire the community and policymakers to embrace innovative solutions, fostering a forward-looking approach to cancer care in SSA.