Utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is rapidly increasing for various non-communicable diseases, including cancer, presenting a complex challenge. However, few studies have examined CAM utilization in Nepal. A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study design was conducted in a cancer-specialized hospital in Nepal to determine the use of CAM using a 29-item survey questionnaire designed to collect data on demographic and clinical characteristics and CAM utilization practices, based on the existing literature. Descriptive statistics and multivariate binary logistic regression were conducted in SPSS version 29 to identify significant influencing factors, with P-values < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Out of 101 participants, more than half (56.4%) used it for over a year. The commonly observed CAM was naturopathy and herbal products (such as amala, tulushi, aleovera, barley & wheat grass) (53.4%) and dietary supplements (43.6%). Majority of CAM users perceived it as effective (88.1%) and helpful in mostly alleviating nausea (76.4%). In multivariate analysis, only the use of yoga and meditation was independently associated with planning to continue CAM use (AOR: 8.939; 95% CI: 1.68-47.567). Majority of the patients with cancer were using CAM for more than a year, with naturopathy and herbal products among the highest modalities of CAM. The prolonged use of CAM among patients underscores the need to further educate patients on its long-term consequences, along with patient safety.