Complementary and Integrative Approaches to Cancer: A Pilot Survey of Attitudes and Habits among Cancer Patients in Italy
Table 1
TCIM and therapy phases of patients.
BP
MBP
Both
No. of TCIM taking patients
A
Distribution of TCIM users (n = 296 72.9%)
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
228
56.2
191
47.0%
123
30%
116
28.6%
Therapy phase
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
B
Before therapy
Total
22
9.6%
11
5.8%
5
4.1%
20
17.2%
Waiting for the therapy
0.0%
12
54.5%
4
36.4%
11
55.0%
I was excised/I will undergo surgery
0.0%
10
45.5%
7
63.6%
9
45.0%
In therapy
Total
104
45.6%
62
32.5%
49
39.8%
52
44.8%
Neoadjuvant
17
16.35%
6
9.7%
11
21.2%
Adjuvant therapy
57
54.8%
42
67.7%
29
55.8%
Exclusive therapy
21
20.2%
9
14.5%
10
19.2%
Not specified
9
8.7%
5
8.1%
2
3.8%
After the therapy
Total
75
32.9%
92
48.2%
50
40.7%
31
26.7%
Follow-up long-term survivor
0.0%
53
70.7%
52
56.5%
23
74.2%
0.0%
22
29.3%
40
43.5%
8
25.8%
Palliative therapy and pain management
6
22.2%
7
3.7%
3
2.4%
6
5.2%
Refused the therapy
5
23.8%
5
2.1%
4
3.3%
1
0.1%
Not specified or not known
16
7.0%
15
7.9%
12
9.8%
6
5.2%
(A) Distribution of BP patients, MBP patients, or patients using both approaches, (left columns), compared to patients not taking TCIM (right columns). (B) Patients taking TCIM in relation to stage of therapy. TCIM : Traditional Complementary Integrative Medicine; BP, herbals integrators nutraceuticals, food supplements, etc.; MBP: mind-body practices.
