Australian Cancer Network Working Party, (2010) Complementary and alternative therapies. In: Austrailan Cancer Network Working Party, , (ed.) Clinical practice guidelines for the management of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. Clinical Practice Guidelines . Austrailan Cancer Council, Sydney, NSW, pp. 105-108.

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Abstract

[Extract:] The use of complementary and alternative (or unproven) medicine (CAM) has continued to increase. In 2004 it was reported that 52.2% of the Australian population used CAM. In North America the reported prevalence of CAM usage in prostate cancer lies between 18 and 45%.

It is important that clinicians know about their patient's current and proposed CAM use as some CAM therapies can interfere with other therapies. However, a survey of patients using both conventional and complementary therapies found that many patients do not inform their doctor of their CAM use because they were not asked and because they did not see it important for the doctor to know.3 To gain a comprehensive picture of CAM use and thus avoid possible adverse interactions it is important that all patients be carefully questioned as to their current or proposed usage of CAM agents in a supportive, understanding and non-judgmental way. Schofield et al. provides recommendations and suggestions on how to discuss CAM usage. Their systematic review revealed that there is no level IV or higher evidence for communicating about CAM with cancer patients. As a result their recommendations are based on a systematic review of descriptive studies of, a review of generic communication skills and expert opinion.

Item ID:	33957
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Non-Research)
ISBN:	978-0-9775060-9-5
Copyright Information:	© Cancer Council Australia/Australian Cancer Network 2010. Open Access via the publisher's website.
Additional Information:	Prof. Sabe Sabeson was a member of the Australian Cancer Network Management of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Working Party, chaired by Prof. Villis Marshall.
Date Deposited:	18 Dec 2019 00:09
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9202 Health and Support Services > 920299 Health and Support Services not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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