Bull Cancer. 2003 Jul; 90(7): 623-8.

[Patients' attraction to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM): a reality which physicians can neither ignore nor deny]

Dilhuydy JM.

Institut BergoniÃ©, Centre rÃ©gional de lutte contre le cancer, 229, cours de l'Argonne, 33076 Bordeaux, France. dilhuydy-jm@bergonie.org

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is very frequent in cancer patients. The reasons of this attraction are very complex. Cultural context, psychological and functional status of the patients (anxiety, depression, more physical symptoms) emerge as significative predictors. Dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, lack of holism (inadequate information regarding diet, nutrition, exercise and ignorance of social and spiritual dimensions) are important motivations for turning to CAM. To optimise the patient-physician relationship and to avoid a propensity to ineproved treatments, accurate and adequate communication is necessary.Copyright John Libbey Eurotext 2003.