Complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Systematic review published in Prev Med Rep (2024)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer patients frequently turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatments, alleviate stress, manage comorbidities, and address the cancer itself. This systematic review aims to investigate descriptive studies conducted in Iran, focusing on the prevalence and methods of CAM use among cancer patients. METHODS: A thorough search of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Magiran, and the Scientific Information Database (SID) was conducted in both English and Persian from inception to July 2023. Inclusion criteria targeted studies exploring the frequency and patterns of CAM utilization among Iranian patients across diverse cancer types. RESULTS: A total of 604 articles were found in the preliminary search, and 14 were included in this review. Among the 3,990 participants in the included studies, a weighted average of 51.83% (range 4.6%-100%) had used at least one CAM method. The most commonly used CAM methods were prayer (41.8%), medicinal herbs (30.1%), traditional and folk treatments (27.2%), bloodletting (17.3%), and hydrotherapy (13%). Patients reported using CAM for various reasons, including their beliefs, desire to cure the disease, reduce stress, positive past experiences, and improve physical condition. On average, 39% of patients informed their physicians about their CAM use. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the relatively prevalent adoption of CAM by Iranian cancer patients. Given the low rate of disclosure to physicians, there is a compelling need for healthcare system vigilance and monitoring to ensure comprehensive patient care.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Systematic review and meta-analysis of CAM use among Iranian cancer patients including hirudotherapy among traditional therapy modalities.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This systematic review investigates the prevalence and methods of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among 3,990 cancer patients across 14 studies in Iran. The abstract reports that bloodletting was used by 17.3% of patients, alongside prayer (41.8%), medicinal herbs (30.1%), traditional and folk treatments (27.2%), and hydrotherapy (13%). The abstract does not specify whether 'bloodletting' refers to leech therapy, wet cupping, or other techniques, and makes no mention of leeches, hirudotherapy, or the leech secretome. Because the nature of the bloodletting practices is unspecified, the relevance to ASH's domain is unconfirmed and indirect.
Citation
Complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Yousefi et al. · Preventive medicine reports, 2024
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