Use of Unproved Cancer Treatment by Patients in a Radiation Oncology Department

Abstract

A survey of patients' use of unorthodox cancer therapies was conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology of Montefiore Medical Center and Alben Einstein College of Medicine (The Bronx, New York) in the summer of 1988. Twelve percent of the patients interviewed used unorthodox treatments, including specia1 diets, metabolic therapy, and mental image, while receiving radiation therapy. These patients tended to be white and well educated. None used harmful therapies or refused conventional treatment. These results are consistent with those reported in the literature. Patients view their physicians as an important source of information about their disease and are often willing to discuss unorthodox treatments with their physicians. The authors recommend that physicians discuss the use of unconventional treatments with their patients in a nonjudgmental manner and alert them to any potential risks associated with those treatments. They also suggest that physicians offer patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials as an alternative to using unconventional treatments.