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Purpose: Nowadays, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used by cancer patients all over the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CAM use in patients with cancer in Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 320 cancer patients in Arak. For gathering information, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. This questionnaire was consisted of two parts: demographic and clinical information; and patient's attitude toward using complementary and alternative medicine treatments and their effectiveness, as well as how much they used different kinds of these treatments. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Results: Our findings showed that average age of participants was 55.11 ± 15.58. Most of them had leukemia (25.9%) and underwent chemotherapy (55%), and 141 (44.3%) of individuals were using CAM. Majority of patients (73.2%) were using CAM to improve physical conditions, 61.4% were using it simultaneously with conventional medical treatments, and 25% to reduce pain. Participants have reported visiting holy places, yoga, prayer therapy, and using medicinal plants and special diets, respectively. Conclusion: Considering the high number of patients using CAM treatments, proper planning and implementation to educate professional members of health team, especially doctors and nurses about CAM treatments is essential. The most important CAM treatments to be educated are spiritual therapies, yoga, medicinal plants, and diet therapy. Moreover, support and education about using these kinds of treatment should be considered in the supportive care program for patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Although the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been evaluated globally, there are few studies in our country on this subject. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, pattern of use, parental sources of information, and benefits of CAM in epileptic children in Tehran. Materials & Methods One hundred thirty-three parents or relatives of epileptic children who were referred to outpatient clinics or admitted in neurologic ward of four major hospitals in Tehran, were interviewed by our researcher based on a structured questionnaire; from 2009 to 2010. The information obtained comprised the demographic data of patients and their parents, frequency and morphology of convulsions, the type and sources of CAM and finally, the benefits and adverse effects of this practice. Results Forty-four percent of the respondents had used CAM methods either alone or in combination with other methods. The most frequently used CAM was written prayers followed by oral herbs and special diets. CAM was mainly introduced to them by relatives. Only 16.7% of these parents had discussed this matter with their children's physicians. No efficacy to control seizure was observed for most of these methods. Conclusion This study showed that use of CAM in our study group is relatively common and may have a potentially hazardous role in the treatment process. So, it is necessary for physicians to have enough information about CAM practice in their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming increasingly popular in Middle Eastern countries; it is often used for paediatric medical conditions such as chronic gastrointestinal complaints and failure to thrive. It is also commonly used in patients with chronic hepatic conditions such as cirrhosis and in hepatic transplant patients., Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, types and associated factors of CAM use in children with hepatogastrointestinal disease in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran., Methods: In a cross-sectional study carried out during September 2013-January 2014, 238 parents of children attending a paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences received a self-administered questionnaire covering associated factors of complementary and alternative medicine use; 210 questionnaires were completed and returned., Results: Complementary and alternative medicine was used by 103 patients (49%); 74 (71.8%) of these used herbal remedies. Older age of the child significantly increased CAM use. Those with previous positive experience of CAM (62.1% of users, 40.2% of non-users) and those who had received recommendation for CAM by health care providers (24.3% of users, 6.6% of non-users) were significantly more likely to use CAM., Conclusions: This survey demonstrated the high prevalence of CAM use (especially herbal remedies) in paediatric patients with hepatogastrointestinal diseases., (Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo).)