Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use Among Cancer Patients in Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used in South Asian countries such as Nepal. There are various causes and contributing factors for patients with cancer to consider using T&CM. However, little is known about the use of T&CM among the cancer population in this region. Methods The study followed a cross-sectional design using a structured survey questionnaire. Survey participants were recruited from two National hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The survey instrument comprised 30 questions, including variables on demographics, use of T&CM, and perceived level of disease severity, and cancer treatment. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for data analysis using SPSS ver. 23.0. Results Of 908 participants, 31.6% used one or more modalities of T&CM after a cancer diagnosis. The most commonly used T&CM was Ayurveda, followed by Yoga. 46.1% of T&CM users discussed their use with their doctors. Education level, residential area, employment, cancer type and stage, and self-rated disease severity were strong predictors of T&CM use. Conclusion This study underlined that despite the widespread use of T&CM among cancer patients in Nepal, most patients obtained related information from informal sources and did not disclose their use to physicians. To ensure the safe use of T&CM modalities, physicians should integrate questions on T&CM use into routine patient assessments in order to facilitate active communication and improve the quality of care.