Traditional and complementary medicine use among cancer patients in Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract The primary contentious issues surrounding non-pharmacological intervention, such as the use of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) by cancer patients, are noncompliance with treatment and potential hazards arising from drug-T&CM interactions. The aim of this review was to determine the prevalence and disclosure rate of T&CM use among cancer patients in Asia. Systematic research was performed on the four databases inception to January 2023. The pooled prevalence estimate of T&CM use was pooled using random-effects models. Among the 4,849 records retrieved, 41 eligible studies conducted in 14 Asian countries were included, involving a total of 14,976 participants. The pooled prevalence estimate of T&CM use was 49.3%, ranging from 24.0% to 94.8%, and the disclosure rate of T&CM use was 38.2% (11.9% to 82.5%). Females were 22.0% more likely to use T&CM than males. Subgroup analysis revealed the highest prevalence of T&CM use was found in studies conducted in East Asia (62.4%), those covered by both national and private insurance (55.8%), and studies before 2011 (53.4%). The prevalence of T&CM use among cancer patients is high; however, the disclosure rate of T&CM use to physicians is still less. Disclosure of T&CM use is among the key indicators of patient safety and prognosis quality in cancer treatment. Therefore, future studies in the field should include influencing factors of non-disclosure of T&CM use.