Abstract
BackgroundBetween 7% and 48% of cancer patients report taking herbal medicines after diagnosis. Because of the possibility of unwanted side effects or interactions with conventional treatments, people with cancer are generally advised to tell the professionals treating them if they are taking any form of medication, including herbal medicines and supplements. Studies suggest that only about half do so and that the professionals themselves have at best very limited knowledge and feel unable to give informed advice. This study is intended to inform the future development of information resources for cancer patients, survivors and healthcare professionals including tools for use before or during consultation to make it easier for patients to mention, and for healthcare professionals to ask about, use of herbal medications.Methods/designThis is a three-phase study. In phase 1, a systematic review of the literature on self-medication with herbal medicines among UK populations living with cancer will establish the current evidence base on use of herbal medicine, sources of information, characteristics and motivations. This will allow us to better understand what aspects need further investigation and inform the topic guide for a qualitative study (phase 2). Six focus groups of six to eight cancer patients who have used at least one herbal preparation since diagnosis will explore behaviour, beliefs, knowledge, information sources and needs in an informal conversational setting.Informed by the findings of the systematic review and qualitative study, in phase 3 we will construct and pilot a questionnaire for a future large-scale survey to quantify and prioritise people's beliefs, needs and information preferences.DiscussionDespite known interactions with conventional cancer treatments and contraindications for some herbal remedies with specific cancers, reliable information resources for patients are very limited. Identifying cancer patients' information needs and preferences is the first step in creating a suitable resource for both the public and the professionals advising them.
Highlights
Between 7% and 48% of cancer patients report taking herbal medicines after diagnosis
Identifying cancer patients' information needs and preferences is the first step in creating a suitable resource for both the public and the professionals advising them
Some herbal medicines may cause problems unrelated to cancer; black cohosh, used by women taking hormonal medications after breast cancer, is associated in rare cases with serious liver problems [6]. This herb is contra-indicated for women with oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer because of uncertainty about possible oestrogenic activity, as are Dong Quai and ginseng which have been shown to stimulate cell growth in a human breast cancer cell line
Summary
Most research into cancer patients' use of, and attitudes to, herbal medicines in the UK is carried out in the context of CAM generally. It is difficult to unravel the beliefs and information needs about complementary and alternative therapies with little potential for harm, such as reflexology or homeopathy, from those about herbal remedies, which have the potential both for harm and good. Some herbal medications can be dangerous, both in their own right and by interacting with cancer treatments. There is no information readily available about the herbal remedies that people living with cancer use during and after their treatment, nor on the beliefs, motivations, knowledge and behaviour involved. Reliable information resources for patients, especially in the UK, are very lim-
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