Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in Breast Cancer Treatment by Traditional Health Practitioners in Central Uganda

The study aimed to document the existing knowledge and practices related to breast cancer recognition and treatment using medicinal plants by traditional health practitioners in Central Uganda. This cross-sectional exploratory survey, conducted between February and August 2020, applied a mixed metho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare 2023-01, Vol.16, p.635-651
Main Authors: Lutoti, Stephen, Kaggwa, Bruhan, Kamba, Pakoyo Fadhiru, Mukonzo, Jackson, Sesaazi, Crispin Duncan, Katuura, Esther
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breast cancer
breast tumors
Cancer
Cancer therapies
Care and treatment
Drug therapy
Drugs
Ethnobotany
ethnomedicine
Health
Herbal medicine
Households
indigenous knowledge
Knowledge
Medicinal plants
Medicine, Botanic
Medicine, Herbal
Mixed methods research
Oncology, Experimental
Original Research
Questionnaires
Radiation therapy
Sample size
Surveys
Validity
Vincristine
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Summary:The study aimed to document the existing knowledge and practices related to breast cancer recognition and treatment using medicinal plants by traditional health practitioners in Central Uganda. This cross-sectional exploratory survey, conducted between February and August 2020, applied a mixed methods research approach. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 119 traditional health practitioners (THPs) in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono. Content analysis of qualitative data was done. Quantitative ethnobotanical survey indices, namely user reports (Nur), percentage of respondents with knowledge (PRK), informant consensus factor (Fic), fidelity level (FL), preference ranks (PR) and direct matrix ranking (DMR) were determined. Most THPs recognized breast cancer by breast swelling (n=74, 62.2%) and breast pain (n=29, 24.4%). They cited 30 plants from 30 genera in 23 families (Fic 0.75 on breast cancer). Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Rutaceae were the predominant families. The ten most cited plants were L. (Nur=24), (L.f.) Wild & R.B.Drumm (Nur =19), Nur=11), sp. (Nur=10), L. (Nur=8), (Wall.) Choisy (Nur=7), DC. (Nur=5), (Jacq.) R.Br. (Nur=4), (L.) Moench (Nur=4) and Engl. (Nur=3). L. was highly preferred by THPs (PR 1), Ficus sp. had highest fidelity level (FL=77%) and Engl. ranked as the highest multipurpose plant (DMR 1). Herbs (n=14, 47%) were the most commonly used life forms besides trees (n=11, 37%) and shrubs (n=5, 16%). THPs mostly used leaves (46%), prepared decoctions (82%) and applied residues on the breast. THPs in Central Uganda recognized breast cancer by symptoms. Medicinal plants applied in its folk treatment have been documented and the claims of cure by THPs merit further investigation.
ISSN:1178-2390
1178-2390
DOI:10.2147/JMDH.S387256