The effect of self-selected complementary therapies on cancer patients’ quality of life and symptom distress: A prospective cohort study in an integrative oncology setting

• Published in: Complementary therapies in medicine 2018-04, Vol.37, p.1-5
• Main Authors: Stomski, N.J., Petterson, A., Kristjanson, L., Lobb, E.A., Phillips, M., Williams, A., Morrison, P., Joske, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Age; Aged; Alternative medicine; Australia; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Cohort analysis; Complementary therapies; Complementary Therapies - statistics & numerical data; Complementary Therapies - utilization; Counseling; Distress; Female; Gender; Hospitals; Humans; Integrative Oncology - methods; Intervention; Leukemia; Lymphoma; Male; Meditation; Melanoma; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - psychology; Neoplasms - therapy; Oncology; Patients; Prospective Studies; Prospective study; Prostate; Quality of Life; Radiation therapy; Reiki; Surgery; Systematic review; Therapy
• ISSN: 0965-2299; 1873-6963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.01.006

•Cancer patients commonly use complementary medicine therapies as an adjunct to standard care.•The provision of integrative oncology is often informed by a patient-centred approach.•This study examined the effect of a complementary therapies intervention on quality of life and symptom distress outcomes for cancer patients.•Linear mixed effect models demonstrated improvements in quality of life and reductions in symptom distress over six sessions.•Expanding the availability of complementary therapies in hospitals should be considered given the benefits that may follow. To examine the effectiveness of a multifaceted complementary therapies intervention, delivered in a systematic manner within an Australian public hospital setting, on quality of life and symptom distress outcomes for cancer patients. Adults receiving treatment for any form of cancer were eligible to participate in this study. Self-referred participants were offered a course of six complementary therapy sessions. Measures were administered at baseline, and at the third and sixth visit. The primary outcomes were quality of life and symptom distress. Linear mixed models were used to assess change in the primary outcomes. In total, 1376 cancer patients participated in this study. The linear mixed models demonstrated that there were significant improvements in quality of life and significant reductions in symptom distress over six sessions. Body-based therapies demonstrated significantly superior improvement in quality of life over counselling, but no other differences between therapies were identified. Reduced symptom distress was not significantly associated with any particular type of therapy. A self-selected complementary therapies intervention, provided in an Australian public hospital by accredited therapists, for cancer patients significantly mproved quality of life and reduced symptom distress. The effect of this intervention on quality of life has particular salience, since cancer impacts on many areas of people’s lives and impairs quality of life.