A Survey on the Prescribing Orientation Towards Complementary Therapies Among Oncologists in Italy: Symptoms and Unmet Patient Needs.

IF 1.8 4区医学 Q3 MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL In vivo Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI:10.21873/invivo.13905

Maria Rosaria Valerio, Giuseppa Scandurra, Martina Greco, Vittorio Gebbia, Dario Piazza, Daniela Sambataro

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Abstract

Background/aim: A high percentage of cancer patients use complementary therapies (CM) during their disease journey. Several barriers for CM prescription still exist among oncologists. This study explored oncologists' attitudes toward prescribing CM with oral supplements or confirming prescriptions made by others.

Materials and methods: The study employed a mixed semi-quantitative and qualitative research strategy via a web-based platform interview as a preliminary step for a program of observational studies on the oncologist's prescriptions of oral supplements in cancer management, in Italy.

Results: Out of 95 invited oncologists, 40 participated in the study, mainly working in a general hospital or a cancer center. The deep knowledge of guidelines on integrative medicine was generally poor. The symptoms driving oncologists to initiate discussions on CM with patients were fatigue, anorexia/poor appetite, weight loss, insomnia, distress, neuropathy, or pain. The presence of reliable data in the medical literature on prescribing CM was a significant factor in choosing a supplement.

Conclusion: This study reveals that oncologists' limited knowledge and lack of standardized guidelines hinder the prescription of CM, despite recognizing its potential benefits. CM discussions are primarily patient-driven, with prescriptions influenced by reliable scientific data and symptom management. Expanding integrative medicine services and research on CM efficacy could enhance oncologists' confidence, improve patient care, and address unmet needs in oncology.

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背景/目的：很大比例的癌症患者在患病期间会使用辅助疗法（CM）。肿瘤学家在开具中医处方时仍存在一些障碍。本研究探讨了肿瘤学家对使用口服补充剂开具中药处方或确认他人处方的态度：本研究采用了半定量和定性相结合的研究策略，通过网络平台进行访谈，作为在意大利开展肿瘤学家在癌症治疗中开具口服补充剂处方的观察研究计划的第一步：在 95 位受邀的肿瘤学家中，有 40 位参与了研究，他们主要在综合医院或癌症中心工作。他们对综合医学指南的了解普遍较少。促使肿瘤学家开始与患者讨论中医治疗的症状包括疲劳、厌食/食欲不振、体重减轻、失眠、痛苦、神经病变或疼痛。医学文献中关于中药处方的可靠数据是选择补充剂的一个重要因素：本研究表明，尽管认识到中药的潜在益处，但肿瘤学家有限的知识和标准化指南的缺乏阻碍了中药处方的开具。中药讨论主要以患者为主导，处方受可靠的科学数据和症状管理的影响。扩大中西医结合服务和中药疗效研究可增强肿瘤学家的信心，改善患者护理，满足肿瘤学领域尚未满足的需求。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

In vivo 医学-医学：研究与实验

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

4.30%

发文量

330

审稿时长

3-8 weeks

期刊介绍： IN VIVO is an international peer-reviewed journal designed to bring together original high quality works and reviews on experimental and clinical biomedical research within the frames of physiology, pathology and disease management. The topics of IN VIVO include: 1. Experimental development and application of new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; 2. Pharmacological and toxicological evaluation of new drugs, drug combinations and drug delivery systems; 3. Clinical trials; 4. Development and characterization of models of biomedical research; 5. Cancer diagnosis and treatment; 6. Immunotherapy and vaccines; 7. Radiotherapy, Imaging; 8. Tissue engineering, Regenerative medicine; 9. Carcinogenesis.