Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Oncology Patients in the City of Bucaramanga, Colombia

Uso de Medicina Complementaria y Alternativa en Pacientes Oncológicos en la Ciudad de Bucaramanga, Colombia

Published 2025-04-08

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Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)
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Research Article
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Martínez-Ramos N, Serrano Díaz NC, Uribe-Pérez CJ, Quintero-Lesmes DC, Mariño-Manrique C, Murillo R. Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Oncology Patients in the City of Bucaramanga, Colombia. Rev. Investig. Innov. Cienc. Salud [Internet]. 2025 Apr. 8 [cited 2025 Jun. 6];7(2):1-15. Available from: https://riics.info/index.php/RCMC/article/view/377
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https://doi.org/10.46634/riics.377
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Nicolás Martínez-Ramos
Pontifical Xavierian University image/svg+xml
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4461-9660
Norma Cecilia Serrano Díaz
Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia image/svg+xml
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3532-2002
Claudia Janeth Uribe-Pérez
Autonomous University of Bucaramanga image/svg+xml
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Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6640-5938
Doris Cristina Quintero-Lesmes
Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia image/svg+xml
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8875-0110
Carolina Mariño-Manrique
Universidad de Valencia image/svg+xml
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5704-8465
Show authors biography

Nicolás Martínez-Ramos,

Facultad de Ciencias; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Bogotá; Colombia.

Norma Cecilia Serrano Díaz,

Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia; Floridablanca; Colombia.

Claudia Janeth Uribe-Pérez,

Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga; Bucaramanga; Colombia.

Doris Cristina Quintero-Lesmes,

Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia; Floridablanca; Colombia.

Carolina Mariño-Manrique,

Statistics and Operative research; Universidad de Valencia; Valencia; España.

Raúl Murillo,

1 Facultad de Medicina; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Bogotá; Colombia.
2 Centro Javeriano de Oncología; Hospital Universitario San Ignacio; Bogotá; Colombia.

Introduction. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used by oncology patients worldwide, often alongside conventional treatments. Understanding the frequency of use and motivations for CAM use is essential to improve patient-centered cancer care and guidance.

Objective. To determine the frequency of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in oncology patients in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Method. Descriptive study; patients were surveyed at a health center in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Adult patients with any type of cancer, at all clinical stages, and who were undergoing active treatment were included.

Results. A total of 528 patients were included. Seventy-one percent were women, with an average age of 56.6 years. The most common cancer diagnoses were breast, colon, and stomach neoplasms. The CAM’s frequency of use was 67%, the majority of whom were women and patients with an educational level close to primary school. The primary reason for use was for palliative purposes, but a significant number used it for a curative purpose. The most commonly used products by patients were special foods of natural origin, including soursop and soursop leaves. As the main source of information about CAM, 86% reported obtaining this information from people other than the healthcare team.

Conclusion. A high proportion of oncology patients undergoing active treatment use CAM. It is necessary to incorporate this information into patient care and to develop services that guide such practices.

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