Hensel M et al. - In a study to examine the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pts with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), it seems that pts with CLL use a wide range of CAM, among them potentially harmful methods Methods
A structured questionnaire was sent to 247 CLL pts of all clinical stages and disease durations, treated and untreated
The questionnaire was returned anonymously by 87 pts
Results
39 pts had used alternative treatments
No correlation was seen with educational level, gender, or previous or current chemotherapy
The most common alternative or complementary treatment modality was vitamin supplementation, followed by mineral, homeopathic, and mistletoe therapy
21% of pts considered their alternative treatment as being successful
Most pts reported that they decided to use CAM after conducting a personal investigation and based on information they found, without outside recommendations
The majority of pts used pt brochures about CLL as an important source of information, followed by specific lectures or the internet
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