Patients Two hundred consecutive outpatients with consecutive head and neck cancer. Increased use of alternative medicine occurred among patients of younger age, having a postsecondary education, higher personal income, and Indo-Asian extraction. Of those patients using alternative anticancer therapy, increased use was noted among patients with tumors of the nasopharynx, nonsquamous cell carcinoma pathology, and recurrent disease. Conventional mode of treatment had no association with alternative medicine use. Physicians were believed to be the most knowledgeable about alternative medicine, while the usual proponents of alternative medicine were identified least frequently.
Patients view physicians as being knowledgeable about alternative medicine.
Otolaryngologists should inform themselves about alternative medicine to counsel patients more effectively. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Accepted for publication December 18, 1998. All rights reserved.