92 Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is common among prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The benefits and risks of the majority of CAM is inconclusive, and thus understanding trends in use is necessary to guide future research. We sought to investigate the prevalence of CAM use and trends in newly diagnosed PCa patients using the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE). Methods: Between 1996-2017, 7,989 CaPSURE subjects completed questionnaires on use of over 50 CAM types. For prevalence, subjects were identified as users if they ever indicated CAM use. We then performed univariate analyses to examine associations between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with CAM use using chi-squared tests. To observe trends in CAM use among newly diagnosed patients, we limited subject responses to questionnaires completed within 24 months of diagnosis (7,358 subjects). We then grouped subjects by diagnosis year and calculated percent change in use. Results: Overall, 56% of subjects reported any CAM use. Commonly used CAM were multivitamins (40% of participants) and essential fatty acids and omega-3 (24% of participants). Compared to non-CAM users, a greater proportion of CAM users were college-educated, had a higher household income, and lived in the West and Midwest regions of the U.S (all p < 0.01). In exploring trends, we found that overall CAM use increased by +203% (19% to 56%) between those diagnosed in 1996-1999 and 2010-2017. Between those diagnosed in 2005-2009 and 2010-2017, the largest changes in use were seen in acupuncture (+289%), Vitamin D (+204%), selenium (-59%), and vitamin E (-39%). Conclusions: PCa patients reported widespread CAM use in 1996-2017. Multivitamins were the most prevalent CAM, and use of acupuncture and Vitamin D increased dramatically. This information may help to prioritize research needs and reinforces the importance of discussing CAM use with patients, with referral to specialists (e.g., nutritionists) when indicated.
Instrument to Measure Health Literacy About Complementary and Alternative Medicine
