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Weathering the seasons of cancer survivorship: mind-body therapy use and reported reasons and outcomes by stages of cancer survivorship

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Abstract

Purpose

Mind-body therapies (MBTs), a subset of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), are used by cancer survivors to manage symptoms related to their cancer experience. MBT use may differ by cancer survivorship stage (i.e., acute, short-term, long-term) because each stage presents varying intensities of medical activities, associated emotions, and treatment effects. We examined the relationship between MBT use and survivorship stage (acute <1 year; short-term 1 to 5 years; long-term >5 years since diagnosis) using the CAM supplement of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. We also examined reported reasons for and outcomes of MBT use and frequency of MBT types.

Methods

The sample included cancer survivors (N = 3076) and non-cancer controls (N = 31,387). Logistic regression tested the relationship of MBT use and survivorship stage. Weighted percentages were calculated by survivorship stage for reported reasons and outcomes of use and frequency of MBT types.

Results

MBT use varied by cancer survivorship stage (p = 0.02): acute (8.3 %), short-term (15.4 %), long-term (11.7 %) survivorship and non-cancer controls (13.2 %). In the adjusted model, short-term survivors had 35 % greater odds of MBT use than did controls (95 % CI 1.00, 1.83). Reasons for and outcomes of MBT use varied among the survivorship stages, with more acute survivors reporting medical-related reasons and more short-term survivors reporting to manage symptoms.

Conclusions

MBT may fulfill different symptom management needs at varying stages of survivorship. These findings can help inform supportive care services of survivors’ use of MBT for symptom burden at each stage and the allocation of these services.

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Acknowledgements

The first author, R.A. Campo, was funded by a postdoctoral research fellowship (T32-AT003378) from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NCCIH or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, CB# 7200, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Rebecca A. Campo, Karyn L. Leniek, Nicole Gaylord-Scott, Keturah R. Faurot & Susan A. Gaylord

  2. School of Education, Lehman College, The City University of New York, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA

    Sunyata Smith

  3. Department of Family Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Gary Asher

  4. Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Department of Family Medicine, CB#7595, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Deborah Porterfield

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  1. Rebecca A. Campo
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Correspondence to Rebecca A. Campo.

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The authors have no actual or potential conflicts of interest with the organization that sponsored the research (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health). The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested.

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Campo, R.A., Leniek, K.L., Gaylord-Scott, N. et al. Weathering the seasons of cancer survivorship: mind-body therapy use and reported reasons and outcomes by stages of cancer survivorship. Support Care Cancer 24, 3783–3791 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3200-8

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