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Category: Project

Description: Cancer, often mistaken as a single disease, actually encompasses over 100 distinct conditions arising from cellular abnormalities. Cancerous cells multiply uncontrollably due to evading growth regulators, leading to tumor development. Malignant tumors, marked by erratic growth, metastasize, causing over 90% of cancer-related deaths. The global cancer burden is rising due to aging populations and cancer-promoting behaviors. GLOBOCAN estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10.0 million deaths in 2020. While chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are standard treatments, new approaches like immunotherapy and nanoparticles are advancing, although they come with substantial drawbacks. Hence, cancer patients are turning to Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine (CAIM) for holistic support. CAIM, encompassing diverse therapies like acupuncture, yoga, and herbal supplements, is gaining traction among cancer patients. However, understanding historical CAIM trends is unclear, and healthcare professionals lack evidence-based guidance on CAIM use in oncology. Patients use various CAIM methods, such as herbs and vitamins, influenced by education, income, disease stage, distress, and age. The ongoing debate over CAIM's effectiveness contributes to inconsistent recommendations. Consequently, patients often avoid discussing CAIM with clinicians, who are ill-informed about it. Researcher perspectives on CAIM remain unexplored. This investigation aims to explore the current perceptions of both oncology researchers and clinicians towards CAIM. The survey will gather data from oncology clinicians and medical researchers within various settings and geographic regions through a large-scale and international cross-sectional approach in hopes of gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the global perspectives of oncology clinicians and researchers on CAIM.