Complementary and alternative medicine use among pediatric cancer patients: A cross-sectional study from a large healthcare system in Saudi Arabia

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used among patients with cancer, with most studies focusing on its use in adults. However, only a few studies have specifically focused on pediatric patients with cancer, with no studies reported in the Gulf area. This study investigated the prevalence and pattern of CAM use among pediatric patients with cancer in Saudi Arabia. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a validated questionnaire was used to collect data from 211 caregivers of pediatric patients with cancer who received care at the pediatric oncology department at King Abdulaziz Medical City. The prevalence of CAM use was 90 % (95 % CI = 85 %–93 %). The most prominent category of CAM used was alternative (nondietary) treatment (184; 87.2 %), which included reading the Quran (165; 86.8 %) and use of olive oil as a lotion (91; 47.6 %). In contrast, complementary (dietary) treatment was less prevalent (60; 28.4 %). The most common complementary treatments were drinking Zamzam water (59; 31.1 %) and consuming honey (37; 19.5 %). Among the caregivers who used CAM for their children and reported improvements, most of them (49; 81 %) attributed this improvement to CAM and standard medical treatment, whereas only six (5.2 %) attributed it to CAM alone. A few number of children received risky CAM products (camel urine with milk, traditional cautery). Most caregivers did not discuss the use of CAM with their children’s oncologists. CAM use was prevalent among pediatric patients with cancer, with no significant associations with demographic or disease characteristics.