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Risk of interactions between complementary and alternative medicine and medication for comorbidities in patients with melanoma

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Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used widely among cancer patients. Beside the risk of interaction with cancer therapies, interactions with treatment for comorbidities are an underestimated problem. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of interactions between CAM and drugs for comorbidities from a large CAM usage survey on melanoma patients and to classify herb–drug interactions with regard to their potential to harm. Consecutive melanoma outpatients of seven skin cancer centers were asked to complete a standardized CAM questionnaire including questions to their CAM use and their taken medication for comorbidities and cancer. Each combination of conventional drugs and complementary substances was evaluated for their potential of interaction. 1089 questionnaires were eligible for evaluation. From these, 61.6 % of patients reported taking drugs regularly from which 34.4 % used biological-based CAM methods. Risk evaluation for interaction was possible for 180 CAM users who listed the names or substances they took for comorbidities. From those patients, we found 37.2 % at risk of interaction of their co-consumption of conventional and complementary drugs. Almost all patients using Chinese herbs were at risk (88.6 %). With a high rate of CAM usage at risk of interactions between CAM drugs and drugs taken for comorbidities, implementation of a regular assessment of CAM usage and drugs for comorbidities is mandatory in cancer care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Carmen Loquai

  2. Institute of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Dagmar Dechent

  3. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Marlene Garzarolli

  4. Department of Dermatology, Wald Klinikum Gera, Str. des Friedens 122, 07548, Gera, Germany

    Martin Kaatz

  5. Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Straße 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Katharina C. Kaehler

  6. Practice of Dermatology, Bonner Str. 207, 50968, Cologne, Germany

    Peter Kurschat

  7. Department of Dermatology, Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH, Beurhausstraße 40, 44137, Dortmund, Germany

    Frank Meiss & Dorothee Nashan

  8. Practice of Dermatology, Sachsenwerkstr. 71, 01257, Dresden, Germany

    Annette Stein

  9. Department of Radio-Oncology, St. Franziskus Hospital Bielefeld, Kiskerstraße 26, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    Oliver Micke

  10. Department of Radio-Oncology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany

    Ralph Muecke

  11. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinic Offenburg, Ebertplatz 12, 77654, Offenburg, Germany

    Karsten Muenstedt

  12. Clinic Herzoghoehe Bayreuth, Kulmbacherstraße 103, 95445, Bayreuth, Germany

    Christoph Stoll

  13. Department of Medical Biometrie, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Irene Schmidtmann

  14. Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany

    Jutta Huebner

Authors
  1. Carmen Loquai
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  2. Dagmar Dechent
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  3. Marlene Garzarolli
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  4. Martin Kaatz
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  5. Katharina C. Kaehler
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  6. Peter Kurschat
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  7. Frank Meiss
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  8. Annette Stein
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  9. Dorothee Nashan
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  10. Oliver Micke
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  11. Ralph Muecke
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  12. Karsten Muenstedt
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  13. Christoph Stoll
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  14. Irene Schmidtmann
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  15. Jutta Huebner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jutta Huebner.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the Statutory Physician Board of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Loquai, C., Dechent, D., Garzarolli, M. et al. Risk of interactions between complementary and alternative medicine and medication for comorbidities in patients with melanoma. Med Oncol 33, 52 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-016-0764-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-016-0764-6

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