Prevalence and associated factors of herbal medicine use among breast cancer patients: a cross-sectional study in Morocco.

Background: Despite advances in modern medicine, an increasing number of breast cancer (BC) patients are turning to complementary and alternative medicine, such as phytotherapy. Instead of being prescribed by breast medical oncologists, patients are often seeking out phytotherapy themselves. They typically resort to herbal medicine as an alternative treatment to alleviate symptoms and side effects and enhance their quality of life during cancer treatment. This study, conducted in Morocco, aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of herbal medicine use among BC patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 170 patients with BC was carried out from October 2021 to January 2022 at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Marrakech. Participants were selected using convenience sampling based on specific criteria such as being over 18 years old, having a histological diagnosis of BC, and being in active treatment. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered by trained clinicians, and medical records were reviewed for clinical data. Statistical analysis was conducted using Microsoft Forms for data collection and SPSS version 26 for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics summarised demographic and health-related characteristics. Associations between herbal medicine use and categorical variables were assessed using chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of herbal medicine use, with statistical significance set at < 0.05.

Results: Among the 170 BC patients included in the study, 37% reported using phytotherapeutics. One of the significant findings of this study was that nearly half of the BC patients surveyed believed herbal remedies to be harmless. None of the patients received information about herbal medicine use from their attending physicians. The use of herbal medication was significantly associated with marital status adjusted odds ratio (AOR: NR, = 0.019), residence (AOR: 2.291, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.214-4.324, = 0.019), education levels (AOR: NR, = 0.04) and receipt of radiotherapy (AOR: 0.128, 95% CI: 0.016-1.007, = 0.023). Widowed women had a four times higher probability of using medicinal herbs than single or divorced women (AOR: 4.95, 95% CI: 1.16-20.90, = 0.03). Illiterate women (AOR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.052-0.65, = 0.009) or those who attended Koranic school (AOR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.004-0.47, = 0.01) were less likely to use herbal medicine. Urban women were about twice as likely to use herbal remedies as women from rural areas (AOR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.002-4.09, = 0.049).

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for healthcare professionals to be aware of their patients' possible use of herbal medicine, be familiar with commonly used herbal treatments, and take proactive steps to explain any potential drug interaction and associated benefits. The findings of this study also provide insight into information on the sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with the use of herbal medicines among BC patients.