The use of herbal medicine is common among patients with advanced cancer who are participating in early-stage clinical trials (phase I) of experimental drugs, according to a new study.

Dr. Christopher K. Daugherty of the University of Chicago and his team, as reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, surveyed 212 patients with advanced cancer who had recently consented to participate in phase I trials. All of the patients were interviewed about a week before the trial began.

Thirty-four percent said they used some type of biologically based

alternative medicine, such as an herbal drug, a supplement, vitamins, or minerals. About half used herbal drugs, and about half said they used vitamins or minerals.

The patients who reported alternative medicine use were younger, with an average age of 55 years compared with an average age of 62 years among those who didn’t report using these medicines.

Study participants who said they believed they would die within the year were also more likely to report using alternative medicines.

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, www.jco.org