Abstract
A growing number of people, particularly those with cancer, are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for help. There are significant risks to the patient's safety when alternative treatments are consumed or used with conventional cancer therapy. Medical professionals treating cancer patients are expected to be aware of these dangers. While several studies have evaluated medical professionals' understanding of CAM, much less have explored cancer patients' perspectives on the topic. This study aimed to investigate complementary and alternative medicine use, knowledge, beliefs, and attitude among patients with cancer.Cross sectional design was utilized. This study was conducted at King Abdullah Medical City-affiliated Makah Oncology Center's inpatient and outpatient departments and clinics, Saudi Arabia. Convenience samples of 268 adult male and female cancer patients were selected. Tools included a structured interviewing questionnaire. Results revealed that, the most common forms of complementary and alternative medicine were religious in origin; Quran-read water (86.7%), Zamzam water (82.5%), and reciting the Quran (66%). There was also a highly statistically significant relationship between the patients' beliefs and their use of CAM, and a favorable association between their attitudes and their use of CAM. Conclusions: Health care professionals need further training to keep up with the rising tide of complementary and alternative medicine usage among cancer patients.