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Trick or treat? Australian newspaper portrayal of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Many cancer patients within developed nations cite the media as informing their decisions to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The present study describes (1) Australian newspaper coverage of CAM use for cancer between 1998 and 2007; (2) trends in reporting frequency and characteristics; and (3) how the Australian press framed stories on CAM use for cancer.

Materials and methods

This study is a content analysis featuring quantitative and qualitative techniques, the latter guided by ‘media framing’, of targeted newspaper articles.

Results

One hundred nineteen articles focused on CAM use for the treatment of cancer were identified. Quantitative analysis found that biologically based CAMs were most frequently described and breast cancer most mentioned. Two thirds of all articles described CAM use in the context of a cure, with approximately half of these opposing this reason for use. Potential benefits of CAM were discussed more frequently than potential risks, and information on costs and how to access CAM were uncommon. Recommendations included advice to use complementary, not alternative therapies, yet advice to discuss CAM with a medical doctor was rare. Qualitative analysis found six CAM cancer-related frames, four in support of CAM use for cancer treatment. The dominant frame constructed CAM as legitimate tools to assist biomedicine (even to cure), with others depicting CAM as normal and necessary or as addressing limitations of biomedicine. Negative frames depicted CAM as questionable and risky practices and the industry/practitioners as possessing malevolent intent.

Conclusion

These findings have implications for biomedical practitioners attempting to determine, respect and assist patient choices about their treatment.

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Notes

  1. Support groups and psychotherapy were not included in the analysis, as these are well integrated into the biomedical system; CAM practices that cross domains were categorised according to the most appropriate fit based upon the features of the specific CAM and the NCCAM description of each domain [1].

  2. One report was ambiguous as to whether or not the term was applied appropriately.

  3. An asterisk (*) was used to ensure all potential word endings were accounted for.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Level 4, Hughes Building, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Reegan Mercurio & Jaklin Ardath Eliott

  2. Cancer Council Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Jaklin Ardath Eliott

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  1. Reegan Mercurio
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  2. Jaklin Ardath Eliott
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Correspondence to Jaklin Ardath Eliott.

Appendix

Appendix

Specific forms of CAM included in the search criterion to identify potential items for inclusion in dataset of CAM and cancer-related articles

diet*Footnote 3; meditation; herb*; acupuncture; massage*; reflexology; Reiki; vitamin*; laetrile; aromatherapy; homeopath*; visual*/image*; yoga; music therapy; hypno*; shark cartilage; relaxation; antioxidant; mistletoe; oxygen/ozone; cesium chloride.

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Mercurio, R., Eliott, J.A. Trick or treat? Australian newspaper portrayal of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of cancer. Support Care Cancer 19, 67–80 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0790-4

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