Abstract

Background Cancer is a major cause of death, and patients with cancer use traditional medicine (TM) or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to control cancer-related symptoms. Although previous studies have shown that TM and CAM can improve specific conditions in patients with cancer, results regarding their economic utility are inconclusive. The traditional Korean medicine (TKM) coexists with Western medicine (WM) under a formal licensing system, and some uses of CAM are not prescribed by TKM doctors. This study aimed to investigate the use of TKM in patients with cancer and its costs and to confirm the role of TKM by revealing the correlation between WM costs and unprofessional CAM costs.

Methods We used the Korean Medical Panel Data from 2015 to 2018 from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. T-tests were performed on the use of TKM in patients with cancer and on WM and CAM costs. A correlation analysis was conducted between TKM, WM, and CAM costs, and a generalized linear model (GLM) analysis to control for the participants’ characteristics. Regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of TKM use on quality of life.

Results In total, 321 patients with cancer were identified, including 150 users and 171 non-users of TKM. The participants used TKM for an average of 2.41±7.22 times, and the average cost was 26.27±96.04 (US$). The most common injury codes were musculoskeletal and soft tissue diseases (87.64%) and the most common treatments were acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping (96.51%). TKM use did not significantly affect WM or CAM costs, but it improved the quality of life. Moreover, TKM costs positively correlated with CAM costs.

Conclusion Although the use of TKM and its costs were not significantly related to WM costs and may seem independent of each other, it may be because the purpose of TKM use in this study was not limited to cancer treatment. In addition, the quality of life of the patients with TKM improved, suggesting that the appropriate use of WM and TKM may improve the symptoms and quality of life in patients with cancer.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

Yes

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Since the research did not involve personally identifiable information, it was exempt from Dongshin University Institutional Review Board (IRB) review (Approval Number: 1040708-202402-SB-045).

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

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Yes

List of abbreviationsTKMTraditional Korean medicineTMtraditional medicineCAMcomplementary and alternative medicineNHISNational Health Insurance ServiceKHPSKorea Health Panel SurveyKIHASAKorea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.