Complementary and alternative treatment methods in children with cancer: A population-based retrospective survey on the prevalence of use in Germany.

Abstract Introduction Few studies have been conducted to date on the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative treatment methods (CAMs) in paediatric oncology, and those that have been conducted are often not representative. We therefore decided to study a representative sample of children with cancer in the German population. Patients and methods The study took the form of a retrospective survey amongst all parents whose children were first diagnosed with a disease covered by the German Childhood Cancer Registry in 2001. The primary objectives of the survey were to establish the prevalence of use of CAM and the factors related to its use. Results Of the 1595 questionnaires sent ou…