摘要

乳癌與婦科癌症是女性常見的癌症之一，但由於被診斷與治療過程中，女性
癌症患者身心皆須承受一連串的壓力，而這些壓力常會讓患者的生活品質受到極
大的衝擊。雖然許多的文獻指出，多數的女性癌症患者比男性癌症患者較常使用
輔助另類療法來因應個人所面臨的生理不適症狀與心理壓力，而這其中又以乳癌
與婦科癌症患者居多，但哪些因素會與女性癌症患者使用另類療法有關。本文藉
由文獻探討發現女性癌症患者使用輔助另類療法是與增進個人的身心靈舒適狀
態，和社會文化與醫療照顧系統有關，由不同的文獻也發現到相對於正統的生物
醫學治療，輔助另類療法著重於全人的健康與增進身心靈的舒適狀態，而非著重
於治療疾病，因此輔助另類療法強調患者本身需積極地參與而非被動地接受治
療。因此，本文呼籲健康醫療專業人員須慎重的檢視這些因素如何影響女性癌症
患者使用輔助另類療法，尤其是護理人員為臨床的主要照顧者，有責任提供有關
於輔助另類療法的知識給患者，並需引導患者安全的使用輔助另類療法，以促進
醫療照護之品質。

關鍵字：乳癌、輔助另類療法、婦科癌症、因素、生活品質

Delineating the related factors of using complementary and
alternative medicine in women with cancer
Shu-Ling Chen Fang-Ying Chu
Department of Nursing, Tzu Chi College of Technology

Abstract

Breast cancer and gynaecologic cancers are common forms of cancer in women. Being
diagnosed and living with cancer involves a series of stressful life events that impact on many
aspects of women’s quality of life (QOL). Several studies have shown that many women with
breast cancer or gynaecologic cancers are more likely to use complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) as a coping strategy to manage physical and psychological symptoms than
individuals with other types of cancer. CAM use is usually focused on holistic health and
improving well-being rather than on disease management, and its use requires active
participation in management of the disease by the patients rather than passive acceptance of
treatment. The factor of higher levels of psychological distress in motivating women with
cancer to use CAM therapies is also commonly addressed in the literature. It is important for
health professionals to understand the factors of using CAM in women with cancer.
Particularly, nurses are in a key position to provide knowledge and education regarding use of
CAM and to develop guidelines about CAM use in women with breast cancer or gynaecologic
cancers.

Keywords：breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine, factor, gynaecologic
cancers, quality of life