Table 2.
Prevalence of TCAM Use, Providers, and TCAM Modalities Among Cancer Patients in Malawi
| Category | Prevalence N (%)1 |
|---|---|
| TCAM Use | |
| TCAM Use (Including Prayer) | 222 (84) |
| TCAM Use (Excluding Prayer) | 202 (77) |
| Concurrent TCAM and Conventional Care Use | |
| Combination TCAM + Conventional Treatment | 157 (60) |
| Conventional Treatment Only | 106 (40) |
| Practitioner Type Seen 2 | |
| Physician | 263 (100) |
| Herbalist/Traditional Healer | 70 (27) |
| Prophet3 | 90 (34) |
| Faith-Based Healer3 | 91 (35) |
| Chiropractor | 2 (1) |
| TCAM Modality 2 | |
| Herbal Medicine | 148 (56) |
| Vitamins/Minerals | 61 (23) |
| Faith-Based Healing4 | 168 (64) |
| Diet Change | 120 (46) |
| Overall TCAM Use per Cancer Type | |
| Cervical | 79 (875) |
| Hematological | 43 (77) |
| Breast | 33 (83) |
| Skin/Kaposi Sarcoma | 24 (86) |
N = total number of participants indicating use of a modality or practitioner, % = percent out of all surveyed participants
Ever used for cancer care, includes prayer as a TCAM modality for analysis
Prophet is defined as a spiritual healer who speaks on behalf of a divine being and/or foresees future events, and when reported by participants is not associated with a specific religion. A faith-based healer is defined as a spiritual leader of an established religion (ex. Christianity, Islam)
Percent of cancer type
Includes seeking both a prophetic healer and a faith-based healer (pastor, priest, bishop, etc.)
TCAM = Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine