Table 5.
Most Common Reported TCAM Products/Therapies by Cancer Patients in Malawi
| TCAM Modality | Product/Therapy | Prevalence N (%)1 |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal Medicine | ||
| Unknown | 91 (35) | |
| Terasi/Tera Juice | 33 (13) | |
| Mvunguti (Kigelia africana)2 | 25 (10) | |
| Ginger (Zingiber officinale) | 12 (5) | |
| Moringa (Moringa oleifera) | 11 (4) | |
| Garlic (Allium sativum) | 9 (3) | |
| Aloe Vera (Aloe vera) | 8 (3) | |
| Avocado Leaves (Persea americana) | 6 (2) | |
| Carrot (Daucus carota) | 6 (2) | |
| Sour Sop (Annona muricate) | 6 (2) | |
| Others | 60 (22) | |
| Vitamins/Minerals | ||
| Unknown | 19 (28) | |
| Magnesium | 16 (24) | |
| Vitamin B/Complex | 11 (16) | |
| Multivitamin | 10 (15) | |
| Calcium | 7 (10) | |
| Vitamin C | 2 (3) | |
| Vitamin A | 2 (3) | |
| Faith-Based Practices | ||
| Praying Alone | 80 (35) | |
| Prophetic Prayers | 71 (31) | |
| Pastor/Priest/Bishop/Group Prayer | 70 (31) | |
| Holy Water from Pastor/Prophet | 7 (3) | |
| Singing Gospel Songs | 1 (0.4) | |
| Diet Change | ||
| Increase Vegetables | 94 (42) | |
| Increase Fruits | 83 (37) | |
| Increase Fish/Meat | 11 (5) | |
| Increase Milk | 4 (2) | |
| Increase Beans | 4 (2) | |
| Decrease Fish/Meat | 3 (1) | |
| Increase Cabbage Salad | 3 (1) | |
| Decrease Sugar | 2 (1) | |
| Increase Porridge | 2 (1) | |
| Increase Eggs | 2 (1) | |
| Others | 15 (6) |
1.
N = total number of participants indicating use of a product or therapy, % = percent out of all surveyed participants
2.
The identity of the herbal products was not confirmed with an herbarium for this study.