Evaluation of the use of herbal products of the oncological patients experiencing surgery and receving chemotherapy treatment and the influencing factors

Evaluation of the Use of Herbal Products of the Oncological Patients Experiencing Surgery and Receving Chemotherapy Treatment and the Influencing Factors This study having a descriptive character, was carried out with the aim of evaluation of the use of herbal products in the patients experiencing surgery and receiving chemotherapy treatment and the influencing factors. The study was realised with 281 patients in 4 centers. The data of the study was collected by using the survey form prepared by the researcher through depending on the literature and interviewing with the participants face to face. The data obtained in this study was evaluated in SPSS 20 packet programme using the X square analysis, Fisher's Exact Test and Pearson X square analysis. While interpretation of the results the value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. While the average of age of the patients involved in the study is 49.1±128, 51.6 % of them are female, 48.4 % male, 34.6 % graduate of elementary school and 34.5 % housewives. While the prevelance of the use of herbal product prior to surgical treatment is 38.9 %, it was observed that this rate increased to 54.1 % during chemotherapy. It was witnessed that the most frequently used product was garlic prior to surgical treatment (19.2 %), that it was urtica dioica (13.8 %) during chemotherapy. Before the surgical treatment, 94.3 % of the patients and during chemotherapy treatment 81.7 % of the patients stated that the use of herbal product had not been questioned by the physician or nurse. As a result, it was detected that the use of herbal products is quite prevalent in the oncological patients prior to surgical treatment and during the chemotherapy treatment. To this end, the states of using herbal products of the patients should be questioned by the health professionals, information and guidance should be provided about their advantages and disadvantages. Keywords: Canser, Phytotherapy, Herbal Product, Drug Interaction, Nursing