Impact of Traditional Korean Medicine Use on Medical Cost in Patients with Cancer in Korea: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

BackgroundCancer is a major cause of death, and patients with cancer use traditional medicine (TM) or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to control cancer-related symptoms. Although previous studies have shown that TM and CAM can improve specific conditions in patients with cancer, results regarding their economic utility are inconclusive. The traditional Korean medicine (TKM) coexists with Western medicine (WM) under a formal licensing system, and some uses of CAM are not prescribed by TKM doctors. This study aimed to investigate the use of TKM in patients with cancer and its costs and to confirm the role of TKM by revealing the correlation between WM costs and unprofessional CAM costs. MethodsWe used the Korean Medical Panel Data from 2015 to 2018 from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. T-tests were performed on the use of TKM in patients with cancer and on WM and CAM costs. A correlation analysis was conducted between TKM, WM, and CAM costs, and a generalized linear model (GLM) analysis to control for the participants characteristics. Regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of TKM use on quality of life. ResultsIn total, 321 patients with cancer were identified, including 150 users and 171 non-users of TKM. The participants used TKM for an average of 2.41{+/-}7.22 times, and the average cost was 26.27{+/-}96.04 (US$). The most common injury codes were musculoskeletal and soft tissue diseases (87.64%) and the most common treatments were acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping (96.51%). TKM use did not significantly affect WM or CAM costs, but it improved the quality of life. Moreover, TKM costs positively correlated with CAM costs. ConclusionAlthough the use of TKM and its costs were not significantly related to WM costs and may seem independent of each other, it may be because the purpose of TKM use in this study was not limited to cancer treatment. In addition, the quality of life of the patients with TKM improved, suggesting that the appropriate use of WM and TKM may improve the symptoms and quality of life in patients with cancer.