The Correlation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Deficiency Syndromes, Cancer Related Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used, in conjunction with conventional Western medicine, in clinical practice around the world to treat breast cancer. The study systematically reviewed and summarized the quality of life of breast cancer patients treated with integrated treatment method vs. conventional Western medicine. Methods. Eight databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine Disc, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wanfang Data knowledge service platform were searched in this study. The retrieval period was set from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2020. Results. Twenty-two high-quality publications were included in this study. The total sample size was 1689 patients including 844 in the intervention group receiving traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional Western medicine and 845 patients in the control group receiving conventional Western medicine only. Compared with the single-used conventional Western medicine treatment, an integrated approach to treat breast cancer can increase quality of life measured by rating scales (SMD = 1.29, 95% CI (1.07, 1.52) and P = 0.01 ) and ranking scales (RR = 1.53, 95% CI (1.39 1.68) and P = 0.02 ) and also decrease adverse reactions measured by rating scales (Z = 10.89, P < 0.05 ; Group 1: I2 = 9.0%, P = 0.258 , SMD = 1.03; and Group 2: I2 = 31.6%, P = 0.199 , SMD = 1.56). For further analysis, chemotherapy with epirubicin exhibited higher quality of life than the chemotherapy without epirubicin among breast cancer patients [Z = 19.80, P < 0.05 ; Group 1: I2 = 62.4%, P = 0.070 , SMD = 1.61; and Group 2: I2 = 9.0%, P = 0.359 , SMD = 1.04]. Despite the heterogeneity, which was due to a portion of relative low-quality literature or other factors, the results were satisfactory. In terms of secondary results, the patients with lower tumor markers (CEA and CA153) had better efficiency in quality of life with a statistically significant difference (SMD = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.10,1.67) for rating scales. In addition, secondary results related to high incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (RR = 1.33, 95% CI (1.20, 1.48)) and the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (RR = 1.50, 95% CI (1.28, 1.80))showed lower quality of life in the intervention group than the control group for ranking scales. Conclusion. Traditional Chinese medicine, when used in conjunction with the conventional Western medicine, could be an effective way in improving the quality of life and alleviating incidence of associated adverse symptoms such as gastrointestinal adverse reactions, value of tumor markers, and the incidence of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome. Further investigation of larger and methodologically sound trials with longer follow-up periods and appropriate comparison groups is needed.

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Health-related Quality of Life-intervention in Breast Cancer Survivors Experiencing Cancer-related Fatigue Using Traditional Chinese Medicine: The HERBAL Trial

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct04104113 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

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Spore Powder ofGanoderma lucidumImproves Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2012/809614 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Hong Zhao ◽

Qingyuan Zhang ◽

Ling Zhao ◽

Xu Huang ◽

Jincai Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Endocrine Therapy ◽

Ganoderma Lucidum ◽

Endocrine Treatment ◽

Control Group ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue

The fatigue prevalence in breast cancer survivors is high during the endocrine treatment. However, there are few evidence-based interventions to manage this symptom. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of spore powder ofGanoderma lucidumfor cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy. Spore powder ofGanoderma lucidumis a kind of Basidiomycete which is a widely used traditional medicine in China. 48 breast cancer patients with cancer-related fatigue undergoing endocrine therapy were randomized into the experimental or control group. FACT-F, HADS, and EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires data were collected at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and liver-kidney functions were measured before and after intervention. The experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in the domains of physical well-being and fatigue subscale after intervention. These patients also reported less anxiety and depression and better quality of life. Immune markers of CRF were significantly lower and no serious adverse effects occurred during the study. This pilot study suggests that spore powder ofGanoderma lucidummay have beneficial effects on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy without any significant adverse effect.

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Effect of tailored and supervised therapeutic exercise in metastatic breast cancer patients: A prospective study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e13075 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e13075-e13075

Author(s):

Sofía Ruíz ◽

Bella Pajares ◽

Maria-Jose Bermejo-Perez ◽

Cristina Roldán Jiménez ◽

Antonio Cuesta Vargas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Metastatic Breast ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue ◽

A Prospective Study

e13075 Background: The safety, feasibility and benefit of physical activity is robust in adjuvant breast cancer, but as far as we know, there is little information on the feasibility and benefit of exercise in women with advanced breast cancer. The objective of our study is to analyze the feasibility and impact on fatigue, quality of life and functionality of an individualized, prospective and supervised exercise program in a group of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Methods: A prospective study on 30 metastatic breast cancer patients who were recruited as volunteers between February 2018 and April 2019 by Medical Oncologists from the Medical Oncology Unit at University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria (Malaga, Spain). Participants included in this study were patients aged between 34 and 71 years old and all had metastatic breast cancer, not amenable to curative treatment. The intervention was a twelve-week Therapeutic Exercise and Education Programme delivered by a physiotherapist. The intervention was preceded by a physical assessment of the musculoskeletal system. The outcomes were cancer-related fatigue, quality of life and functional outcomes (patient- reported and other measured by investigators). Results: Of the 30 patients initially recruited, only 11 of them completed the program with an attendance greater or equal to 17 sessions (75% of assistance). Most of patients who dropped (19), did it because of personal matters, not related to disease progression. Regarding patients who completed the completion of physical activity program (n = 11), the majority were treated on first line of treatment with hormonal receptors positive tumors and bone metastasis. After the intervention, no major changes were observed in cancer-related fatigue, quality of life and several patients-reported outcomes, although an improvement in functionality was observed, in investigator-measured parameters (30-STS and adapted burpees). Conclusions: Our study shows that a supervised and individualized tailored physical activity program in metastatic breast cancer patients is safe and feasible, although more studies are needed to analyse its impact on improving functional parameters, fatigue and quality of life.

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The effect of psychological group intervention on emotional problems, event impact and quality of life in breast cancer patients under radiotherapy: a pilot study

Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies ◽

10.24193/jebp.2017.2.8 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 133-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mihaela Iancu ◽

◽

Florina Pop ◽

Raluca Ioana Farcaș ◽

Amfiana Gherman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Group Intervention ◽

Emotional Problems ◽

Breast Cancer Patients

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PSYCHOLOGICAL REHABILITATION AND SCREENING OF EMOTIONAL STRESS IN CANCER PATIENTS

Problems in oncology ◽

10.37469/0507-3758-2017-63-2-316-319 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 316-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Valentina Chulkova ◽

Tatyana Semiglazova ◽

Margarita Vagaytseva ◽

Andrey Karitskiy ◽

Yevgeniy Demin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patient ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Emotional Stress ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Psychological Study ◽

Psychological Assistance

Psychological rehabilitation is an integral part of rehabilitation of a cancer patient. Psychological rehabilitation is aimed at a patient adaptation in the situation of the disease and improvement his quality of life. Understanding of an oncological disease is extreme and (or) crisis situation and monitoring dynamics of the psychological statement of a patient allows using differentiated approach in the provision of professional psychological assistance. The modified scale of self-esteem level of distress (IPOS) was used for screening of mental and emotional stress of cancer patients. There were selected groups of cancer patients who were most in need of professional psychological assistance. Results of a psychological study of one of these groups - breast cancer patients - are presented.

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