Limited value of traditional Chinese medicine in improving quality of life in cancer patients

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-229
Author(s):  
AA Izzo
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Cancer Patients

scholarly journals Effects of Integrated Chinese Traditional Medicine and Conventional Western Medicine on the Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Xue Bai ◽  
Na Ta ◽  
Guo-Hua Gong ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Cheng-Xi Wei
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Western Medicine ◽  
Adverse Reactions ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Quality-of-Life Assessment System for Lung Cancer Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chonghua Wan ◽  
Shengfu You ◽  
Peng Quan ◽  
Yi Song ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Lung Cancer Patients

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has many unique features. Thequality-of-life (QoL) instrument for lung cancer based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (QLASTCM-Lu) was the first self-reported instrument specifically developed to assess the quality of life from the perspective of TCM. Structured group methods and theory in developmental rating scale were employed to establish a general and a specific module, respectively. Quantitative and qualitative data from 240 lung cancer patients were collected to assess the psychometric properties. The three identified scales of the QLASTCM-Lu (correspondence between man and universe, unity of the body and spirit, and lung cancer specific module) and the total score demonstrated excellent psychometric properties. Test-retest reliability of all domains ranged from 0.93 to 0.96, and internal consistencyαranged from 0.86 to 0.93. Correlation and factor analysis demonstrated good construct validity. Significant differences in the QLASTCM-Lu scales and total score were found among groups differing in TCM syndrome, supporting the clinical sensitivity of the QLASTCM-Lu. Statistically significant changes were found for each scale and the total score. Responsiveness of the QLASTCM-Lu was greater than that of QLQ-LC43. The QLASTCM-Lu is a psychometrically sound and clinically sensitive measure of quality of life for lung cancer patients, which can be applied to both TCM therapy and Western medicine therapy.

scholarly journals Aidi Injection, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Injection, Could Be Used as an Adjuvant Drug to Improve Quality of Life of Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 153473541881079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Xie ◽  
Zhihua Cui ◽  
Kai Peng ◽  
Xiehai Zhou ◽  
Quan Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tumor Type ◽  
Improvement Rate ◽  
Aidi Injection

Background: Clinical research has paid increasing attention to quality of life (QoL) in recent years, but the assessment of QoL is difficult, hampered by the subjectivity, complexity, and adherence of patients and physicians. According to previous studies, QoL in cancer patients is related to performance status (PS) and influenced by chemotherapy-related toxicity. Aidi injection, a traditional Chinese medicine injection, is used as an adjuvant drug to enhance effectiveness of chemotherapy. The study aims to investigate whether Aidi injection could improve QoL by improving PS and reducing toxicity caused by chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medicine University. Data of consecutive patients diagnosed with cancers between January 2014 and June 2017 were retrieved from the electronic medical record system. After a 1:1 propensity score match, patients were then divided into 2 groups based on the therapies used, that is, Aidi injection combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone, and the PS, chemotherapy-related toxicity, and combined medication information were compared. The effect of different dosages of Aidi injection on patients was further explored. Results: A total of 3200 patients were included in this study. Aidi injection combined with chemotherapy exhibited significantly benefit in PS ( P < .001, odds ratio [OR] 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-4.8) compared with chemotherapy alone after adjusting for the factors that affect PS. The improvement rate of PS in the Aidi group was significantly higher than in the control group across the stratification of gender, age, tumor type, TNM stage, body mass index, nodal metastasis, prior chemotherapy, chemotherapy regimens, other Chinese tradition medicines, and chemotherapy cycle. Meanwhile, Aidi injection used synchronously with chemotherapeutic drugs could decrease the incident rate of damage to liver and kidney function, myelosuppression, and gastrointestinal reactions caused by chemotherapy. Conclusion: It was indicated that the integrative approach combining chemotherapy with Aidi injection, especially with the conventional dosage of Aidi injection, had significant benefit on QoL in cancer patients.

scholarly journals Enteral Nutrition Combined with Improved-Sijunzi Decoction Shows Positive Effect in Precachexia Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yueying Li ◽  
Yajun Chen ◽  
Yaqi Zeng ◽  
Jie Dong ◽  
Chunlei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Enteral Nutrition ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Chinese Medicine Syndrome ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome

Background. Cancer has been considered as the leading cause of death in the world. In patients with cancer, up to 80% display a cachectic period after diagnosis. Cachexia is known to have a negative impact on function, treatment tolerance, higher rates of hospitalizations, and mortality. Anorexia is often used as a warning sign of precachexia. Long-term anorexia may lead to malnutrition and, then, accelerate the occurrence of cachexia. A safe and effective treatment, which can both improve appetite and assist nutritional support for precachexia cancer patients shows its particular important role. Methods. A retrospective analysis comparing the different therapeutic effects on precachexia cancer patients with anorexia-malnutrition. We recorded 46 patients with the improved-Sijunzi decoction combined with enteral nutrition emulsion (ISJZ group) and 35 patients with single enteral nutrition emulsion (SEN group). The different therapeutic effects of the two groups were observed by recording indicators before and 2 weeks after treatment, including patient-generated subjective global assessment score, quality of life score, Karnofsky performance status scale, Eastern cooperative oncology group scale standard and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, daily total dietary intake, red blood cells, hemoglobin, prealbumin, albumin, total protein cholinesterase, C-reactive protein, leukocytes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Results. ISJZ group exhibited prominent improvement of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (TCMS), nutritional condition, and quality of life compared with the SEN group (QOL: p = 0.0001 , PG-SGA: p = 0.019 , dietary intake: p = 0.0001 , TCMS: p = 0.0001 ). The levels of HGB ( p = 0.006 ), PAlb ( p = 0.001 ), Alb ( p = 0.0001 ), TP ( p = 0.008 ), and ChE ( p = 0.0001 ) in the ISJZ group were higher than the SEN group after treatment. Moreover, the ratios of CRP/ALB ( p = 0.028 ) and CRP/PALB ( p = 0.005 ) in the two groups have obvious differences; they were lower for the ISJZ group than the SEN group. Conclusions. Enteral nutrition combined with ISJZ decoction is an effective treatment in precachexia cancer patients for the prevention of cachexia. This treatment therapy can alleviate the inflammatory response, improve malnutrition state, and promote the performance status. Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital approved this study (Trial No. 1913).

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