scholarly journals AL study- traditional Chinese medicine combination Astragalus membranaceus and Ligustrum lucidum in people with advanced malignancy: research protocol for an open labelled pilot study

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Bhagwant K. Sekhon ◽  
Philip Beale ◽  
Janette L. Vardy ◽  
Kellie A. Charles ◽  
Ross D. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Astragalus Membranaceus ◽  
Advanced Malignancy ◽  
Ligustrum Lucidum ◽  
The Impact

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> AL is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combination commonly used as an adaptogen to improve energy levels, immunity and quality of life in those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer. While the combination <em>Astragalus membranaceus</em> and <em>Ligustrum lucidum </em>(AL) has been investigated in China as an adjunct to standard anticancer therapies in numerous clinical studies of variable quality reported in the Chinese literature, independent assessment of its effects on safety, tolerability and efficacy are lacking. Our objectives are to determine the safety and tolerability of AL and investigate its effects on inflammation, quality of life and immunity in people with advanced malignancy in the Australian healthcare setting.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The AL study is a prospectively registered, open labelled pilot multi-centre study investigating AL in people with advanced malignancy. Inclusion criteria include participants with recurrent or metastatic cancer who are not undergoing chemotherapy or palliative chemotherapy. All participants (n=25) will receive 6 capsules of AL twice daily (equivalent to 25g raw herb) for 12 weeks. Follow up consultations will monitor safety, tolerability, quality of life, immune function and adverse events. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. The primary outcome will determine the effect of AL on safety and tolerability. Secondary outcomes will include inflammation, quality of life, immune function, disease status and survival. Appropriate statistical analysis will be conducted on the pilot study data. Potential associations will be investigated where relevant.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study will firstly establish the safety and tolerability of this TCM combination ‘AL’ in people with advanced malignancy in the Australian healthcare system and provide important information regarding its effect on markers that may affect survival as well as explore changes in quality of life and immune function. The impact of this research may allow the design of future studies integrating AL with standard therapy for people with advanced malignancy.</p>

scholarly journals Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Xerostomia and Quality of Life during Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A Prospective Pilot Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Yu Hsu ◽  
Sien-Hung Yang ◽  
Ngan-Ming Tsang ◽  
Kang-Hsing Fan ◽  
Chia-Hsun Hsieh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Head And Neck Cancer ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Neck Cancer ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Control Group ◽  
The Impact

Xerostomia is one of the most common acute and late complications of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and it affects quality of life. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in toxicities and quality of life during radiotherapy. Head and neck cancer patients who were scheduled for radiotherapy were checked for inclusion/exclusion criteria before enrollment. Patients in the study group (inpatients) were hospitalized in a Chinese medicine ward and received concomitant TCM intervention during radiotherapy, while those in the control group (outpatients) received only conventional cancer treatments at the Western outpatient department. The primary end point was amelioration of postradiotherapy side effects. The secondary end points were quality of life during the cancer therapy and occurrence of adverse events following the TCM treatments. Thirty inpatients and 50 outpatients completed the study. Compared to the control group, those in the TCM group had decreased severity of xerostomia. There was no treatment-related impairment of renal or hepatic function among TCM group. Although better outcomes of social contact, dyspnea, physical and emotional function, and financial problems were found in the TCM group, we need further confirmation about the impact of hospitalization itself on these results.

The impact of stigma and discrimination on the quality of life and social disability in persons with a diagnosis of mental disorder. A pilot study

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S571-S571
Author(s):  
T.M. Gondek ◽  
K. Kotowicz ◽  
A. Kiejna
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Social Disability ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
The Impact

Stigma and discrimination of persons diagnosed with mental disorder is a common issue. In many European countries, research studies on the prevalence and implications of this problem are conducted in order to better understand how to overcome it. In Poland, there is a scarcity of such studies, what results in neglecting this issue by the policy makers. The objective of the study is to assess the prevalence of stigma and discrimination affecting the patients hospitalized in psychiatric day units and in-patient wards between 2016–2017 as well as to analyze the relationship between the stigma and the quality of life and social disability in persons with a mental disorder diagnosis of F20–F48 according to ICD-10, aged 18–65, in a day ward and an in-patient ward settings. The pilot study presents the data gathered from a preliminary sample of 20 patients of both genders diagnosed with the aforementioned mental disorders, equaling 10 per cent of the targeted total study sample. The quality of life is assessed with WHOQOL-Bref, WHO-5 questionnaire and Rosenberg self-esteem scale, while social disability is measured with the second version of the Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule. The assessment of the impact of stigma on the social disability of persons with mental disorders and their quality of life can be useful in the context of developing evidence-based interventions for these persons, while it could also provide the scientific data to support public information campaigns aiming at tackling the stigma against persons with mental disorders in Poland.Disclosure of InterestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Treatment of Oral Ulcer Based on TCM Syndrome Differentiation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Yao ◽  
Li Liu
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Western Medicine ◽  
Severe Case ◽  
Oral Ulcer ◽  
Syndrome Differentiation ◽  
Tcm Syndrome ◽  
Chinese Medicine Treatment

Oral ulcer is a kind of ulcerative injury that occurs in the oral mucosa and is very common in clinic. In severe case, it can affect the quality of life of the patients. Western medicine treatment of oral ulcer is often prone to relapse, while the effect of traditional Chinese medicine treatment is remarkable.

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