Zhang Yong, Dai Yiding, Kang Dan, Yu Qingsong, Zhou Xiangxi, Tian Xin, Chen Qiulong, Chen Yi, Liu Fang, Shi Qiuling
School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Patient Prefer Adherence. 2025 Apr 2;19:883-896. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S509263. eCollection 2025.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used in cancer care, yet its utilization features are not well understood. By providing a comprehensive overview of the demographic and clinical characteristics, symptom burden, HRQoL, and TCM constitution of cancer patients seeking TCM treatment, we aim to offer insights into the integration of TCM into cancer care.
The questionnaire collected data on demographic and clinical characteristics, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MDASI-TCM), the EuroQol-5Dimensions-5Levels (EQ-5D-5L), and the simplified version of the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ). A descriptive analysis was conducted to profile the patients' status and expectations of TCM. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were employed to compare the distribution of TCM constitutional types across different cancer diagnoses.
Among 3047 eligible patients, 2796 (median age 55) completed the questionnaire and were subsequently included in the analysis. The cohort was predominantly female (56.5%), with lung cancer being the most common primary diagnosis (25.2%). Furthermore, 86.7% of the patients presented with a good performance status (ECOG-PS ≤ 1). The main reasons patients sought TCM treatment were to alleviate cancer-related symptoms (59.4%) and enhance immune function (55.4%). The most prevalent symptoms (scored 1-10 on a 0-10 scale) were fatigue (81.1%), followed by disturbed sleep (81.0%), and dry mouth (78.2%). The mean and median EQ-5D-5L utility scores were 0.81 and 0.89, respectively. About 83.4% of cancer patients exhibited a deviation in TCM constitution, with Yang-deficiency being particularly common among them.
This study highlights the symptom burden, HRQoL, TCM constitution, and characteristics of patients who pursue TCM treatment. It advances our understanding of TCM's role in cancer rehabilitation by shedding light on target population potential needs of care. The findings provide a foundation for developing evidence-based strategies to enhance TCM application in clinical settings, optimize resource allocation, and improve rehabilitation outcomes for cancer patients.
中医药（TCM）在癌症治疗中被广泛应用，但其使用特点尚未得到充分了解。通过全面概述寻求中医治疗的癌症患者的人口统计学和临床特征、症状负担、健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）以及中医体质，我们旨在深入了解中医药在癌症治疗中的整合情况。
该问卷收集了有关人口统计学和临床特征、MD安德森中医症状量表（MDASI-TCM）、欧洲五维健康量表（EQ-5D-5L）以及中医体质问卷简化版（CCMQ）的数据。进行描述性分析以描述患者的状况以及对中医药的期望。采用卡方检验或费舍尔精确检验来比较不同癌症诊断的中医体质类型分布。
在3047名符合条件的患者中，2796名（中位年龄55岁）完成了问卷并随后纳入分析。该队列以女性为主（56.5%），肺癌是最常见的原发诊断（25.2%）。此外，86.7%的患者表现状态良好（东部肿瘤协作组体能状态评分[ECOG-PS]≤1）。患者寻求中医治疗的主要原因是缓解癌症相关症状（59.4%）和增强免疫功能（55.4%）。最常见的症状（在0至10分的量表上评分为1至10分）是疲劳（81.1%），其次是睡眠障碍（81.0%）和口干（78.2%）。EQ-5D-5L效用评分的均值和中位数分别为0.81和0.89。约83.4%的癌症患者表现出中医体质偏差，其中阳虚尤为常见。
本研究突出了寻求中医治疗的患者的症状负担、HRQoL、中医体质及特征。通过揭示目标人群潜在的护理需求，加深了我们对中医药在癌症康复中作用的理解。这些发现为制定循证策略以加强中医药在临床环境中的应用、优化资源分配以及改善癌症患者的康复结局奠定了基础。
