Author: Tao W1,2,3, Luo X1,2, Cui B1,2, Liang D1,2, Wang C1,2, Duan Y3, Li X4, Zhou S5, Zhao M6, Li Y7, He Y8, Wang S3, Kelley KW9,10, Jiang P11, Liu Q1,2.
Affiliation:
1Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 2Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong, China. 3College of Nursing, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 4Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 5School of Public Health, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 6Department of Psychology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 7Dalian Medical University Magazine, Dalian, China. 8School of Art, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. 9Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. 10Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. 11Integrative Immunology and Behavior Program, Department of Animal Sciences, College of ACES, Urbana, IL, USA.
Conference/Journal: Oncotarget.
Date published: 2015 Oct 15
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.5388 , Word Count: 234
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Cancer patients suffer from diverse symptoms, including depression, anxiety, pain, and fatigue and lower quality of life (QoL) during disease progression. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine psycho-behavioral interventions (TCM PBIs) on improving QoL by meta-analysis.
METHODS:
Electronic literature databases (PubMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) were searched for randomized, controlled trials conducted in China. The primary intervention was TCM PBIs. The main outcome was health-related QoL (HR QoL) post-treatment. We applied standard meta analytic techniques to analyze data from papers that reached acceptable criteria.
RESULTS:
The six TCM PBIs analyzed were acupuncture, Chinese massage, Traditional Chinese Medicine five elements musical intervention (TCM FEMI), Traditional Chinese Medicine dietary supplement (TCM DS), Qigong and Tai Chi. Although both TCM PBIs and non-TCM PBIs reduced functional impairments in cancer patients and led to pain relief, depression remission, reduced time to flatulence following surgery and sleep improvement, TCM PBIs showed more beneficial effects as assessed by reducing both fatigue and gastrointestinal distress. In particular, acupuncture relieved fatigue, reduced diarrhea and decreased time to flatulence after surgery in cancer patients, while therapeutic Chinese massage reduced time to flatulence and time to peristaltic sound.
CONCLUSION:
These findings demonstrate the efficacy of TCM PBIs in improving QoL in cancer patients and establish that TCM PBIs represent beneficial adjunctive therapies for cancer patients.
KEYWORDS:
cancer; meta-analysis; psycho-behavioral interventions; quality of life; traditional chinese medicine
PMID: 26498685
