Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30911917›Full record

Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2019

Evaluation of chemotherapy-induced toxicity and health-related quality of life amongst early-stage breast cancer patients receiving Chinese herbal medicine in Malaysia.

Ai Ch'i Liew, Kok-Khiang Peh, Boon Seang Tan, Wei Zhao, Balamurugan Tangiisuran

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Ai Ch'i LiewClinical Research Centre, Hospital Seberang Jaya, Jalan Tun Hussein Oon, 13700, Perai, Penang, Malaysia. aichiliew81@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2574-0067
Kok-Khiang PehSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia.
Boon Seang TanDepartment of Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy, Penang General Hospital, Jalan Residensi, 10990, George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Wei ZhaoTraditional Chinese Medicine Oncology Physician, Guang'anmen Hospital (of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Beijing, No. 5, Bei Xian Ge, Xuan Wu District, Beijing, 100053, China.
Balamurugan TangiisuranNational Poison Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia.
Universiti Sains Malaysia · MYGuang’anmen Hospital · CNHospital Seberang Jaya · MY

Funding

MOH-NIH Research Grant 00197
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis observational study aimed to compare the outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) amongst breast cancer patients using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and those not using CHM during chemotherapy.

methodsA prospective, non-randomised longitudinal study was conducted in two government integrated hospitals over an 8-month period. Early-stage breast cancer patients who were (1) either already using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or not and (2) who were on a regime of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide were included in the study. Patients who agreed to receive CHM were assigned to receive individualised CHM prescriptions deemed suitable for the individual at a particular time. Those who were not willing to take Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) were assigned to the non-CHM control group. Blood profile and chemotherapy-induced AE were recorded whilst HRQOL assessment was done using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire on first, third, and sixth cycles.

resultsForty-seven patients [32 female vs. 1 male, p = 0.31; mean year of age: 52.2(SD = 7.6), p = 0.28)}] were recruited during the study period. Demographics of both groups were comparable. Fifty percent of respondents reported using some kind of CAM before chemotherapy. Diet supplements (40.6%) were the most common CAM used by the respondents. The study showed that patients using CHM had significantly less fatigue (p = 0.012), nausea (p = 0.04), and anorexia (p = 0.005) during chemotherapy. There were no significant differences in patients' HRQOL (p = 0.79). There were no AEs reported during the study.

conclusionThe use of CHM as an adjunct treatment with conventional chemotherapy have been shown to reduce fatigue, nausea, and anorexia in breast cancer patients but did not reduce chemotherapy-associated hematologic toxicity. The sample size of this study was not powered to assess the significance of HRQOL between two groups of patients.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBreast NeoplasmsComplementary TherapiesCyclophosphamideDrugs, Chinese HerbalEpirubicinFemaleFluorouracilHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalaysiaMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingCyclophosphamideDrugs, Chinese HerbalEpirubicinFluorouracilBreast cancerChemotherapy-induced adverse eventsChinese herbal medicineHealth-related quality of lifeIntegrated medicine

Identifiers

PMID30911917
OpenAlexW2923430214

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.