ArticlePatient preference and adherence2025
Who is Seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for Cancer? Insights from a Large Cohort in a Rehabilitation Clinic.
Article in Patient preference and adherence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Accessibility and Decision-Supportive Quality of Benign Breast Disease Articles on Chinese Hospital WeChat Public Accounts: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Article
- Dual trajectories of patient-reported fatigue and sleep disturbance in lung cancer survivors.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Characterizing authoritative oncology-related key opinion leaders on Weibo: A social media profiling study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2025Article
- Combination Therapy ofIntegrative cancer therapiesArticle
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10 authors.
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Abstract
Purpose: 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. Patients and Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: 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.
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