摘要
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has been widely used in China and other East Asian countries for helping cancer patients. However, it is unavailable to most patients who are treated in NHS in UK, due to there is not enough evidence in using TCM in cancer patients, To try to establish the evidence base for using TCM in cancer patients management, the author reviewed the current available clinical reports to TCM treatment of cancer patients, mainly those of randomly assigned and controlled clinical trials(RCTs) with bigger samples, from maintaining the quality of life, enhancing immune system, remedying the side effects from radiotherapy and chemotherapy respectively, and to propose a role of TCM as an assistant therapy to the main therapies. We then concluded that TCM holds its unique value in maintaining good quality of life, and to help the patients through the operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to achieve better outcomes.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in China and other East Asian countries for helping cancer patients. However, it is unavailable to most patients who are treated in NHS in UK, due to there is not enough evidence in using TCM in cancer patients, To try to establish the evidence base for using TCM in cancer patients management, the author reviewed the current available clinical reports to TCM treatment of cancer patients, mainly those of randomly assigned and controlled clinical trials (RCTs) with bigger samples, from maintaining the quality of life, enhancing immune system, remedying the side effects from radiotherapy and chemotherapy respectively, and to propose a role of TCM as an assistant therapy to the main therapies. We then concluded that TCM holds its unique value in maintaining good quality of life, and to help the patients through the operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to achieve better outcomes.
