Survey on Chinese Medicine Syndrome for Patients With Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer has been the leading cancer worldwide, which can be divided into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on biology, therapy, and prognosis. NSCLC accounts for more than 85% of all lung cancer cases and has a poor prognosis with only 15% of all lung cancer patients alive 5 years or more after diagnosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated from Chinese philosophy is a different medical system from conventional western medicine. It focuses on health maintenance and emphasizes on harmonizing the imbalance of body. Current studies show that TCM has the advantages of increasing the sensitivity of chemo- and radio-therapeutics, reducing the side effects and chemo- and radio-therapeutics associated complications, improving patients' quality of life and survival time. However, how TCM can work with conventional medicine for the treatment of carcinoma is still an important research topic worldwide. Syndrome, the essential concept in TCM theory, is a diagnostic conclusion of the pathological changes at a certain stage of a disease, including the location, cause, and nature as well as the trend of development. This study aims to investigate the distribution of TCM syndromes, the changing pattern among NSCLC patients before and after having surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and the correlations with patient quality of life and progression free survival. The results are important for establishing guidelines for TCM practice and research in future.