To evaluate the associations between adjunctive scientific Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), constitution-related symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients receiving Western medicine (WM).
Key Findings:
Adjunctive CHM use was associated with higher odds of improvement in BCQ symptoms like fatigue (OR 1.92), dry eyes (OR 2.15), and hot flushes (OR 1.87).
Improvements in WHOQOL-BREF outcomes included reduced interference from physical pain (OR 2.08) and better perception of physical environment (OR 1.69).
Interpretation:
The findings suggest that adjunctive CHM may play a supportive role in managing symptoms and improving quality of life for breast cancer patients undergoing WM, aligning with TCM concepts of qi–yin deficiency.
Limitations:
Causal inference cannot be established due to the observational nature of the study.
The study's results may not be generalizable beyond the specific cohort and setting.
Conclusion:
Adjunctive scientific CHM use is associated with improvements in constitution-related symptoms and certain QOL domains in breast cancer care, warranting further investigation.
