Comparative study on the characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine symptoms and cluster analysis of syndrome types between cancer-related fatigue and non-cancer-related fatigue
10.3760/cma.j.cn115398-20230812-00111
- VernacularTitle:癌因性疲乏与非癌因性疲乏患者中医症状特点及证型聚类分析的对比研究
- Author:
Shanshan GU
1
;
Yun XU
;
Feiye WANG
;
Lutian GONG
;
Jinghui WANG
;
Xinyu GUO
;
Li FU
;
Jiyan SHI
Author Information
1. 中国中医科学院西苑医院2022级博士研究生，北京 100091
- Keywords:
Neoplasms;
Cancer-related fatigue;
Cross-sectional survey;
TCM syndrome element;
TCM symptoms;
Cluster analysis
- From:
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2024;46(8):972-979
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the distribution patterns of TCM syndrome elements and syndrome types in cancer-related fatigue (CRF).Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted on tumor patients attending the outpatient clinic and wards of the Department of Oncology, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January to December 2021. Descriptive analysis was used to compare the distribution difference of TCM syndrome elements, symptoms and tongue symptoms of CRF and non-CRF patients. The TCM symptoms of CRF were clustered to summarize the common TCM syndromes of CRF.Results:A total of 306 tumor patients were finally included, of which 229 (75%) were CRF and 77 (25%) were non-CRF. Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, and cold-dampness were the most common deficiency and excess syndrome elements in CRF, and liver deficiency, yin deficiency, and blood stasis syndrome elements occurred more frequently in non-CRF than in CRF. TCM symptoms with a frequency greater than 50% in CRF patients, from high to low, were: fatigue > shortness of breath > insomnia or dreaminess > mental fatigue > forgetfulness>lazy speech > impatience, irritability, depression with sighing. The most frequent tongue symptoms, tongue coating, and pulse symptoms were respectively pale tongue, white and greasy coating or smooth white, and pulse deficiency. The symptoms with greater than 30% frequency in 77 non-CRF patients were, from highest to lowest: impatience and irritability or depression with sighing > insomnia or dreaminess > shortness of breath > dry mouth and throat > lumbar spine pain (excluding traumatic) > numbness of limbs > forgetfulness. The highest-ranked tongue, tongue coating, and pulse symptoms were pale tongue, red tongue or less coating, no coating, and thin pulse, respectively. Through clustering analysis, six common syndromes of CRF were obtained, including qi and blood deficiency syndrome, heart and liver blood deficiency syndrome, kidney yang deficiency syndrome, qi and yin deficiency syndrome, spleen deficiency and qi stagnation syndrome, and cold dampness and spleen stagnation syndrome.Conclusions:CRF is a common symptom of different types of tumors. Generally, deficiency syndrome is the main symptom. Qi deficiency and blood deficiency are the common syndrome elements. Common symptoms of high frequency and tongue and pulse are fatigue, shortness of breath, mental fatigue, forgetfulness, pale tongue and thin pulse. The common TCM syndrome types can be preliminarily summarized into 6 types: qi and blood deficiency syndrome, heart and liver blood deficiency syndrome, kidney yang deficiency syndrome, qi and yin deficiency syndrome, spleen deficiency and qi stagnation syndrome, cold dampness and spleen stagnation syndrome.
