[Study of a qualitative diagnostic criterion for basic syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with primary liver cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To work out a qualitative diagnostic criterion for basic syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with primary liver cancer.


METHODS
Based on the collection and analysis of related medical literature, clinical investigation, and experts' discussion, a preliminary qualitative diagnostic criterion for basic syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with primary liver cancer was formulated. Then it was used in clinic to be verified and revised repeatedly till it was improved to be a satisfied formal criterion.


RESULTS
The basic syndromes listed in the qualitative diagnostic criterion for basic syndromes in patients with primary liver cancer consisted of two parts: excessive syndromes, including the syndromes of stagnation of qi, blood stasis, excess-heat and dampness, and deficient syndromes, including the syndromes of deficiency of qi, deficiency of blood, deficiency of yin and deficiency of yang. Each of the above syndromes could be diagnosed according to specific combination of its corresponding symptoms or signs. The clinical verification results showed that the total matching ratio was 73.92% between the diagnoses made according to the criterion and the diagnoses acquired from the experts' experience.


CONCLUSIONS
The qualitative diagnostic criterion for basic syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with primary liver cancer is coincident with the experts' clinical practice. However, it needs to be further studied.
Ling
Chang-Quan
CQ
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. lingchangquan@hotmail.com
Liu
Qing
Q
Li
Dong-Tao
DT
Yue
Xiao-Qiang
XQ
Hou
Feng-Gang
FG
Zhu
De-Zeng
DZ
Yu
Chao-Qin
CQ
Chen
Zhe
Z
Zhai
Xiao-Feng
XF
Yu
Yang
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D013577:Syndrome