title: Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Xerostomia and Quality of Life during Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A Prospective Pilot Study.
abstract: Xerostomia is one of the most common acute and late complications of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and it affects quality of life. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in toxicities and quality of life during radiotherapy. Head and neck cancer patients who were scheduled for radiotherapy were checked for inclusion/exclusion criteria before enrollment. Patients in the study group (inpatients) were hospitalized in a Chinese medicine ward and received concomitant TCM intervention during radiotherapy, while those in the control group (outpatients) received only conventional cancer treatments at the Western outpatient department. The primary end point was amelioration of postradiotherapy side effects. The secondary end points were quality of life during the cancer therapy and occurrence of adverse events following the TCM treatments. Thirty inpatients and 50 outpatients completed the study. Compared to the control group, those in the TCM group had decreased severity of xerostomia. There was no treatment-related impairment of renal or hepatic function among TCM group. Although better outcomes of social contact, dyspnea, physical and emotional function, and financial problems were found in the TCM group, we need further confirmation about the impact of hospitalization itself on these results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Yu
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9719-1664
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sien-Hung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8808-3933
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; Department of Radiation Oncology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ngan-Ming
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kang-Hsing
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0910-7803
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hsun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5547-409X
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jr-Rung
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan; Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1601-6555
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsing-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Tao
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6068-7615
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Division of Chinese Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33378, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiun-Liang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9714-2771
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen