• 대한한의학회지
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.119-132
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to collect and analyze real world data to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of comprehensive traditional Korean Medicine treatment on quality of life, anorexia and cachexia of cancer patients. Methods: We analyzed medical records of 62 cancer patients admitted to O-I Dang Korean Medicine Hospital from February 2018 to February 2019. The primary outcome was a change score in the Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale of Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT). The secondary outcomes were Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), Trial Outcome Index(TOI) of FAACT, 11 point Pain Intensity Numeric Rating Score (11 PI-NRS) and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and adverse event. Results: Cachexia and quality of life in cancer patients assessed by FAACT, increased by $5.59{\pm}14.83$ (p=0.004) after treatment. PI-NRS was reduced by $2.10{\pm}1.81$ (p<0.001) and TOI and FACT-G total scores were increased by $5.17{\pm}11.70$ (p=0.001) and $3.59{\pm}10.94$ (p=0.012), respectively. These results were also clinically meaningful assessed via minimal clinically important difference (MCID). There was no severe adverse event. Conclusion: These findings suggest that comprehensive traditional Korean Medicine treatment might be effective and safe strategy for improving quality of life, anorexia, cachexia and pain of cancer patients. Further advanced studies with controlled group and more participants with rigorous design are needed to ensure these findings.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.1032-1041
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• 2018

Despite a considerable improvement in antiemetic chemotherapy and the use of antiemetic prophylaxis for decades, there are still numerous cancer patients suffering from anorexia and nausea after chemotherapy, which forces them to postpone or refuse treatment. This case report is about a 66-year-old female patient diagnosed with malignant lymphoma of the small intestine who underwent right hemicolectomy. After the tumor and the colon adjacent to it were surgically removed, the patient continued to undergo chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced anorexia and nausea appeared but were well treated with administration of Dokhwaljihwang-tang-gamibang. During the treatment, no adverse effect related to this Korean medicine was reported. The outcome was evaluated by the functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT); the total score increased from 85 to 130 within 12 days, and the symptoms were alleviated. This improvement might suggest the feasibility of Dokhwaljihwang-tang-gamibang to help cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced anorexia and nausea.

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.129-141
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• 2013

Objectives : Anorexia is the primary symptom impinging cancer patients' Quality of Life. It is usually accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms(GI symptoms). Thus, to measure anorexia symptom precisely, assessing anorexia and GI symptoms together is recommended. This study was designed to analyze cancer-related anorexia assessment tools, extract GI symptoms included in these tools and investigate usefulness of instruments in clinical trials. Methods : Instruments were selected by searching PubMed, PROQOLID database. We analyzed instruments by number of items, assessment method, type of question, GI symptoms. Results : 9 instruments were selected to assess cancer-related anorexia symptom. Most tools adopt Likert scale as response scale and 'during past week' as recall period. Assessment method of all 9 instruments is the self-administration. Questions measuring anorexia are able to be sorted into 3 forms (frequency, severeness, distress of anorexia symptom). Among the GI symptoms, nausea is included in all 9 instruments. In clinical trials of cancer-related anorexia, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale(ESAS) and Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy Questionnaire(FAACT) were selected as endpoint measure. Conclusions : The result showed that FAACT is the only specialized tool to assess cancer-related anorexia. To measure cancer-related anorexia precisely, the need to develop new instrument exists.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.26-40
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Bojungikgi-tang for lung cancer patients with anorexia. Methods: This was a single-arm, open-label, and single-center trial, and suitable participants took Bojungikgi-tang (Buzhongyiqi-tang in Chinese, Hochuekki-to in Japanese) three times a day before or between meals for six weeks (42 days). After registration of clinical trials (visit 2), they visited the hospital every three weeks (visits 3 and 4) and measured or tested the effectiveness or safety evaluation variables to analyze the results. The primary outcome was the anorexia/cachexia subscale (A/CS) of functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT) score. Results: Seventeen lung cancer patients were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Lung cancer patients had higher A/CS of FAACT scores after six weeks of Bojungikgi-tang administration compared to that at the baseline. This was not significant four lung cancer (p=0.1668). In the secondary outcomes, the visual analog scale (VAS) score of anorexia decreased significantly (p=0.0009), and the CD4/CD8 ratio (p=0.0396) and CD4 levels (p=0.0345) significantly increased after six weeks of treatment. No serious adverse events were reported with Bojungikgi-tang in lung cancer patients. Conclusions: Bojungikgi-tang can be an effective and safe treatment for anorexia in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.