Effects of Integrated Chinese Traditional Medicine and Conventional Western Medicine on the Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Table 1

The details of the study characteristics.

No.	Author year	Experiment group size (EG)	Control group size (CG)	Age (median or mean and standard deviation) (year)	Is the baseline consistent?	Course of intervention (days)	Intervention group	Control group	Primary outcome evaluation scales (QOL)	Secondary outcomes
1	He X 2016	79	81	EG: 46.82 ± 7.19	Yes	21 d; 9 periods	AF (ADM+5-FU)/AC (ATM + CTX) chemotherapy and radiotherapy and Chinese herbal medicine; A: 50 mg/m^2, F: 500 mg/m^2; A: 60 mg/m^2, C: 600 mg/m^2	Chinese herbal medicine 400 ml/d	FACT-B	1, 5, 9 11
				CG: 47.17 ± 8.28
2	Yu F 2019	46	47	EG: 52.40 ± 10.50	Yes	21 d; 6 periods	AD (D: docetaxel) chemotherapy and Xiaoaiping; A: 50 mg/m^2, D: 75 mg/m^2	Xiaoaiping 7.2 g/d	FACT-B	1, 5, 9
				CG: 51.50 ± 8.60
3	Diao H 2018	47	47	EG: 51.68 ± 9.36	Yes	21 d; 6 periods	CEF (E: epirubicin) chemotherapy and Shenqi Fuzheng injection; C: 500 mg/m^2, E: 100 mg/m^2, F: 500 mg/m^2	Shenqi Fuzheng injection 250 ml/d	QLQ-BR53	1, 3
				CG: 52.94 ± 10.14
4	Li L 2015	30	30	EG: 51.64 ± 10.29	Yes	21 d; 4 periods	TAC (T: TAX) chemotherapy and self-made Chinese herbal medicine; T: 75 mg/m^2, A: 50 mg/m^2, C: 500 mg/m^2	Self-made Chinese herbal medicine	KPS	5
				CG: 49.66 ± 8.58
5	Liu L 2009	20	20	EG: 61.45 ± 5.24	Yes	28 d; 2 periods	TP (P: DDP) chemotherapy and replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin recipe; T: 60 mg/m^2, P: 60–100 mg/m^2	Replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin recipe 200 ml/d	KPS	6, 7, 8
				CG: 61.05 ± 4.48
6	Tang H 2016	40	39	EG: 47.50 ± 6.90	Yes	21 d; 4 periods	CEF chemotherapy and replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin recipe; C: 500 mg/m^2 , E: 60 mg/m^2, F: 500 mg/m^2	Replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin recipe 150 ml/d	QLQ-C30	1, 6, 8
				CG: 48.10 ± 6.30
7	Wang F 2018	23	23	EG: 40.36 ± 1.28	Yes	21 d; 3 periods	TP chemotherapy and self-made nourishing Yin recipe; T: 60 mg/m^2, E: 75 mg/m^2	Self-made nourishing Yin recipe 150 ml/d	KPS	6
				CG: 41.03 ± 1.18
8	Wu C 2018	63	63	EG: 44.02 ± 5.16	Yes	3 months	Tamoxifen citrate 20 mg/d and cantharidin capsules	Cantharidin capsules 1.5 g/d	QOL-C3	3, 5
				CG: 44.16 ± 5.19
9	Zhang Y 2016	52	52	EG: 52.70 ± 5.60	Yes	6 months	Tamoxifen citrate 60 mg/d and Tiaoqi Deji Fang	Tiaoqi Deji Fang 400 ml/d	QLQ-BR53	2, 8
				CG: 53.40 ± 5.10
10	Zhang Y 2010	18	18	EG: 57.63 ± 8.42	Yes	28 d; 2 periods	TD chemotherapy and replenishing Qi and nourishing blood recipe; T: 60 mg/m^2, D: 60–100 mg/m^2	Replenishing Qi and nourishing blood recipe 300 ml/d	FACT-B	5, 6, 7, 8, 10
				CG: 56.69 ± 8.59
11	Zhou Y 2018	54	54	EG: 68.18 ± 3.62	Yes	6 months	LENM (L: letrozole; E: exemestane; N: nolvadex; M: megestrol) chemotherapy and Yi Wenyang prescription; L: 2.5 mg/d, E: 25 mg/d, T: 20 mg/d, M: 160 mg/d	Yi Wenyang prescription 400 ml/d	QLQ-BR53	-
				CG: 57.27 ± 10.76
12	Zhu L 2010	20	20	EG: 52.5 ± 8.91	Yes	21 d; 2 periods	AT chemotherapy and self-made different power elimination formulas; A: 60 mg/m^2, T: 175 mg/m^2	Self-made different power elimination formulas 300 ml/d	KPS	1, 5, 6, 9, 11
				CG: 50.25 ± 12.58
13	Dong L 2017	30	30	EG: 51.68 ± 9.36	Yes	21 d; 3 periods	CED chemotherapy and nourishing spleen and kidney recipe; D: 75 mg/m^2, E: 50 mg/m^2, C: 500 mg/m^2	Nourishing spleen and kidney recipe 200 mg/d	KPS	7, 8, 10
				CG: 52.94 ± 10.14
14	Du Y 2015	30	30	EG: 30.00–69.00	Yes	28 d; 4 periods	CDF chemotherapy and modified Xiaoyao San; C: 500 mg/m^2 , D: 50 mg/m^2 , F: 500 mg/m^2	Modified Xiaoyao San	KPS	8, 11
				CG: 29.00–70.00
15	Li G 2015	52	52	EG: 58.5 ± 6.57	Yes	28 d; 6 periods	Letrozole: 2.5 g/d & lychee saponins	Lychee saponins 6 tips/d	KPS	1, 2, 3, 5
				CG: 57.8 ± 6.55
16	Lu M 2016	45	45	EG and CG: 30.00–60.00	Yes	21 d; 2 periods	CEF chemotherapy and Huaier granules; C: 60 mg/m^2 E: 100 mg/m^2 F: 60 mg/m^2	Huaier granules 60 g/d	KPS	1, 3
17	Ren K 2013	32	32	EG and CG: 28.00–79.00	Yes	21 d; 6 periods	CEF chemotherapy and Kanglaite soft capsule C: 500 mg/m^2 E: 75 mg/m^2 F: 500 mg/m^2	Kanglaite soft capsule 10.8 g/d	KPS	4, 9
18	Song X 2016	50	50	EG: 35.00–62.00	Yes	21 d; 4 periods	ACT chemotherapy and Chaihu Shugan powder; A: 60 mg/m^2, C: 600 mg/m^2, T: 75 mg/m^2	Chaihu Shugan powder 500 ml/d	KPS	5, 7, 8, 10
				CG: 36.00–65.00
19	Xu C 2016	40	40	EG: 49.31 ± 5.28	Yes	28 d; 6 periods	ACF chemotherapy and nourishing Qi and spleen decoction; A: 60 mg/m^2, C: 600 mg/m^2, F: 500 mg/m^2	Nourishing Qi and spleen soup 180 ml/d	KPS	1, 5, 8
				CG: 49.57 ± 6.35
20	Yin H 2014	20	20	EG: 55.56 ± 5.64	Yes	21 d; 3 periods	CD chemotherapy and Ruyan Xiaoji Fang; C: 600 mg/m^2, D: 75 mg/m^2	Ruyan Xiaoji Fang	KPS	1, 5, 6, 8
				CG: 53.89 ± 5.67
21	Zhang A 2016	30	30	EG: 52.70 ± 11.40	Yes	21 d; 6 periods	ACD chemotherapy and self-made Fuzheng negative soup; A: 50 mg/m^2, C: 50 mg/m^2, D: 50 mg/m^2	Self-made Fuzheng negative soup	KPS	-
				CG: 52.40 ± 10.20
22	Zhang Y 2011	23	22	EG: 51.24 ± 7.80	Yes	21 d; 2 periods	CFP chemotherapy and Fuzheng Jiedu Quyu recipe; C: 500 mg/m^2, F: 40 mg/m^2, P: 400 mg/m^2	Fuzheng Jiedu Quyu recipe 250 ml/d	KPS	1, 3, 5, 6, 7
				CG: 48.29 ± 7.26

Notes. 1. Intervention group: A = Adriamycin; C = cyclophosphamide; D = docetaxel; E = epirubicin; F = fluorouracil; L = letrozole; M = megestrol; P = paclitaxel; T = tamoxifen. 2. Secondary outcomes: 1. white blood cell (WBC), platelet, and natural killer (NK) cell counts; 2. hormone levels, including estrogen (E₂) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH); 3. immune function markers; 4. body mass index (BMI); 5. incidence of adverse reactions (including gastrointestinal and cardiac dysfunction and their development related to cancer); 6. tumor markers; 7. safety and tolerance; 8. traditional Chinese medicine syndrome; 9. hair loss; 10. heart function; and 11. toxic side effect.