Traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain

Abstract

Pain is one of the common symptoms of cancer which seriously affects the quality of life of the patients. Cancer pain is mainly treated with the three-step method, biological therapy or nerve block therapy based on antitumor therapy. However, up to 50 percent of patients with cancer-related pain do not receive adequate pain relief, affecting their physical and psychological well-being, and leading to a lower quality of life for the patient after conventional treatment. Clinical observation suggests that traditional Chinese medicine may alleviate cancer-related pain either by oral administration, topical administration, acupuncture or other means with continuing non-addictive and non-drug-resistant qualities. However, scientific evaluation of the efficacy of herbs in the treatment of pain is insufficient; the underlying mechanisms are unclear and, safety and toxicity remain a concern.