Real-World Evidence of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Treatment on Cancer: A Literature-Based Review

Abstract

While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for evidence-based medicine, they do not always reflect the real condition of patients in the real-world setting, which limits their generalizability and external validity. Real-world evidence (RWE), generated during routine clinical practice, is increasingly important in determining external effectiveness of the tightly controlled conditions of RCTs and is well recognized as a valuable complement to RCTs by regulatory bodies currently. Since it could provide new ideas and methods for clinical efficacy and safety evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and high-quality evidence support, real-world study (RWS) has received great attention in the field of medicine, especially in the field of TCM. RWS has shown desirable adaptability in the clinical diagnosis and treatment practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Consequently, it is increasingly essential for physicians and researchers to understand how RWE can be used alongside clinical trial data on TCM. Here, we discuss what real-world study is and outline the benefits and limitations of real-world study. Furthermore, using examples from TCM treatment on cancer, including Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment, and other treatments, we elaborate how RWE can be used to help inform treatment decisions when doctoring patients with cancer in the clinic.

Progress in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma by integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine

“…It emphasizes evidence-based and individualized treatment plans tailored to patients’ specific conditions ( 6 ). However, standardized diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for TCM treatment of lung adenocarcinoma have not been universally established, representing an ongoing challenge in this field ( 7 ).…”

Promoting self‐healing power and balancing immune response: a holistic, effective strategy of traditional Chinese medicine in treating COVID‐19

“…However, RCT is usually designed for testing a single pure chemical compound on a given MM-named disease or symptom, so it may not be suitable for testing TCM herbal formulas, which are usually personalized and diverse, on TCM-named syndromes. Therefore, clinical bigdata obtained in real-world studies may be a promising way of evaluating safety and efficacy of TCM treatments [101] .…”

Study on the Mechanism of Yadanzi Oil in Treating Lung Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology

“…They play an irreplaceable role in clinical practice. 8,9 Yadanzi (Brucea Fructus) is the dried mature fruit of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr, a plant belonging to the Simaroubaceae family. It possesses functions such as heat-clearing, detoxification, antimalarial, and antidiarrheal effects.…”

“…Moreover, most of them have low toxicity and high safety and possess a broad potential market. They play an irreplaceable role in clinical practice. , …”