Aim. The objectives of this study were to compare
yang-xu,
yin-xu, and yu among patients with
breast cancer right before, one month after, and three months after receiving target, chemo, or combined
therapy. Method. After recruiting 126 patients from 4 hospitals in northern Taiwan, a longitudinal study was carried out with 61 patients receiving
chemotherapy, 30 receiving target
therapy, and 35 receiving combined
therapy.
Yang-xu,
yin-xu, and yu were assessed using the Traditional Chinese Medical Constitutional Scale (TCMCS), with higher scores indicating more xu and yu. Results. There were significant increases in
yang-xu,
yin-xu, and yu at 1 month and 3 months after than before the start of the
chemotherapy, target, or combined
therapy. Patients receiving combined
therapy had significantly higher scores in
yang-xu and
yin-xu than patients receiving chemo or target
therapy. A history of
coronary heart disease was associated with more
yin-xu. Those patients who had undergone a
mastectomy were associated with less yu zheng than those patients who had not. Conclusion and Implications. TCM doctors should focus their treatment on dealing with xu and yu in order to support their patients, as they complete their modern anticancer treatments.