The Need of Cancer Patients for Rehabilitation Services

OBJECTIVE: To determine the type and prevalence of rehabilitation problems common among cancer patients and to survey the patients' recognition of and need for rehabilitation services. METHOD: The current study was conducted using a questionnaire developed by our rehabilitation team. Five hundred seven cancer patients participated in the survey. RESULTS: The percentage of patients with more than one problem from each physical, psychological, and socioeconomic categories were 87.1%, 48.2%, and 50.9% respectively. Cancer patients with needs of rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems comprised 77.1%, 84.6%, and 84.8%. However patients who had information about rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems were 22.7%, 44.7%, and 24.5%. The percentage of patients with actual rehabilitation problems needing rehabilitation services related to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems were 65.1%, 52.1%, and 63.6%, but only 18.2% of patients with physical problems and 5.3% of patients with psychological and socioeconomic problems received such services. The prevalence of rehabilitation problems and rehabilitation needs was very high not only in the group still receiving cancer treatment but also in the group which had completed cancer treatment. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that cancer patients have various kinds of physical, psychological, socioeconomic problems differing between cancer types and cancer treatment states with high levels of rehabilitation needs. We contend that the results of this study camay not only be able to aidin the development of appropriate cancer rehabilitation programs but also be used as a basis for policy studies.

Evaluation of literature quality of acupuncture for treatment of herpes zoster and approach to the laws of treatment / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the quality of literature of clinical studies on acupuncture in treatment of herpes zoster.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The literatures between 1994-2006 were searched by means of electronic retrieval. Type and methodology, general condition, diagnosis of diseases and enrolled and excluded criteria, assessment of sample content, treatment condition, criteria for assessment of therapeutic effects, following-up, etc. in clinical studies are evaluated according to principles and methods of clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 399 literatures enrolled, only 8 were authentic randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 20 quasi-randomized controlled trials, 66 non-randomized concurrent controlled trials and 277 narrative studies, 70 had clear diagnostic criteria, 16 mentioned enrolled or excluded criteria, 287 had clear criteria for therapeutic effects, 107 reported follow-up, 2 had the description of health economical index, 9 reported adverse reaction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>At present, correct randomization, concealment, blinding and placebo-control, and the RCTs with generally accepted criteria for assessment of diagnosis and therapeutic effects, safety evaluation and rational design of follow-up are needed. It is indicated by preliminary study of the literatures that blood-letting puncture and cupping at Ashi points are main methods for treatment of herpes zoster.</p>

Introduction to clinical studies of acupuncture and moxibustion of Britain Foundation of TCM / 中国针灸

In Western countries, more and more people select acupuncture and moxibustion as medical ways, and more and more acupuncture and moxibustion research organizations are set up. Britain TCM foundation is such one center for acupuncture research. This center is aimed at promoting acupuncture research. Since 1991, a series of clinical trials and several big research tasks have been completed. The clinical designs in the center are very careful and scientific, being worth to be learnt. In the paper, clinical studies in the center are introduced for increasing levels of acupuncture and moxibustion research at home.

Evaluation of clinical therapeutic effects and safety of acupuncture treatment for premenstrual syndrome / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the effectiveness and safety of various types of acupuncture in treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Search Chinese and English databases of the Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI and reference lists of correlative academic conference proceedings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight controlled studies involving 807 women (range, 61-225) meeting the enrolled criteria. Among them 7 studies showed that therapeutic effects of acupuncture were superior to other methods (i. e. Western medicine or Chinese herbs).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture can effectively treat PMS. However, more randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the effectiveness and adverse-effect of acupuncture for treatment of PMS.</p>