Role of Kampo Medicine in Modern Cancer Therapy: Towards Completion of Standard Treatment

Kampo Medicine is a traditional Japanese medicine and is well integrated with modern medicine. Anti-cancer agents are highly developed, and evidence regarding standard treatment has accumulated. Kampo Medicine helps support patients with cancer who lack vital energy and feel cold. Cancer che-motherapy is associated with adverse reactions that are refractory to modern therapy, such as anorexia, general malaise/fatigue, and peripheral neuropathy. Recently, evidence of the effectiveness of Kampo Medicines for these symptoms has been reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The Japan So-ciety for Oriental Medicine celebrated the first 20 years of its evidence-based medicine (EBM) committee in June 2021. The activities of this committee include publication of the Evidence Reports of Kampo Treat-ment, which contains RCTs and meta-analyses, including RCTs on cancer supportive care. Evidence is accumulating for hangeshashinto for mucositis, rikkunshito for anorexia, goshajinkigan and nin-jinyoeito for peripheral neuropathy, hochuekkito for general malaise/fatigue, and shakuyakukanzoto for myalgia/arthralgia. However, additional evidence and further clinical trials are needed. Supportive care with Kampo Medicine increases the likelihood of completing standard treatment for cancer. (J Nippon Med Sch 2022; 89: 139?144)