TCM as an Adjuvant Treatment in Breast Cancer Patients

Feasibility of the study (Adherence)

The feasibility of the adherence will be determined by the number of sachets of Chinese herbs taken.

Feasibility of the study (Dropout rate)

The feasibility will be assessed by dropout rate of the patients.

Change in the pain score

The pain score of breast cancer patients will be assessed by Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF). BPI-SF is a validated and reliable tool used to assess the severity or intensity of pain on scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

Change in Syndrome element differentiation

Syndrome Element Differentiation rating scale will be used to determine the syndrome element differentiation of the patients. Syndrome Element Differentiation rating scale can quantify the syndrome elements of this patient based on the clinical manifestations. The quantitative output weight values of syndrome elements are acquired from clinical input data based on the severity and frequency of each sign and symptom. Based on the quantitative output value, the syndrome elements can then be categorized into four levels of health state or severity: normal (\<70), mild (≥ 70 to \<100), moderate (≥100 to \<150), and severe (≥ 150).

Change in quality of life as assessed by WHO-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life)

The quality of life will be assessed by the WHO-BREF questionnaire in this study. The WHOQOL-BREF instrument comprises 26 items, measuring the following broad domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment, with scores ranging from 0 to 100. The four domain scores denote an individual's perception of the quality of life in each domain. Domain scores are scaled in a positive direction in which higher scores denote a higher quality of life. * the minimum and maximum values: 0, 100 * higher scores mean a better outcome.