Background and purpose: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome has different characteristics from symptom management of Western medicine. This study was focused on the characteristics of TCM syndrome in advanced cancer patients

and to study the correlation between TCM syndrome and Western medicine symptoms and their correlation with the survival time of patients. Methods: The symptom distribution and int

ensity of the patients were collected through MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Chinese (MDASI-C). TCM syndrome was correlated by four ways of Chinese diagnosis (looking

listening

questioning and feeling the pulse). SPSS Statistical software package was used to analyze and process the data. Descriptive analysis was applied to the analysis of demographic and clinical characteristics. The t test and χ

2

test were performed for patients with syndrome differentiation type Ⅳ and other groups. The survival time was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method

and log-rank test was performed to measure the difference. Results: According to TCM syndrome differentiation

82 cases (36%) were diagnosed with liver and kidney Yin deficiency. Compared with the other 5 types

the frequency and intensity of fatigue and dyspnea were higher in patients with liver and kidney Yin deficiency. There was significant difference in survival time between type Ⅳ patients and other 5 type patients (P0.05). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score and type Ⅳ TCM syndrome were the survival prognostic factors in advanced cancer patients. Conclusion: Through this study

we have enhanced the identification of TCM syndrome differentiation in the survival of patients with advanced cancer

and improved the accuracy of predicting the survival of patients with advanced cancer. In clinical work

TCM syndrome can be used to assist in the detection of disease changes. It may help clinicians to assess survival prognosis.