Research Progress on Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Cancer-Related Fatigue

Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common and profoundly impactful symptoms among cancer patients, significantly impairing their quality of life and prognosis. Conventional Western pharmaceutical treatments yield generally limited efficacy, whereas Traditional Chinese Medicine, leveraging its holistic perspective and unique strengths in syndrome differentiation and treatment, demonstrates considerable potential in managing Cancer-related fatigue. Therefore, this review systematically examines the pathogenesis and syndrome differentiation of Cancer-related fatigue, focusing on Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment strategies. Various Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies—including single herbs and their active components, herbal formulas, acupuncture, massage, acupressure, and progressive muscle relaxation training—are widely applied. The current research landscape and its limitations are analyzed to provide novel insights for clinical prevention and treatment.