Research progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of tumor-related depression

Cancer related depression (CRD) refers to the significant and lasting depression of the patient due to tumor diagnosis, treatment and comorbidities. It can be attributed to the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Clinically, cancer-related depression can be divided into three stages, namely primary, middle and final stages by analogy with depression syndrome. The location of the initial disease is in the liver. The main syndrome was excess, while the basic pathogenesis is mainly due to liver-qi stagnation syndrome and the principle of treatment is dispersing stagnated liver qi for relieving qi stagnation by using modified Xiaoyao Powder and Chaihu Shugan Powder. In the middle stage of the disease, the location is in the spleen and stomach. The main syndrome was intermingled deficiency and excess. The principle of treatment is relaxing bowels, dissipating phlegm and eliminating dampness, regulating qi-flowing and promoting blood, invigorating spleen and heart, nourishing qi and blood. Xuefuzhuyu tang, Guipi decotion, Bailongjieyu granules can be used as treatment for this period. At the final stage of the disease, the main syndrome was deficiency, the principle of treatment is replenishing lung and heart, benefiting qi and regulating spleen, nourishing lung and kidney. Baihe formulas, Kai-Xin-San are chosed at this stage.