Treatment of pain according to syndrome differentiation in 169 cases of liver cancer.

In 169 cases with liver cancer pain, the therapeutic effects of TCM and the authors' "analgesic therapy of four steps" were analysed. The results were that most patients with advanced liver cancer had mild pain, and only a small number of patients (14.2%) had moderate or severe pain. By the first step analgesic therapy, 46.1% of the patients were relieved and with the second or third step of analgesic therapy, 93.5% of the patients were relieved, only 6.5% of the patients with grade III pain needed the fourth step therapy. With TCM treatment alone, the remission rate of grade I and grade II pain was 100% and 76.9% respectively. "Analgesic therapy of four steps" produced less side effects or addiction to narcotics.