Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zhengyuan capsule(正元胶囊) when treating Cancer-related fatigue(CRF) in lung cancer patients undergoing surgical operation.METHODS/DESIGN: This is a single-center, double-blinded, prospective, and randomized controlled trial in the Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: a treatment group receiving an 8-week Zhengyuan capsule regimen therapy and a control group receiving an 8-week placebo capsule regimen therapy. Evaluation will be carried out at four timelines: the participants' screening period, baseline period, the middle of the intervention period,and the end of the intervention period. The primary outcome assessment is fatigue scoring using the Cancer Fatigue Scale(CFS) measurement system.Secondary measurements include fatigue severity assessment using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form(MFSI-SF) measurement system, Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome pattern differentiation, levels of immunologic indicators(TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, T lymphocytes subsets and B lymphocyte subsets), patient's pulmonary function, performance status scale(PS),self-rating scale of sleep(SRSS), and adverse events(AEs).DISCUSSION: The trial results can provide efficacy and safety data of Zhengyuan capsule when treating CRF in clinic. The data can also be imported into the management and treatment guidelines for CRF in lung cancer patients undergoing operation throughout China.

Key words: fatigue, lung neoplasms, postoperative period, Zhengyuan capsule, randomized controlled trial, clinical trial protocol