Search

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) is a troublesome complication of anti-cancer treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effectiveness of classic Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang (HQGZWWT) and Dang Gui Si Ni Tang (DGSNT) in the treatment of CINP. Materials and Methods: Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaires were rated at baseline and after 3-monthly CHF treatment. Results: By searching through our medical records of all the CIPN patients from 2018 to 2019, we identified and enrolled 37 patients with Deficiency-Cold syndrome in the study, for whom the treatment of neuropathic pain by regular pharmacotherapies had failed or intolerable. At the third month evaluation with the DN4 questionnaire, 13 patients had symptomatic remission, 15 patients remained stable, and 9 patients had no response to CHF. The 3-month mean DN4 score was significantly higher than that at the baseline ( P

Objective To determine the effectiveness and safety of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases. Methods PubMed®, CNKI, Web of Science, VIP and WANFANG databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effect of HIPEC on survival, clinical response and adverse events. Patients with advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The statistical results are presented as relative ratio (RR), mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Twenty-one RCTs met the inclusion criteria ( n = 1674 patients). Meta-analysis showed that the 3-year survival rate was significantly higher in the HIPEC group than in the control group (RR 1.61; 95% CI 1.43, 1.82) and the complete response rate was significantly higher in the HIPEC group than in the control group (RR 2.35; 95% CI 1.67, 3.31). HIPEC was also beneficial in terms of decreased CEA (MD −1.79; 95% CI −2.22, −1.35). There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse reactions (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.87, 1.14). Conclusions HIPEC had a beneficial effect on 3-year survival rate and complete response in patients with advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal metastases.