Abstract
Background Cancer has been considered as the leading cause of death in the world. In patients with cancer, up to 80% display a cachectic period after diagnosis. Cachexia is known to have a negative impact on function, treatment tolerance, higher rates of hospitalizations, and mortality. Anorexia is often used as a warning sign of precachexia. Long-term anorexia may lead to malnutrition and, then, accelerate the occurrence of cachexia. A safe and effective treatment, which can both improve appetite and assist nutritional support for precachexia cancer patients shows its particular important role. Methods A retrospective analysis comparing the different therapeutic effects on precachexia cancer patients with anorexia-malnutrition. We recorded 46 patients with the improved-Sijunzi decoction combined with enteral nutrition emulsion (ISJZ group) and 35 patients with single enteral nutrition emulsion (SEN group). The different therapeutic effects of the two groups were observed by recording indicators before and 2 weeks after treatment, including patient-generated subjective global assessment score, quality of life score, Karnofsky performance status scale, Eastern cooperative oncology group scale standard and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, daily total dietary intake, red blood cells, hemoglobin, prealbumin, albumin, total protein cholinesterase, C-reactive protein, leukocytes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Results ISJZ group exhibited prominent improvement of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (TCMS), nutritional condition, and quality of life compared with the SEN group (QOL: p=0.0001, PG-SGA: p=0.019, dietary intake: p=0.0001, TCMS: p=0.0001). The levels of HGB (p=0.006), PAlb (p=0.001), Alb (p=0.0001), TP (p=0.008), and ChE (p=0.0001) in the ISJZ group were higher than the SEN group after treatment. Moreover, the ratios of CRP/ALB (p=0.028) and CRP/PALB (p=0.005) in the two groups have obvious differences; they were lower for the ISJZ group than the SEN group. Conclusions Enteral nutrition combined with ISJZ decoction is an effective treatment in precachexia cancer patients for the prevention of cachexia. This treatment therapy can alleviate the inflammatory response, improve malnutrition state, and promote the performance status. Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital approved this study (Trial No. 1913).
Highlights
Cancer has been considered as the leading cause of death in the world [1, 2]
Cachexia is known to have a negative impact on function, treatment tolerance, higher rates of hospitalizations, and mortality [9, 10]. e development process of cachexia can be fast or slow, but it will all start from precachexia to refractory cachexia [7]; the reversal of refractory cachexia cannot be achieved at present
In order to avoid the occurrence of irreversible cachexia, a safe and effective treatment urgently needs to be discovered, so we explored whether ISJZ decoction could have a positive effect on such patients. is passage reports the positive role of ISJZ in improving anorexia-malnutrition patients with spleen qi deficiency
Summary
Cancer has been considered as the leading cause of death in the world [1, 2]. Anorexia is one of the top three common symptoms in patients with cancer [3, 4], and it may induce malnutrition. e appearance of anorexia is often used as a warning sign of precachexia. E treatment of anorexia-malnutrition includes invasive/parenteral nutrition support, enteral nutrition support, and appetite stimulants. A safe and effective treatment, which can both improve appetite and assist nutritional support for precachexia cancer patients shows its particular important role. A retrospective analysis comparing the different therapeutic effects on precachexia cancer patients with anorexia-malnutrition. E different therapeutic effects of the two groups were observed by recording indicators before and 2 weeks after treatment, including patient-generated subjective global assessment score, quality of life score, Karnofsky performance status scale, Eastern cooperative oncology group scale standard and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, daily total dietary intake, red blood cells, hemoglobin, prealbumin, albumin, total protein cholinesterase, C-reactive protein, leukocytes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Enteral nutrition combined with ISJZ decoction is an effective treatment in precachexia cancer patients for the prevention of cachexia.
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