Combining Traditional Chinese Medicine with TACE for Liver Cancer Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Li, Zhu Xiu-Ling, Lin Jie, Li Dong-Liang
Primary Institution: Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University
Hypothesis
Does integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) improve treatment outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)?
Conclusion
Adding TCM to TACE protocols significantly enhances treatment outcomes and safety in HCC patients.
Supporting Evidence
- The combination of TCM with TACE significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of HCC treatment.
- TCM improves overall response rate, disease control rate, and overall survival rate.
- Ganfu Formula was identified as the most effective TCM in enhancing patient response rates.
Takeaway
Using traditional Chinese medicine along with a common cancer treatment helps patients feel better and live longer.
Methodology
The study conducted a meta-analysis of 39 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TCM combined with TACE to TACE alone.
Potential Biases
Potential biases were noted due to the absence of allocation concealment and blinding.
Limitations
The study lacked double-blinding and allocation concealment, which may affect the methodological quality.
Participant Demographics
The study included 3,939 HCC patients, with 2,027 in the experimental group and 1,912 in the control group.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.00001
Confidence Interval
95% CI [1.65, 2.43]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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