OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combining transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC), and its influence on patients' immunity, quality of life and adverse reaction.

METHODSSixty-seven patients with mid-advanced stage PHC were assignd to two groups: the 35 patients in Group 1 treated with TCM combined TACE and the 32 in Group 2 treated with TACE alone. TACE with Gemzar (GEM) and Cisplatinum (DDP) were applied once in both groups, and followed by conventional post-operational management as hydration. The TCM used was prescribed according to syndrome differentiation. Peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets and natural killer (NK) cells of patients were measured before treatment (as the base line) and at the end of the 1st and 4th week after treatment (W1, W4), patients' quality of life (QOL) was estimated at the sametime by Karnofsky sore (KPS). Moreover, CT or MRI examination was performed at end of the 4th week to evaluate the short-term efficacy of treatment.

RESULTSShort-term efficacy analyses showed that the effective rate was 51.4% (18/35) in Group 1 and 37.5% (12/32) in Group 2, showing insignificant difference between them (P > 0.05). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, NK cells actionties and KPS score reduced slightly in both groups at W1, with no significant intergroup difference; but at W4, they did show significant differences between groups, and all indices in both groups were significantly different to those of the baseline and at W1 (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Aduerse reaction occurred were mainly fever, digestive reaction and lowering of peripheral white blood cell counting, platelet counting, etc. and the incidence of fever in Group 1 was lower than in Group 2.

CONCLUSIONTCM treatment combined with TACE can enhance the immunity and QOL of PHC patients, and alleviate the adverse reaction of chemotherapeutic agents.