OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Shenfu injection (SF) treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF) of the patients with advanced carcinoma.

METHODFrom September 2005 to June 2009, 113 patients with advanced carcinoma who was treated in our department were selected, and were divided into test group and control group. The test group was treated with SF and common method, while the control group only was treated with common method. Three weeks later, CRF, hemoglobin (Hb), immune function, cardiac function and blood viscosity were compared between the two groups. Meanwhile, the correlations between CRF and the other indicators were analyzed.

RESULTThe test group was treated more effectively than the control group in some ways, such as relieving CRF, improving hemoglobin, some immune indicators, and cardiac function, and reducing blood viscosity. Moreover, CRF had negative correlation with Hb and cell-mediated immune, and had positive correlation with cardiac disfunction degree.

CONCLUSIONSF could relieve CRF of the patients with advanced carcinoma effectively by treating anemia and improving cell-mediated immune and cardiac function.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Fatigue ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Hemoglobins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; complications ; pathology