Retrospective Study
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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Aug 15, 2025; 17(8): 105267
Published online Aug 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i8.105267
Effects of the support system combined with Chinese medicine on postoperative gastrointestinal recovery in patients with liver cancer
Ting-Ting Luo, Meng-Yun Dong, Si Zhao, Xue-Zhen Zhai
Ting-Ting Luo, Meng-Yun Dong, Si Zhao, Xue-Zhen Zhai, Department of Infectious Disease, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huai’an 223001, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Luo TT designed this study and participated in data collection and manuscript preparation; Luo TT, Dong MY, Zhao S, and Zhai XY reviewed the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Fifth People’s Hospital of Huai’an, approval No. HA-202301011.
Informed consent statement: All study participants and their legal guardians provided written informed consent before enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xue-Zhen Zhai, PhD, Department of Infectious Disease, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Huai’an, No. 1 Huaihe East Road, Huaiyin District, Huai’an 223001, Jiangsu Province, China. kk15051353100@yeah.net
Received: April 18, 2025
Revised: May 21, 2025
Accepted: July 10, 2025
Published online: August 15, 2025
Processing time: 117 Days and 15.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The treatment of patients with liver cancer after surgery with the artificial liver support system combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for strengthening the body and removing blood stasis is a new idea.

AIM

To analyze the post-surgical effect of the artificial liver support system with TCM in patients with liver cancer.

METHODS

Ninety-eight patients with liver cancer who underwent surgical treatment at the Fifth People’s Hospital of Huai’an from January 2023-2024 were selected and divided into two groups (49 patients each) via random lottery method. Both groups underwent surgery. The control group received artificial liver support, and the observation group was additionally treated with TCM for strengthening the body and removing blood stasis. Gastrointestinal recovery, liver function, tumor marker levels, immune function, and safety were compared between both groups.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in the levels of indicators related to gastrointestinal recovery between the groups (P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the observation group were lower, whereas the albumin level was higher (P < 0.05). After treatment, tumor marker levels in the observation group were relatively lower (P < 0.05). After treatment, compared to the control group, the CD4+ level in the observation group was higher and the CD8+ level was lower (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between both groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Combining the artificial liver support system with TCM significantly improves liver and gastrointestinal functions, enhances immune responses, and reduces tumor marker levels with high safety, suggesting that it could be a promising approach for optimizing postoperative care and improving patient outcomes, potentially reducing complications and enhancing quality of life.

Keywords: Artificial liver support system; Traditional Chinese medicine; Agents for strengthening the body and removing blood stasis; Liver cancer; Postoperative; Liver function

Core Tip: Postoperative interventions play a crucial role in enhancing recovery in patients with liver cancer, especially following surgical treatments such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. This study demonstrates that combining an artificial liver support system with traditional Chinese medicine aimed at strengthening the body and removing blood stasis can significantly improve liver function, promote gastrointestinal recovery, regulate immune function, and lower tumor marker levels. The approach maintains high safety and may offer a comprehensive, integrative strategy to improve clinical outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance the quality of life for postoperative liver cancer patients.