Clinical efficacy of Shenbai Fuzheng granules combined with apatinib in the treatment of gastric cancer and its impact on the immune microenvironment in vivo
AIM To explore the clinical efficacy of Shenbai Fuzheng granules combined with apatinib in the treatment of gastric cancer and its impact on the immune microenvironment in vivo.METHODS A total of 144 gastric cancer patients admitted to the hospital from October 2021 to October 2023 were selected as the research subjects.They were randomly divided into study group and control group using a random number table method,with 72 patients in each group.The control group was treated with apatinib,while the study group was treated with Shenbai Fuzheng granules combined with apatinib.Immune factors,traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores,treatment effects,and adverse reactions of 2 groups of patients were analyzed before and after treatment.RESULTS Compared with prior treatment,levels of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen(CA199,CA724),cancer antigen(CA125),interleukin 6(IL-6),and interleukin 10(IL-10)in both groups after treatment decreased significantly,while levels of CD4+,CD3+,NK cells,IFN-γ,TNF-α,and CD4+/CD8+increased significantly.Moreover,levels of these indicators in the study group showed more significant changes(P<0.05).Scores of bloating,poor appetite,fatigue,and loose stools in the research group were significantly reduced compared to prior treatment,while the scores of stomach pain and weight loss in the control group were significantly reduced(P<0.05).After treatment,the study group showed significant improvement in fatigue,stomach pain,poor appetite,and loose stools compared to the control group(P<0.05).Recent efficacy results showed that the total effective rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group(48.61%vs 31.94%),and the incidence and severity of liver function damage,digestive symptoms,anemia,and leukopenia were significantly reduced compared to the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The combination of Shenbai Fuzheng granules and apatinib in the treatment of gastric cancer can affect the changes in the immune microenvironment of patients,inhibit inflammatory reactions,regulate immune function,and has shown good therapeutic effects with mild adverse reactions.