Therapeutic effects and toxic side reactions of capecitabine combined with a modified prescription of Fuzheng Jiedusan (resistance strengthening and detoxification granules) on advanced gastric cancer

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects and toxic side reactions of capecitabine combined with a modified prescription of Fuzheng Jiedusan on advanced gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 145 patients were divided into a research group (n=69) and a control group (n=76) according to hospital admission sequence, and treated by capecitabine combined with a modified prescription of Fuzheng Jiedusan and only capecitabine respectively to compare the short-term effects (tumor changes), quality of life, long-term effects and incidence of toxic side effects. Results: The therapeutic response rate and disease control rate of research group were 30.4% and 68.1% respectively. The quality of life of 59.5% (41 patients) of research group was improved. After treatment, research group had a significantly higher KPS score than that before treatment and that of control group (P<0.05). The time to progression and survival time of research group were 2-19.5 months and 4.5-24 months respectively. Sixty patients in research group survived, with a significantly higher survival rate (87.0%) than that of control group (59 patients, 77.9%) (P<0.05). The incidence rates of hand-foot syndrome, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, liver injury and neurotoxicity in research group were 21.7%, 2.9%, 11.6%, 7.2%, 1.4% and 17.4% respectively, all of which were significantly lower than those of control group (43.4%, 22.3%, 25%, 21.1%, 11.8% and 36.8%). Conclusion: Capecitabine combined with a modified prescription of Fuzheng Jiedusan had good therapeutic effects on advanced gastric cancer, with few toxic side effects and improved quality of life.