Traditional Chinese Medicine Enhances Survival in Patients with Gastric Cancer after Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Matched Cohort Study

Wei Tai Shih, Pei Rung Yang, Yi Chia Shen, Yao Hsu Yang, Ching Yuan Wu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background. Gastric cancer remains a major cancer globally. More than half of patients with gastric cancer undergo surgery in Taiwan; however, few large nationwide studies have investigated the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on gastric cancer management after surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TCM on patients with gastric cancer following surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in Taiwan and its prescription trends. Methods and Materials. The cohort sampling data set was obtained from the Registry of Catastrophic Illness Patient Database, a research database of patients with severe illnesses from the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan. Patients who had received a new diagnosis of gastric cancer and had undergone surgery were enrolled. We matched TCM users and nonusers at a ratio of 1: 3 based on the propensity score, and TCM users were also grouped into short-term and long-term users. Results. The number of TCM users and nonusers was 1701 and 5103 after applying the propensity score at a ratio of 1: 3. Short-term users and long-term TCM users were independently associated with a decreased risk of death with HRs of 0.59 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.55-0.65) and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.36-0.47), respectively, compared with TCM nonusers. We also obtained similar results when we adjusted for covariates in the main model, as well as each of the additional listed covariates. We also observed similar HR trends in short-term users and long-term TCM users among men and women aged <65 years and ≥65 years. The most commonly prescribed single herb and herbal formula in our cohort were Hwang-Chyi (Radix Hedysari; 11.8%) and Xiang-Sha-Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang (15.5%), respectively. Conclusion. TCM use was associated with higher survival in patients with gastric cancer after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. TCM could be used as a complementary and alternative therapy in patients with gastric cancer after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7584631
JournalEvidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume2021
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wei-Tai Shih et al.

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