2.2 Pei's Soft Liver and Anti-bloating Pills Can Improve Clinical Symptoms and Quality of Life in PLC Patients

2.2 Pei's Soft Liver and Anti-bloating Pills Can Improve Clinical Symptoms and Quality of Life in PLC Patients

PLC patients often have no obvious symptoms in the early stages, but in the middle and late stages may experience fatigue, ascites, loss of appetite, and other common clinical symptoms. (1) Patients with liver cancer often have a long disease course, leading to depletion of the body's vital energy and affecting both the liver and spleen. The liver is associated with the tendons in the body; if the liver's essence and blood are insufficient, the tendons and meridians will not be nourished, resulting in fatigue and weakness, as stated in "Plain Questions: Six Chapters on the Viscera and Manifestations": "The liver is the root of exhaustion." Treatment focuses on tonifying deficiency and consolidating the original qi, nourishing the body. Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills have the effects of supporting the righteous qi and consolidating the root, as well as soothing the liver and resolving depression, which can greatly improve patients' symptoms of fatigue.

(2) Ascites in liver cancer is caused by qi stagnation, blood stasis, and internal retention of dampness. In Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills, Panax notoginseng and leeches promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, Bupleurum helps soothe the liver and regulate qi, Astragalus promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, and Coix seed has the effect of draining dampness and promoting urination. These ingredients can effectively eliminate ascites without side effects. Western medicine often uses paracentesis for treatment, which only addresses the symptoms but not the root cause, leading to frequent recurrence and causing suffering for patients.

(3) According to the theory of organ correlation in traditional Chinese medicine, "Jin Gui Yao Lue" states: "When liver disease is seen, one knows that it will spread to the spleen." If the liver fails to diffuse and the qi becomes stagnant, it easily leads to impaired function of the spleen, resulting in symptoms such as poor appetite and abdominal distension. Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills contain Si Ni San, which has the effects of expelling pathogenic factors, resolving depression, soothing the liver, and regulating the spleen. It can effectively improve the syndrome of disharmony between the liver and spleen.

Quality of life (QOL) is one of the new standards for evaluating diseases and health, aligning with the emergence of the new medical model—the biopsychosocial model [37]. Its significance lies in the patient's subjective and active perception of the physical, psychological, and social functional impairments caused by the disease or treatment, serving as a comprehensive indicator of the patient's overall health status [38]. Quality of life emphasizes the patient's own

Research on Pei Zhengxue's series of prescriptions and medicines

feelings and satisfaction, encompassing multiple aspects such as emotions, physiology, and social activities [39]. This approach is more in line with the people-oriented philosophy.

This is consistent with the holistic view in traditional Chinese medicine [40]. Researchers generally use the Karnofsky score, which is feasible and easy to operate.

This trial used the Karnofsky score for evaluation. After treatment, the Karnofsky scores of the two groups were 78.53±7.440 and 72.65±8.637, respectively, showing a significant difference (p<0.01). This confirms that Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills combined with Western medicine can significantly improve clinical symptoms and markedly enhance patients' quality of life compared with Western medicine alone.

2.3 Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills reduce AFP levels in PLC patients

Liver cancer cells can synthesize or secrete large amounts of AFP into the bloodstream. AFP is the most specific tumor marker for PHC and plays an important guiding role in evaluating the effectiveness of liver cancer treatment. The proportion of liver cancer patients with elevated AFP levels ranges from 70% to 90%. The normal level is <20 μg/L. The level of AFP in the serum of liver cancer patients is closely related to the size and degree of differentiation of the tumor, but individual differences also exist. AFP has become an important marker for screening and diagnosing liver cancer and is widely used in clinical practice, often combined with imaging examinations such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound to provide diagnostic evidence for liver cancer.

The ingredients in Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills, including frankincense, myrrh, Melia toosendan, and Bupleurum, have been shown through modern pharmacological research to have anti-tumor effects. This clinical study shows that after treatment, the AFP levels in both groups decreased significantly, with the combination therapy group showing a more pronounced decrease than the Western medicine control group (p<0.05), indicating that Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills can enhance the body's anti-tumor response and inhibit tumor growth.

2.4 Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills can improve liver function

ALT is found in the cytoplasm of liver cells, while AST is located in the mitochondria of liver cells. When 1% of liver cells are damaged, the released transaminases can double the transaminase levels in the serum. Therefore, it can serve as the most sensitive indicator for detecting liver damage [41]. γ-GT is a substance produced by the mitochondria in liver cells and is confined to the cytoplasm of liver cells and the endothelial cells of intrahepatic bile ducts, being excreted through the biliary tract. When the liver is damaged, the bile ducts are also compressed, leading to obstruction in bile excretion and consequently elevated γ-GT levels in the blood. Additionally, the dedifferentiation of cancer cells increases γ-GT production, and due to the cancer tissue itself as well as surrounding inflammatory stimulation, the permeability of the liver cell membrane increases, further elevating γ-GT levels in the blood [42]. Most PLC patients in China also have hepatitis or cirrhosis; when PLC occurs, liver cell damage already exists, and the onset of PLC further accelerates liver cell destruction, creating a mutually causal relationship between the two.

Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills contain Astragalus, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Sparganium stoloniferum, and Curcuma wenyujin, all of which have hepatoprotective effects. The results of this trial show that after treatment, the liver function of the treatment group improved significantly when Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills were used in combination with basic Western medical treatment, with a more obvious improvement compared to the group receiving only basic Western medical treatment, and the difference was statistically significant.

2.5 Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills are safe and have no toxic side effects

In this trial, BUN and Cr were used as renal function monitoring indicators before and after treatment. The results showed that the Cr and BUN levels in the treatment group and the control group were comparable before and after treatment, with no statistically significant difference, indicating no obvious renal dysfunction. Blood routine tests conducted before and after treatment showed no significant differences within or between groups, suggesting that Peishi Ruangan Xiaopi Pills do not harm the human blood system and have good safety.

Conclusion