Impacts Of Moxibustion Pretreatment On Toxic And Side Effects And The Quality Of Life In Patients With Gastrointestinal Malignancy After Chemotherapy

Objective This study aims to observe the impacts of moxibustion pretreatment on toxic and side effects and the quality of life in patients with gastrointestinal malignancy after chemotherapy and investigate the reason of moxibustion pretreatment in the reduction of toxic and side effects and improvement of their quality of life after chemotherapy.It will provide a brand new reference for preventing the toxic and side effects and improving their quality of life during the course of illness in cancer patients after chemotherapy.Methods A total of 84 patients with gastrointestinal malignant tumors who met the inclusion criteria and required for chemotherapy were selected from Oncology and General Surgery wards of a 3A level Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in a city of Jiangsu Province from April 2020 to February 2021.Finally,79 patients were enrolled in the study.They were divided into the moxibustion pretreatment group(n=25),moxibustion group(n=26)and control group(n=28).The patients in the control group were treated with standard western medicine chemotherapy and nursing care;the patients in the moxibustion group started the moxibustion treatment at the first day of the chemotherapy in addition to western medicine chemotherapy and nursing care,30 minutes a day until 14 days after chemotherapy(14 days totally);and the patients in the moxibustion pretreatment group started the moxibustion treatment from 7 days before chemotherapy on the basis of the treatment in the moxibustion group,30 minutes a day until 14 days after chemotherapy(21 days totally).The blood cell count of the three groups was compared 1 day before chemotherapy,7 and 14 days after chemotherapy.The common tumor symptoms,TCM symptom scores,KPS scores and the quality of life scores were evaluated 1 day before chemotherapy and 14 days after chemotherapy.Results 1.General data,peripheral blood cell indexes,common tumor symptoms and TCM symptom scores,KPS scores and the quality of life scores of patients in the three groups were comparable before chemotherapy.2.White blood cells and neutrophils The White blood cells and neutrophils IV count of the three groups decreased(P<0.01)with passage of time.However,the cell count did not fall significantly(P>0.05)at day 7 and day 14 after chemotherapy in the moxibustion pretreatment group while it decreased significantly(P<0.05)in the moxibustion group and control group.The cell count of moxibustion pretreatment group was significantly higher than that of moxibustion group and control group(P<0.01).The cell count of moxibustion pretreatment group and moxibustion group was higher than that of control group(P<0.05)at day 7 and day 14 after chemotherapy.Although he cell count of moxibustion pretreatment group was higher than that of moxibustion group at day 7 after chemotherapy,the difference was not significant(P>0.05).The cell count of moxibustion pretreatment group not only was higher than that of moxibustion group at day 14 after chemotherapy,but also the difference was significant(P>0.05).Platelets The peripheral platelet count of patients in the three groups also decreased significantly(P<0.01)over time.Although the platelet count in the moxibustion pretreatment group was higher than that in the moxibustion group and the control group,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).However,the platelet count in the moxibustion pretreatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group at day 14 after chemotherapy,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Hemoglobin The amount of hemoglobin did not decrease(P>0.05)with the increase of time in the three groups.When comparing the quantity of hemoglobin measured in the three groups with different intervention methods at day 7 and day 14 after chemotherapy,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).3.Common symptoms and TCM symptoms of tumors scores The scores of 9symptoms including pain,sleep restlessness,loss of appetite,nausea,vomiting,constipation,fatigue,irritability and distress in the moxibustion pretreatment group were better than those in the moxibustion group and control group(P<0.05),and the difference was statistically significant(P>0.05).The difference in comparison of other symptoms was not significant(P>0.05).4.KPS scores The difference in KPS scores was statistically significant(P<0.05)after chemotherapy among three groups.Compared with moxibustion group and control group,the moxibustion pretreatment group had the highest KPS scores.5.Quality of life The moxibustion pretreatment group had advantages(P<0.05)over the moxibustion group and the control group in improving the somatic function,role function,emotional function and overall health status of cancer patients.However,the difference in cognitive function,social function and economic difficulties was not statistically significant(P>0.05)among three groups.Conclusion 1.Chemotherapeutic drugs have obvious hematotoxicity.The moxibustion pretreatment can reduce the blood toxicity after chemotherapy in cancer patients,and delay a sharp fall of their leukocytes and neutrophils after chemotherapy.With the prolongation of moxibustion time,the effect of moxibustion pretreatment will be more obvious than that of moxibustion.Moreover,it also plays a role of protecting platelets.2.Moxibustion pretreatment can relieve the common gastrointestinal toxic and side effects after chemotherapy in cancer patients;ease the symptoms of pain-fatigue-sleep disorders and negative emotions;and improve the functional status and the quality of life of cancer patients.3.Moxibustion is a safe,effective and economical Chinese medicine nursing skill,as well as simple and easy to operate.It can be used as a supplementary treatment for chemotherapy in clinical practice.