Effect of Poria polysaccharide oral liquid on cancer-related fatigue in postoperative patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to explore the effect of Poria polysaccharide oral liquid (PPOL) on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in postoperative patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: Fifty patients with colorectal cancer who were diagnosed in our hospital from March 2015 to March 2019 were included in this retrospective study. They were all underwent tumor resection. They were randomly divided into control group (n = 25) and observation group (n = 25). Patients in the control group were treated according to the FOLFOX4 chemotherapy regimen, and those in the observation group were treated with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy plus PPOL (10 ml/time, 3 times/day) for 6 weeks. The quality of life index (QL-index) and brief fatigue scale (BFI) were used to investigate the quality of life and fatigue, respectively. The serum levels of inflammatory factors, IL-6 and TNF-α, were measured. Results: Compared with the control group, the QL-index score in the observation group was significantly better (P< 0.05). Moreover, the BFI in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the observation group were notably decreased in comparison with the control group (P< 0.05). Conclusion: PPOL can effectively improve the fatigue state of postoperative patients with colorectal cancer by reducing the levels of IL-6 and TNF- α and improving the quality of life.