Management
Meta-analysis of 44 RCTs involving 3429 participants showed that TCM combined with Western therapy led to better overall survival and delayed tumor recurrence and metastasis compared to Western intervention alone [PMID:28349301].
Among 160 patients treated with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and embolization, the one-year survival rate was significantly higher at 41.9% in the group receiving both treatments compared to 10.8% in the hepatic arterial infusion group alone [PMID:7720505].
Effective management of hepatic carcinoma through hepatic arterial infusion and embolization was influenced by the choice of embolic material and the prevention of collateral circulation development [PMID:7720505].
Prognosis & Follow-up
The systematic review indicated that the integrative approach of TCM and Western therapy was associated with prolonged overall survival time for patients with primary hepatic carcinoma [PMID:28349301].
Factors influencing therapeutic outcomes included the presence of tumor thrombus in the portal vein, with such cases showing poorer survival outcomes [PMID:7720505].
Key Recommendations
The authors recommend that future studies should adhere to rigorous trial design standards, include proper blinding and allocation concealment, and use internationally accepted outcome indicators [PMID:28349301]. (Evidence: Expert opinion)
References
1 Ma L, Wang B, Long Y, Li H. Effect of traditional Chinese medicine combined with Western therapy on primary hepatic carcinoma: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers of medicine 2017. link 2 Wang ZY, Shi ZH, Zai RY. [Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and embolization in the treatment of hepatic carcinoma]. Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese journal of oncology] 1994. link
2 papers cited of 6 indexed.