Clinical observation of thermotherapy combined with thoracic injection of lentinan in treatment of cancerous hydrothorax of patients with lung cancer

Authors: Li XJ, Jia YJ, Chen L

Journal: Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial

Participants: 60 lung cancer patients complicated with cancerous hydrothorax (CH)

Intervention: The patients were divided into two groups:

• Control group (n=30): Received thoracic injection of lentinan
• Observation group (n=30): Received thermotherapy combined with thoracic injection of lentinan

Outcome Measures:

• Total effective rate of CH improvement
• Stability rate and weight stability rate by Karnofsky’s performance scoring
• Adverse reactions
• Changes in T-lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells)

Summary: The study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of thermotherapy combined with thoracic injection of lentinan in treating cancerous hydrothorax (CH) in lung cancer patients. The results showed that the combination therapy had a higher total effective rate of CH improvement compared to lentinan alone, although the difference was not statistically significant. However, the combination therapy significantly improved the stability rate and weight stability rate, indicating better overall patient well-being. No severe adverse reactions were observed in either group. Additionally, the combination therapy led to a significant increase in CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells, and a decrease in CD8+ T-cells, suggesting a positive impact on immune function. The study concluded that thermotherapy combined with thoracic injection of lentinan is a safe and effective treatment for CH in lung cancer patients.