Effect of rikkunshi-to treatment on chemotherapy-induced appetite loss in patients with lung cancer: A prospective study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rikkunshi-to, a Japanese herbal medicine, on post‑chemotherapeutic appetite loss. Patients with unresectable lung cancer, who were treated with carboplatin (CBDCA)‑containing, cisplatin (CDDP)‑containing or non‑platinum chemotherapy between 2011 and 2014, were recruited for the prospective study. For each course of chemotherapy, the patients were randomized into two groups, with or without a rikkunshi‑to prescription. In patients treated with CBDCA‑containing chemotherapy, food intake at day 7 following the initiation of chemotherapy in the rikkunshi‑to treatment group was significantly higher compared with the group not treated with rikkunshi‑to (P=0.0078). However, a significant improvement in food intake with rikkunshi‑to treatment was not observed in the CDDP‑containing and non‑platinum chemotherapy groups. An improved assessment of the incidence rate of chemotherapy‑induced appetite loss is essential for achieving adequate control. The results of the present study indicated the possibility of the clinical application of rikkunshi-to for improving post‑chemotherapeutic appetite loss.