To explore the effect of modified Pingwei powder combined with filiform fire-needle on chemotherapy induced gastrointestinal reactions in patients with rectal cancer.

A prospective analysis was conducted on 108 patients with rectal cancer who were treated in Hebei Provincial People's Hospital and the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2020 to February 2023. They were randomly divided into a control group (n=54) and an observation group (n=54) using a 1∶1 random number listing method. The control group received mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy regimen, while the observation group received Pingwei powder combined with filiform fire-needle therapy on the basis of the chemotherapy regimen. The therapeutic effects of chemotherapy gastrointestinal reactions, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, gastrointestinal hormone levels, Health status and quality of life were compared between the two groups.

After treatment, the clinical efficacy rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05), and the scores of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms such as nausea and vomiting were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The levels of gastrointestinal hormones such as serum gastrin and motilin were significantly lower than those of the control group, and the scores of Karnofsky performance status (KPS) and quality of life score were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05).

The combination of Pingwei powder and filiform fire-needle has a good therapeutic effect on chemotherapy induced gastrointestinal reactions in rectal cancer patients, and can effectively improve gastrointestinal symptoms, regulate gastrointestinal hormone levels, and enhance health status and quality of life.