Prevention of platinum oxalate-induced neurotoxicity by blood nourishing, meridian warming, and meridian-clearing herbal infusion

  Platinum oxalate (oxaliplatin) is a third-generation platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent with an important role in the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is mainly used clinically in the first and second line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Recent clinical data show that it is also effective in gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Neurological toxicity is a dose-limiting toxicity. The shorter the interval between doses, the greater the total cumulative amount, the higher the severity of neurotoxicity. Modern medicine has no ideal means of prevention and treatment. The mechanism of neurotoxicity is still unclear. Most neuroprotective measures (including antioxidants, Na ion channel blockers, B vitamins, vitamin E, nerve growth factor, etc.) are still in preclinical studies and phase I clinical studies, and their efficacy still needs further validation in large-scale multicenter randomized clinical trials.  According to Chinese medical theory, this disease belongs to the categories of “paralysis”, “impotence”, and “lack of benevolence”. It is mostly caused by Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, phlegm stagnation, and obstruction of meridians. In this study, the herbal infusion formula was formulated according to the method of nourishing blood and warming the meridians, which has the function of nourishing blood, invigorating blood, warming the meridians and opening the meridians. It is suitable for patients with gastric cancer and colorectal cancer who are receiving chemotherapy with platinum oxalate containing regimen. The results of the study showed that the herbal infusion of nourishing blood, warming the meridians and opening the ligaments could reduce the incidence and graded level of peripheral neurotoxicity caused by platinum oxalate with low adverse effects.