Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer-induced incomplete bowel obstruction presents numerous clinical challenges, notably pain management and inflammation control. Conventional therapies provide limited relief, prompting investigation into complementary approaches. This study compares the efficacy of bottle gourd moxibustion combined with umbilical therapy (BGM-UT) plus standard palliative care vs standard Western palliative care alone in symptom alleviation and inflammation reduction. AIM: To compare the efficacy of BGM-UT plus standard palliative care vs standard palliative care alone in reducing inflammatory cytokine levels, alleviating symptoms, and improving gastrointestinal recovery in cancer-induced incomplete bowel obstruction. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 109 patients aged 18-75 years with cancer-induced incomplete bowel obstruction treated at the Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between October 2023 and September 2024. The participants were categorized into two groups: (1) Regular group receiving standard palliative care; and (2) BGM-UT group receiving additional moxibustion therapy. The inclusion criteria included ongoing opioid use and a Karnofsky performance status score below 60. The treatments were evaluated for 3 weeks in terms of opioid consumption, gastrointestinal function recovery, brief pain inventory scores, traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores, and inflammatory cytokine levels. RESULTS: Initially, the groups were demographically and clinically comparable. Post-treatment, the BGM-UT group showed significant reductions in opioid intake (P = 0.027), improved gastrointestinal recovery times, and enhanced pain management as reflected by their lower brief pain inventory scores (P < 0.05). Similarly, the improvement in traditional Chinese medicine scores was greater in the BGM-UT group than in the regular group (P < 0.05). Inflammatory markers including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein decreased significantly in the BGM-UT group, indicating the superior anti-inflammatory effects of this treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The addition of BGM-UT to standard palliative care enhances pain relief, accelerates gastrointestinal recovery, and effectively reduces inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with cancer-induced incomplete bowel obstruction. This combination therapy offers a promising complementary approach to managing this challenging condition. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.