Objective  To observe the Ji Desheng snake medicine combined with chemotherapy in treating primary liver cancer.

  Methods  A total of 50 patients with primary liver cancer hospitalized in Nantong Cancer Hospital were randomly divided into control group and observation group. The control group received FOLFOX4 regimen for systemic chemotherapy while the observation group received FOLFOX4 regimen combined with oral administration of Ji Desheng snake medicine. Clinical efficacy, response rate of serum alpha fetoprotein(AFP), serum alanine transaminase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL) and albumin (ALB) levels before and after treatment, Quality of Life (QOL) score and incidence of adverse events of the two groups were compared.

  Results  The disease control rate and serum AFP response rate in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, but the difference showed no significant differences(P>0.05). The levels of ALT and TBIL in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the observation group after treatment were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The ALB level in the control group was significantly lower than before treatment (P < 0.01), while was not significantly decreased in the observation group after treatment (P>0.05), and the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The QOL scores in the two groups were significantly higher than before treatment, and the observation group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (P>0.05).

  Conclusion  The clinical efficacy of Ji Desheng snake medicine combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of primary liver cancer is comparable to that of chemotherapy, but it can significantly improve the liver function and the quality of life, and does not increase the incidence of adverse events.