The effect of Jing Si herbal tea on cancer-related fatigue in gynecologic cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a persistent, distressing, subjective sense of physical, emotional, or cognitive tiredness or exhaustion disproportionate to recent activity and interferes with normal functioning. Jing Si herbal tea (JSHT) has shown several pharmacological actions in preclinical and clinical models. We aimed to investigate the effect of JSHT on alleviating CRF in patients with gynecological cancer. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at our hospital from March 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023. Participants aged 20 to 80 years with gynecologic cancer and moderate-to-severe CRF were randomly categorized into 2 groups. The intervention group was given JSHT twice daily for 6 weeks, while the control group was given a placebo for 3 weeks and JSHT for the following 3 weeks. The primary outcomes were fatigue and quality of life, which were evaluated using the brief fatigue inventory-total (BFI-T) and functional assessment of cancer therapy-general 7 scale. The secondary outcomes included white blood cells and differential counts. RESULTS: Among the 19 participants, there was no significant difference in CRF (BFI-T) and quality of life (functional assessment of cancer therapy-general 7) improvement between the intervention group (n = 9) and the control group (n = 10). However, both groups showed significant improvements in BFI-T: global fatigue score, BFI-T: fatigue intensity, and BFI-T: fatigue interference after treatment (P < .05). The difference in monocyte count was statistically significant after treatment in both groups (P < .001), with the intervention group showing a significant decrease in monocyte count compared to the control group at the beginning of cycle 2 (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Both intervention and control groups improved fatigue and decreased monocyte counts. Further research is needed to explore these findings and their clinical relevance.