Clinical evaluation of Suanzaoren decoction for sleep disturbance and cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: A retrospective study.
Suanzaoren decoction may be associated with improved subjective sleep quality and reduced cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, though further prospective large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these results.
Key Findings
Results
Patients who received Suanzaoren decoction (SZRD) in addition to standard nursing care had significantly lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores after treatment compared with the control group.
38 patients received SZRD plus standard nursing care; 37 patients received standard care alone
Clinical data collected from 84 hospitalized lung cancer patients with sleep disturbances between June 2021 and December 2022
Difference in PSQI scores was statistically significant (P < .05)
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were described as comparable between the 2 groups
Results
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) scores were markedly reduced in the SZRD group compared to the control group.
Fatigue was evaluated using the cancer fatigue scale
Reduction in fatigue scores was statistically significant (P < .05)
No adverse reactions were recorded in either group
Results
Actigraphy monitoring indicated that total sleep duration and the proportion of deep sleep were higher in the SZRD group compared to the control group.
Objective sleep parameters were obtained from actigraphy monitoring for patients with available records (subset of the full sample)
Total sleep duration and proportion of deep sleep differences were statistically significant (P < .05)
Other actigraphy-derived sleep parameters showed no significant differences between groups (P > .05)
Results
No adverse reactions to Suanzaoren decoction were recorded in the treatment group.
Safety was monitored across the treatment period covering June 2021 to December 2022
The absence of adverse reactions was noted as a finding supporting tolerability of SZRD as an adjunct to standard care
Conclusions
The retrospective design and limited sample size were identified as key limitations requiring follow-up with prospective, large-scale studies.
Total sample size was 84 patients, with 38 in the SZRD group and 37 in the control group (9 patients not accounted for in group totals as reported in the abstract)
Authors noted the study was retrospective, limiting causal inference
Authors stated 'further prospective, large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these results'
What This Means
This research suggests that a traditional Chinese herbal formula called Suanzaoren decoction (SZRD), when added to standard nursing care, may help lung cancer patients sleep better and feel less fatigued during chemotherapy. The study looked back at records from 84 hospitalized patients who had trouble sleeping, comparing those who received the herbal formula alongside standard care to those who received standard care alone. Patients taking SZRD reported better sleep quality on a standard questionnaire and lower fatigue scores. For a subset of patients who had wrist-worn sleep trackers, those in the SZRD group also showed longer total sleep time and more deep sleep, though other tracked sleep measures did not differ significantly between groups.
This research is notable because cancer-related fatigue and sleep problems are very common and difficult to manage in people undergoing chemotherapy, and standard treatments have limitations. The herbal formula appeared to be well-tolerated, with no adverse reactions recorded. However, because this was a retrospective study — meaning researchers looked back at existing records rather than designing a controlled experiment — it is not possible to conclusively prove that SZRD caused the improvements observed. Factors not fully accounted for could have influenced the results.
The authors themselves caution that the sample size was small and the study design has inherent limitations. This research suggests SZRD is a candidate worth investigating further, but larger, carefully designed prospective clinical trials would be needed before drawing firm conclusions about its effectiveness for sleep disturbance and fatigue in lung cancer patients on chemotherapy.
Yang H, Zhou L, Huang Y, Yang T. (2026). Clinical evaluation of Suanzaoren decoction for sleep disturbance and cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: A retrospective study.. Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000046500