Efficacy and safety of the traditional Japanese herbal medicine kamikihito for bone marrow suppression, particularly thrombocytopenia, during chemotherapy for advanced recurrent ovarian cancer

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the traditional herbal medicine kamikihito for bone marrow suppression, particularly thrombocytopenia, during cancer chemotherapy. Methods This retrospective pilot study investigated changes in hemoglobin (Hb) and neutrophil and platelet (Plt) count from before to after kamikihito treatment in nine patients with advanced recurrent ovarian cancer who developed grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia during chemotherapy (13 and 16 cycles before and after kamikihito use, respectively). Results Although the nadir Hb did not change significantly, the degree of change in Hb (baseline – nadir) during respective chemotherapy cycles (before vs after kamikihito use: 1.8 vs 1.0 g/dL), was significantly mitigated after kamikihito use. The nadir neutrophil count and degree of change in neutrophil count did not differ with kamikihito use. The nadir Plt count was slightly higher after kamikihito use (before, 2.9 × 104/μL; after, 3.4 × 104/μL), and the degree of change in Plt count (before, 12.7 × 104/μL vs after, 10.9 × 104/μL), was significantly mitigated after kamikihito use. Finally, significantly fewer days were required for Plt recovery from the nadir to a ≤grade 2 Plt count decrease after kamikihito use (before, 9.3 days; after, 5.8 days). Conclusion In patients undergoing chemotherapy for advanced recurrent ovarian cancer, kamikihito could alleviate anemia and thrombocytopenia and reduce the risk of requiring blood transfusion. Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to accumulate further data.