SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1657423
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing Cancer Therapy: Integrating Plant-Derived Bioactives with Chemotherapy through Traditional Knowledge and Modern AdvancesView all 24 articles
Therapeutic Potential of Modified Yukgunja-tang (Liujunzi Decoction, Rikkunshito) as an Adjuvant Treatment for Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 2Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju-si, Republic of Korea
- 3Division of Allergy, Immune and Respiratory System, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Dongdaemun-gu, Republic of Korea
- 4College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Background: Yukgunja-tang (YGJT), also known as Liujunzi Decoction or Rikkunshito, is a traditional East Asian herbal formula widely used to manage symptoms associated with cancer and chemotherapy. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified YGJT combined with standard antitumor therapy in patients with lung cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in 10 databases through March 2025. Randomized controlled trials comparing modified YGJT plus antitumor therapy versus antitumor therapy alone or placebo were included. Studies involving other herbal combinations or East Asian therapies were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. Results: Thirty-one trials involving 2,496 participants were included. Modified YGJT significantly improved the objective response rate (ORR; RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.41–2.04), disease control rate (DCR; RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11–1.31), and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS; RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.23–2.60; MD 8.62, 95% CI 3.86–13.38). Symptom relief was observed (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.25–1.85; MD - 10.87, 95% CI -12.51 to -9.22), along with improvements in immune markers (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio) and reductions in tumor markers (CEA, CYFRA 21-1, NSE, SCC, CA19-9) and adverse events (myelosuppression, leukopenia, gastrointestinal reactions). This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article Conclusion: Modified YGJT may offer clinical benefits as an adjuvant to standard lung cancer therapy by improving treatment outcomes and reducing toxicity. Large-scale, high-quality trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Keywords: Yukgunja-tang1, Liujunzi Decoction2, Rikkunshito3, Herbal medicine4, lung cancer5, Systematic review6
Received: 01 Jul 2025; Accepted: 10 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kang, Ha, Kim, Jung and Lee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Beom-Joon Lee, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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