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This randomised controlled trial investigated whether traditional Chinese medicine directional drug penetration therapy — a technique involving the targeted application of herbal medicines through the skin — could support recovery in patients who had undergone surgery for ovarian cancer. One hundred and twelve patients were divided equally into two groups: a control group receiving standard postoperative rehabilitation, and an observation group receiving the same care plus the traditional Chinese medicine therapy, continued until the patient’s first bowel movement.
Patients in the observation group recovered gastrointestinal function measurably faster, with significantly shorter times to first bowel sounds, passing of wind, and defecation compared with the control group. Analysis of gut microbiota showed differences in the dominant bacterial communities between the two groups, with the observation group harbouring distinct bacterial profiles and a lower predicted abundance of a metabolic pathway known as the phosphotransferase system. Sleep quality, assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, was also significantly better in the observation group across measures including sleep duration, efficiency, and disturbance.
The study was limited to the period until first bowel movement, and longer-term effects were not assessed. Nevertheless, the findings suggest a multi-system benefit from adding this traditional Chinese medicine approach to standard postoperative care.
Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine directional drug penetration therapy appears to accelerate gastrointestinal recovery, beneficially shift gut microbiota composition, and reduce postoperative sleep disruption in ovarian cancer surgery patients.
Source: Wu X, Wang W. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42616157) · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11096-w
