BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and early detection and effective treatment are crucial for improving the prognosis. Microwave ablation (MWA) has shown promising results as a local therapeutic method for liver cancer
however, further improvement of its efficacy remains a key focus of current research. AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Linggui Zhugan decoction combined with MWA for the treatment of primary liver cancer. METHODS: Data were collected from 164 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent MWA at our hospital between March 2019 and April 2021. Among them, 79 patients (control group) received routine treatments and 85 patients (research group) received Linggui Zhugan decoction in addition to routine treatment. The clinical efficacy, incidence of adverse reactions, and levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), AFP-L3, total bilirubin (TBil), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), CD4 cell count, CD8 cell count, and CD4/CD8 ratio were compared between the two groups, before and after treatment. The three-year recurrence rates between the two groups were compared, and independent prognostic factors for recurrence were identified. RESULTS: The study results revealed that the objective response rate (ORR) in the research group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( CONCLUSION: The combination of Linggui Zhugan decoction with MWA significantly improved the clinical efficacy and long-term prognosis of patients with primary liver cancer.