Patients with digestive malignant tumor always have their immune function, especially the cellular immunity, suppressed to a certain extent. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) holds that Pi-Wei is the essence of postnatal life, and the genesis and development of digestive tumor are chiefly due to the insufficiency of vital-qi, which makes the body open to the invasion of evil pathogens. Starting from regulating the immune function of organisms, researchers recently obtained some therapeutic effects by applying the Chinese recipe, Sijunzi Decoction, in the treatment of digestive malignant tumors. In this paper, the related studies on the concerned basic theory and clinical application were reviewed.

The abdominal cocoon is a rare disease that is characterized by total or partial encasement of the small bowel by a thick and fibrotic membrane. After an increased number of case reports, the characteristic age group and sex distribution of abdominal cocoon have changed. Although the etiology is unknown, congenital malformation is implicated as the causative factor in the two patients in this report. Although preoperative diagnosis is a matter of challenge and usually made at laparotomy, our experience suggests that computed tomographic evidence of clustered small bowel loops encased by a thin membrane-like sac is a characteristic preoperative finding in patients with abdominal cocoon. Surgical removal of the membrane and adhesions is the most appropriate choice of therapy.

Rhubarb can positively modulate the acute inflammatory response, promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal motility, and benefit enteral nutrition support in patients who have undergone major operations for gastric cancer.