Herbal 'Shenbai Granules' Taken for 6 Months: Colorectal Adenoma Recurrence 42.5% vs. 58.6%

Colorectal adenomas, considered a precursor of colorectal cancer, often come back even after being removed by endoscopy, and there is still no drug to prevent recurrence. Researchers at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in China tested whether Shenbai Granules, a compound herbal formula, reduce recurrence and reported the results in Phytomedicine.

8 Hospitals, 400 People Randomized

The trial was a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at 8 hospitals in China. Four hundred patients whose polyps had been completely removed and who were diagnosed with adenoma within 6 months were randomly divided to take Shenbai Granules or placebo twice a day for 6 months, and then underwent colonoscopy every year for 2 years. Among 336 people in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis, the share with at least one recurrent adenoma was 42.5% in the Shenbai group and 58.6% in the placebo group (odds ratio 0.47). Sessile serrated lesions were also fewer in the Shenbai group, at 1.8% vs. 8.3%.

On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in overall polypoid lesions (70.7% vs. 77.5%) or high-risk adenomas (9.0% vs. 13.6%).

Of the 400 people randomized, 64 dropped out of the analysis, and the abstract does not state the clinical trial phase. The study drug was supplied by the manufacturer, and it has not been confirmed whether it reduces the occurrence of colorectal cancer itself.