Objective:To investigate the prevention and treatment effect of pre-treatment of Shenjing Fuzheng prescription (SFP) for bone marrow suppression induced by radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. Method: Seventy patients suffered from esophageal cancer with routine radiotherapy were randomized into observation group and control group (n=35 each). The controls were orally given leucogen 20 mg tid daily parallel to radiotherapy. The patients in the observation group were given SFP daily parallel to radiotherapy. The interventions in the two-group were lasted until the end of radiotherapy. Bone marrow suppression and quality of life were evaluated. Result: WBC count levels in the observation group on 14

21

35

42 d were higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The cases of III degree bone marrow suppression in the observation group appeared less than that in the control group (P<0.05)

and with delayed duration of emerging (P<0.01).In the observation group

hemoglobin

platelet count and granulocyte count were higher than those in the controls (P<0.01); clinical symptoms scores were lower than that in the controls (P<0.01); and Karnofsky score higher than that in the controls (P<0.05). In the observation group

the consume of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor was less than that in the controls (P<0.01). Conclusion: SFP can be used for prevention and treatment of bone marrow suppression caused by radiotherapy in esophageal cancer

and reduce the clinical side effects

improve patients' quality of life.