Objective: To discuss the protection effect of Xinmailong injection in treating breast cancer patients with myocardial damage caused by sequential chemotherapy of trastuzumab and anthracyclines and investigate its effect on serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). Method: Sixty breast cancer patients in our hospital were randomly divided into control group (30 cases) and treatment group (30 cases) with reference to digital table method. Patients of control group were treated with sequential chemotherapy of trastuzumab (after the periods of anthracyclines with first-dose of 8 mg·kg-1 and 6 mg·kg-1 hereafter) and anthracyclines (pirarubicin

60 mg·m-2 and pharmorubicin

60 mg·m-2)

1 course/3 weeks

1 time/course

6 courses in total. Patients of treatment group were also given with Xinmailong injection based on the treatment of control group from one day before chemotherapy to one week after chemotherapy (2 injections/time

7times/course). The symptomatic scores of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

serum troponinI(cTnI) and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in two groups were compared. Changes of hemorheology

serum IL-6 and TNF-α were detected before and after treatment in two groups. Result: The symptomatic scores of TCM

serum levels of cTnI and H-FABP in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group at the ending of chemotherapy and 1 week after chemotherapy (P<0.01). Blood viscosities of high shearrate

middle shearrate and low shearrate

plasma viscosity

serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group at the ending of chemotherapy and 1 week after chemotherapy

with statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Conclusion: Xinmailong injection could effectively improve the clinical symptoms and myocardial damages in treating breast cancer patients with myocardial damage caused by sequential chemotherapy of trastuzumab and anthracyclines. The mechanism may be associated with decreasing blood viscosity and inhibiting expressions of serum IL-6 and TNF-α.