The curative effect of qigong on NPC patients, who were treated with radical cure by linear accelerator in our hospital from August, 1987, to June, 1990, were investigated. 31 volunteers were given the qigong therapy, self-control therapy, at the same time of radiotherapy. Together they did the exercise 3 to 4 hours every day. The average age was 41.8. Another 22 patients, similar to experimental group in the stage of disease, clinical symptoms and TNM grade, were used as control; their average age was 40.6. After a period of time the peripheral blood cell numbers and some immune functions were tested; the results showed that in the qigong group the hemoglobin (Hb), re blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) increased 0.3+-1.0, 0.9+-35, 626+-1907 respectively than that of its self before the qigong treatment. In control, the numbers were less 0.8+-2.0, 22+-64, 750+-2470 separately after the same period of time, there were significant differences between the two groups (statistically, all values of P were less than 0.05), but the VCA-IgA, IgM, Ch50,CIC, Ea, and Et had no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05), only the complement C (sub 3) level was higher in experimental group than in control one (P<0.05). But the results may be affected by the selection of patients, because most patients were in the final stage of the disease. These results indicated that the qigong self-control treatment could enhance the level of the WBC,RBE, b and C (sub 3) in patients at the same time of their radiotherapy. But further research is required in order to gain an insight into it.

Changes of peripheral blood cell population and immune functions in 31 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with radiotherapy and qigong