Abstract:Objective To evaluate the effect of Yangzheng Mixture on sleep quality in patients with malignant tumors and to analyze factors associated with improved sleep.Methods The clinical data of 990 patients with malignant tumors who received adjunctive treatment with Yangzheng Mixture at 10 medical institutions, including Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from January 2019 to October 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Sleep quality [Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) ], sleep indicators (sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep-onset latency), and frequency of hypnotic drug use were recorded before treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment. Based on the post-treatment PSQI score, the 990 patients were divided into a relatively good sleep quality group (8-14 points) and a poor sleep quality group (15-21 points). Baseline demographic data, vital signs [body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ], tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) ], and cancer-related scores [Cancer Appetite and Symptom Questionnaire (CASQ), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score] were analyzed in the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze independent factors associated with sleep quality.Results There were no significant differences in clinical data between the relatively good and poor sleep quality groups (P > 0.05). Body temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, SBP, DBP, and serum CEA, NSE, SCCA, CYFRA21-1, and CA15-3 levels did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). After 6 weeks of treatment, the PSQI score was lower in the relatively good sleep quality group than in the poor sleep quality group (P < 0.05). The relatively good sleep quality group had longer sleep duration, higher sleep efficiency, and a lower sleep-onset latency score than the poor sleep quality group (P < 0.05). The frequency of hypnotic drug use did not differ significantly between the two groups before or after treatment (P > 0.05). After 6 weeks of treatment, CASQ and HAMA scores and the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score were lower, whereas the EORTC QLQ-C30 score was higher, in the relatively good sleep quality group than in the poor sleep quality group (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that longer sleep duration [O^R = 0.797 (95% CI: 0.710, 0.895)], higher sleep efficiency [O^R = 0.799 (95% CI: 0.770, 0.828) ], and a higher EORTC QLQ-C30 score [O^R = 0.920 (95% CI: 0.900, 0.940) ] were protective factors for sleep quality in patients with malignant tumors (P < 0.05), whereas longer sleep-onset latency [O^R = 1.101 (95% CI: 1.046, 1.159) ], a higher CASQ score [O^R = 1.059 (95% CI: 1.016, 1.103) ], and a higher HAMA score [O^R = 1.091 (95% CI: 1.038, 1.148) ] were risk factors (P < 0.05).Conclusion Yangzheng Mixture can effectively improve sleep quality in patients with malignant tumors. This effect may be associated with longer sleep duration, higher sleep efficiency, reduced fatigue and anxiety, and better overall quality of life. In clinical practice, sleep-onset difficulty, fatigue, and anxiety should be assessed and managed.