Comprehensive treatment with Chinese medicine in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A multicenter, prospective, cohort study
- 28 October 2016
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by Springer Nature in Chinese Journal of Integrated Medicine
- Vol. 23 (10), 733-739
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2737-1
Abstract
To determine whether additional Chinese medicine (CM) could prolong survival and improve the quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with Western medicine (WM) alone. This was a multicenter, prospective cohort study. A total of 474 hospitalized patients with stage III–IV NSCLC were recruited and divided into 2 groups. Patients in the WM group received radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and optimal supportive therapy according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. In the integrative medicine (IM) group, individualized CM (Chinese patent medicines and injections) and WM were administered. The primary end point was overall survival, and the secondary end points were time to disease progression, adverse events, and QOL. Follow-up clinical examinations and chest radiography were performed every 2 months. The median survival was 16.60 months in the IM group and 13.13 months in the WM group (P<0.01). The incidences of loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting in the IM group were significantly lower than those in the WM group (P<0.05). The QOL based on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung in the IM group was markedly higher than that in the WM group at the fourth course (P<0.05). Additional CM may prolong survival and improve the QOL patients with NSCLC. The adverse effects of radio- and chemotherapy may be attenuated as CM is used in combination with conventional treatments.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Erlotinib versus standard chemotherapy as first-line treatment for European patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (EURTAC): a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 3 trialThe Lancet Oncology, 2012
- Erlotinib versus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (OPTIMAL, CTONG-0802): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 studyThe Lancet Oncology, 2011
- Guidelines for the Evaluation of Immune Therapy Activity in Solid Tumors: Immune-Related Response CriteriaClinical Cancer Research, 2009
- Phase III Study Comparing Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine With Cisplatin Plus Pemetrexed in Chemotherapy-Naive Patients With Advanced-Stage Non–Small-Cell Lung CancerJournal of Clinical Oncology, 2008
- Carboplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and a poor performance statusLung Cancer, 2006
- Elderly subgroup analysis of a randomized phase III study of docetaxel plus platinum combinations versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin for first‐line treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (TAX 326)Cancer, 2005
- Three-Arm Randomized Study of Two Cisplatin-Based Regimens and Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase III Trial of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Group—EORTC 08975Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2003
- Reliability and validity of the functional assessment of cancer therapy—lung (FACT-L) quality of life instrumentLung Cancer, 1995
- A Confidence Interval for the Median Survival TimeBiometrics, 1982
- The use of the nitrogen mustards in the palliative treatment of carcinoma.With particular reference to bronchogenic carcinomaCancer, 1948