[Chemoprevention of esophageal cancer].
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to test and pursue the achievement achieved in Heshun township of Linxian county, Henan province. Since 1992, we have been conducting block therapy for precancerous lesions of the esophagus in 9 townships of Ci county, Hebei province, a high risk area of esophageal cancer.


METHODS
By means of a cytological survey, 3,990 and 5,346 cases of severe and mild dysplasia of esophageal epithelium were selected. These cases are divided randomly into the treated group and the control group. In the treated group, the Chinese herbal medicine Zeng Sheng Ping were given to the patients with severe dysplasia, and tablets of riboflavin Calcium were given to the patients with mild dysplasia. Placebo were given to the control group. After administration of drugs for 3 years, the esophageal cytological reexamination was repeated in July 1996.


RESULTS
In the severe dysplasia treated group, RR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.33-0.75, inhibitory rate of canceration 49.9%; using the method of cytological five grade-six kinds as the mark of standard to calculate the general grade effects, and using the control group as the standard group, the treated group Ridit = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.56-0.60; in the mild dysplasia treated group, RR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.52-1.22, inhibitory rate 20.4%; Ridit = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.57-0.61.


CONCLUSIONS
These herbal blocking results indicated that the effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Zeng Sheng Ping on esophageal precancerous lesions were worthy of being highly considered.
Lin
P
P
Cancer Institute, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100021.
Chen
Z
Z
Hou
J
J
Liu
T
T
Wang
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012737:Sex Factors
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal