[Prognostic analysis of stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer patients treated by traditional chinese medicine].
OBJECTIVE
Chemotherapy is a treatment for stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the efficacy is not ideal. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has certain effect on NSCLC. This study was to investigate various factors that affect the prognosis of advanced NSCLC, and evaluate the role of TCM in enlonging survival time of patients with stage III-IV NSCLC.


METHODS
The NSCLC patients who meet the inclusive criteria were randomized into TCM group, combination (TCM plus NP regimen) group, and chemotherapy group, and received relevant treatments. The median survival time (MST) was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. The prognosis of the patients was analyzed by COX regression method.


RESULTS
A total of 294 stage III-IV NSCLC patients were enrolled, of which 99 were in TCM group, 103 in combination group, 92 in chemotherapy group. The MST were 292 days in TCM group, 355 days in combination group, and 236 days in chemotherapy group; the cumulative survival rates were 45.38%, 48.86%, and 42.17%, respectively (P>0.05). Cox regression analysis indicated that therapy, gender, disease course, erythrocyte sedimentation, KPS score, tumor size, and patient's weight were independent prognostic factors of stage III-IV NSCLC.


CONCLUSIONS
Compare with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined with chemotherapy may prolong the survival time of stage III-IV NSCLC patients.
Zhou
Dai-Han
DH
Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China. zdh@oncology.org.cn
Lin
Li-Zhu
LZ
Zhou
Yi-Qiang
YQ
Luo
Rong-Cheng
RC
Liu
Kui-Feng
KF
Jia
Ying-Jie
YJ
Chen
Ji-Yue
JY
Niu
Xi-Wei
XW
Su
Bi-Ru
BR
Lu
Jiang
J
Wang
Shu-Tang
ST
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal