Improvement of quality of life with Shenfu injection in non small cell lung cancer patients treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin regimen.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of Shenfu injection (SFI) in treating non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients on quality of life with gemcitabine (GEM) plus cisplatin (GP) regimen.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients were ready to receive GP regimen chemotherapy for treating NSCLC disease, according to lot-drawing, they were divided into SFI pre-treatment group (18 cases) and SFI post-treatment group (16 cases). SFI pre-treatment group: During the first treatment course, chemotherapy was begun with SFI 60 ml, intravenous dripping on the 3rd day, once daily, consecutively for 10 days; on the 1st day, GP regimen (GEM 1250 mg/m(2), intravenous dripping, on the 1st and 8th day; cisplatin 70 mg/m(2) on the 2nd day; 21 days as one cycle) was carried out; in the second treatment course GP regimen was merely given to serve as the self-control. SFI post-treatment group: the medicament sequence order was reversed from that of pre-treatment group. Using dual international quality of life (QOL) scores, the effect of SFI on the patients' QOL was observed through randomized self pre- and post-crossover control.


RESULTS
The QOL in the 34 patients after being treated by SFI in combination with GP chemotherapy regimen in one group, and GP chemotherapy regimen alone in the other, was improved in different degrees, with significant difference (P < 0.01); comparison of SFI combined with GP chemotherapy regimen with GP chemotherapy alone showed that QOL in patients was significantly different (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
SFI could improve QOL in patients with NSCLC who were treated with GP regimen.
Wu
Wan-yin
WY
Department of Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou 510370. wwanyin@126.com
Long
Shun-qin
SQ
Zhang
Hai-bo
HB
Chai
Xiao-shu
XS
Deng
Hong
H
Xue
Xiao-guang
XG
Wang
Bin
B
Luo
Hai-ying
HY
Liu
Wei-sheng
WS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C492793:Shen-Fu; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine