[Effect of traditional Chinese medicine in improving quality of life of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in late stage].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in improving quality of life of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in III or IV stage, for establishing TCM therapeutic regimen on late NSCLC.


METHODS
A total of 294 patients in 6 hospitals were randomly assigned into three groups, 99 in the TCM group treated with TCM according to disease and syndrome differentiation, 92 treated with chemotherapy in the western group and 103 treated with combined therapy of TCM and chemotherapy in the integrative group. Six items, including physical status, social/family status, intercourse with physicians, emotional status, functional status and additional concerning status, were investigated and analyzed by using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-lung (FACT-L).


RESULTS
The scores of social/family status and intercourse with physicians were insignificantly different in all three groups before and after treatment (P > 0.05). The improvement of physical status in the TCM group, and that of emotional status, functional status and additional concerned status in the integrative medicine group were superior to those in the other groups (P< 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
TCM has certain antagonistic effect on the adverse reaction of chemotherapy, and it can improve the quality of life of patients to certain extent.
Lin
Li-zhu
LZ
The Second Department of Oncology, The First Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. lizhulin903@hotmail.com
Zhou
Dai-han
DH
Zheng
Xin-ting
XT
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*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal