[Immunoregulation and short-term therapeutic effects of super-selective intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with traditional Chinese drugs on gastric cancer patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the immunoregulation and short-term therapeutic effects of super-selective intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with Fuzheng Kang'ai Granules, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on patients with late gastric cancer.


METHODS
Forty patients with late gastric antrum cancer were randomly divided into study group and control group. Patients in the study group were orally administered Fuzheng Kang'ai Granules 48 hours after the first super-selective left gastric artery chemotherapy with high-dose drugs (EAP regime: VP(16) 100 mg/m(2) + epirubicin 60 mg/m(2) + carboplatin 200 mg/m(2)), while patients in the control group were only administered the same local artery chemotherapy as in the study group.


RESULTS
The short-term therapeutic efficacy in the study group and control group were 82.5% and 57.5% respectively (P<0.01). The occurrence rates of side effects in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The Karnofsky score of life quality of the study group was obviously higher than that of the control group after treatment (P<0.05). The half survival time and one year survival rate in the study group and control group were (24.9 +/- 1.36) month, 70% (28/40) and (13.7 +/- 0.72) month, 35% (14/40) respectively. They were significantly improved in the study group compared with the control group (P<0.01). The levels of cytokines interleukin 2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) after treatment in the study group were significantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01), as well as than those after treatment in the control group (P<0.01). On the other hand, the level of immune inhibitory factor soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) after treatment in the study group was lower than that before treatment, as well as than that after treatment in the control group (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The super-selective intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with Fuzheng Kang'ai Granules has good short-term therapeutic efficiency and few side effects for patients with late gastric antrum cancer. It can significantly improve the life quality, extend the survival period, and improve the survival rate in patients with late gastric antrum cancer, which may be due to the up-regulation of the immune regulating factors such as IL-2, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and down-regulation of the immune inhibitory factor sIL-2R.
Zhu
Jin-Shui
JS
Department of Gastroenterology, Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200233, China. zhujs1803@hotmail.com
Song
Ming-Quan
MQ
Wang
Long
L
Sun
Qun
Q
Zhu
Li
L
Fang
Chun
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C000606530:fuzheng kang'ai; D015251:Epirubicin; D005047:Etoposide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016190:Carboplatin