[Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy of ginsenoside Rg3 combined with mitomycin C and tegafur in advanced gastric cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the enhancing effects of ginsenoside Rg3 combined with mitomycin C and tegafur (MF) on postoperative chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer.


METHODS
Seventy-one postoperative patients with advanced gastric cancer were randomly divided into two groups, the control group (n=33), which received treatment with only MF (Mitomycin C+Tegafur), and the trial group (n=38), which were treated with ginsenoside Rg3+MF. The serum VEGF levels in the control group and trial group were detected preoperatively and postoperatively, meanwhile, the serum VEGF levels in 30 healthy persons were detected as comparison. The relations between patients survival and serum VEGF levels were analyzed.


RESULTS
The levels of serum VEGF in advanced gastric cancer were higher than those in healthy persons [(297.8+/-129.6) pg/ml vs (212.3+/-67.5) pg/ml] (P<0.01), and were correlated with the depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, tumor size > 4 cm and TNM stage (P<0.05). Fourteen weeks after operation, the levels of serum VEGF in trial group decreased below those of preoperation and approached to normal range, while in the control group, the levels of serum VEGF decreased near those of preoperation only. The median survival of patients in trial group and control group were 40 and 25 months respectively. The survival rate of patients in trial group was significantly higher than that in control group (P=0.047).


CONCLUSIONS
The combined application of ginsenoside Rg3+MF chemotherapy can decrease the concentration of serum VEGF and improve the survival rate in advanced gastric cancer patients.
Chen
Zhe-Jing
ZJ
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, China. wczcj@sina.com
Cheng
Jun
J
Huang
Ying-Peng
YP
Han
Shao-Liang
SL
Liu
Na-Xin
NX
Zhu
Guan-Bao
GB
Yao
Jian-Gao
JG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D005641:Tegafur / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D036145:Ginsenosides; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D005641:Tegafur; C097367:ginsenoside Rg3; D016685:Mitomycin