[Clinical observation on TCM treatment according to syndrome differentiation in relieving acute radio-reaction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment according to syndrome differentiation on acute radio-reaction (ARR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.


METHODS
One hundred and ninety-five NPC patients who received radiotherapy (RT) for the first time were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (89 cases) was treated by RT alone for 7 weeks and the treatment group (106 cases) was treated by RT combined with oral taking TCM from starting of RT till 5 weeks after RT. The overall changes in total ARR score and ARR in different locations were observed weekly and compared.


RESULTS
The total ARR score in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). And the ARR scores of different organs, including skin, oropharyngeal mucosa, salivary glands, larynx, car, upper digestive tract, and central nervous system, in the treatment group were all lower than those of the corresponding organs in the control group. In addition, the ARR scores in both groups showed an ascending trend in the first 7 weeks and a descending trend from the 8th to the 10th week after beginning RT.


CONCLUSIONS
TCM treatment could relieve the ARR in the NPC patients without any affection on the efficacy of RT.
Song
Pei-Rong
PR
Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Nankai Hospital, Tianjin. tianwenzhi2000@126.com
Qiu
Bao-Shan
BS
Wu
Yan-Tao
YT
D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal