Treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with extracorporeal high frequency thermotherapy combined with Chinese medicine.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the clinical efficacy and benefit response of extracorporeal high frequency thermotherapy (EHFT) combined with Chinese medicine (CM) in the treatment of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer.


METHODS
The study adopted a prospective, small sample and randomized controlled method, and the advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients were assigned to two groups according to the table of random digits, one having the treatment of EHFT combined with CM (the treatment group), the other only with CM (the control group). The patients in the treatment group were treated with EHFT one hour once per day, together with CM differentiation decoction, 250 mL orally taken, twice daily for 14 days as one cycle, and 3-4 cycles was performed. The patients in the control group were treated only with CM differentiation decoction using the same dose as the treatment group. The efficacies were evaluated after three to four cycles of treatment. Primary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR) and time to progression (TTP). Secondary endpoints were overall survival time and 1-year survival rate.


RESULTS
Sixty-six patients accomplished the study. After the patients underwent different treatments, none of the patients got a complete response or partial response in both groups. In the treatment group, DCR was 72.2%, and 10 had progression of disease (28.8%), while the DCR of the control group was 63.3%, and 11 had progression of disease (36.7%); there was a significant statistical difference (P <0.05), suggesting that the combined regimen had superiority on the DCR. As for long-term efficacy, the median survival time (MST) of the treatment group was 7.5 months, TTP was 5.5 months, and 1-year survival rate was 21.4 %; in the control group, the results were 6.8 months, 4.5 months and 16.6% respectively. There was significant statistical difference on TTP (P <0.05), but no difference on MST or 1-year survival rate.


CONCLUSIONS
EHFT combined with CM differentiation has better tolerance and short-term efficacy in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.
Wu
Wan-yin
WY
Department of Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. wwanyin@126.com
Yang
Xiao-bing
XB
Deng
Hong
H
Long
Shun-qin
SQ
Sun
Liang-sheng
LS
He
Wen-feng
WF
Zhou
Yu-shu
YS
Liao
Gui-ya
GY
Chan
Sai-man
SM
Shan
Shi-pu
SP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged