title: Treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with Chinese herbal medicine by stages combined with chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of Chinese herbal medicine by stages combined with chemotherapy in treating patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of stage III or IV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adopting prospective, randomized, controlled, multi-centered trial design, 121 patients enrolled were assigned to the treatment group (n = 65) and the control group (n = 56). All the patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy and Chinese herbal medicine combined (Kangliuzengxiao decoction during chemotherapy and Feiyanning decoction after chemotherapy). The main outcome measures were survival time, Karnofsky score, main clinical symptoms, and adverse reactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients discontinued from the trial due to oral administration of Iressa after disease progression or other reasons, and 116 patients were evaluable for clinical efficacy with 63 in the treatment group and 53 in the control group. The overall response rate were 15.87% vs. 7.55% (P = 0.170), and the disease control rate were 85.71% vs. 71.70% in the treatment and control group (P = 0.063), respectively. The median survival time was 16.17 months vs. 12.00 months in the treatment and control group (P = 0.165), respectively. In addition, adverse reactions such as leucopenia in the treatment group were less than those in the control group (P = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy showed favorable effect in improving quality of life and prolonging survival time on patients with advanced NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. xuzhenye1947@163.com
authors.forename: Zhen Ye
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chang Juan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Cai Cun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhong Qi
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hai Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xiao Yue
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine