[Influence of Chinese herbal medicine Feitai Capsule on completion or delay of chemotherapy in patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized controlled trial].
BACKGROUND
Chemotherapy completion rate can reflect the tolerance and compliance of patients to chemotherapy. Poor tolerance may result in delay or suspension of the comprehensive treatment plan, thus affect the efficacy of cancer treatment. Evaluating methods to improve the completion rate of chemotherapy and reduce the occurrence of delayed chemotherapy has gained increasing attention and is the significant area of study in the field of cancer treatment. Studies have shown that Chinese medicine combined with chemotherapy could improve the quality of life in patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of Feitai Capsule, a Chinese patent herbal drug, combined with chemotherapy in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC.


METHODS
A total of 60 diagnosed stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients from the Department of Oncology, Fuzhou General Hosipital of Najing Military Region were randomly divided into treatment group (30 cases) and control group (30 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated with chemotherapy plus Feitai Capsule and patients in the control group only received chemotherapy. Both groups of patients were treated for 4 therapeutic cycles.


METHODS
The chemotherapy completion rate and the chemotherapy delay rate were observed in each cycle of treatment. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after 4 cycles.


RESULTS
The chemotherapy completion rate was 96.42% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 74.07%. The chemotherapy delay rate was 3.57% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 14.8% (P=0.007 0). The disease control rate was 78.6% in the treatment group, while that of the control group was 59.3% (P=0.173 9).


CONCLUSIONS
Feitai Capsule can increase the chemotherapy completion rate in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC.
Department of Disease Prevention, Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region, Fuzhou 350025, Fujian Province, China.
Shui-qiu
SQ
Deng
Xue-nong
XN
Ouyang
Zong-yang
ZY
Yu
Xi-hu
XH
Dai
Xi
X
Chen
Fang-zheng
FZ
Fang
Wen-wu
WW
Wang
Zhi-zhen
ZZ
Liu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002214:Capsules; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; 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; D008517:Phytotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C500582:Feitai