title: [Effect of integrated Chinese medical treatment (as maintenance therapy) on the survival time of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a clinical study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe clinical effect of integrated Chinese medical (CM) treatment (as maintenance therapy) on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after first-line chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Totally 69 non-progressive advanced NSCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy were randomly assigned to the test group (34 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with one Western drug chemotherapy (Gemcitabine or Alimta or docetaxel). Those in the test group were treated with integrated CM treatment (CM decoction, CM Intravenous preparation, and point application). Each cycle consisted of 21 days. Treatment lasted till the disease progressed, or intolerable toxic/adverse reactions occurred, or patients refused to continue the treatment. Patients' life spans were regularly followed-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The median cycle of maintenance therapy was 2 cycles for two groups with no statistical difference (P =0.274). The median PFS was 12.43 weeks in the test group and 10.00 weeks in the control group, showing statistical difference (P =0.025). The middle survival time (MST) was 18.8 months in the test group and 16.73 months in the control group, showing no statistical difference (P =0.437).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CM treatment (as maintenance therapy) showed quail effect to one Western drug chemotherapy in prolonging patients' life span.
authors.forename: Ling-Shuang
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhi-Fen
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000068437:Pemetrexed / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D043823:Taxoids; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000077143:Docetaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine