title: Clinical study on safety of cantharidin sodium and shenmai injection combined with chemotherapy in treating patients with breast cancer postoperatively.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess side effects on Cantharidin sodium and Shenmai injection combined with chemotherapy in treating patients with breast cancer postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with breast cancer receiving postoperative chemotherapy were retrospectively collected, and divided into four groups: group A with cantharidin sodium injection combined with chemotherapy; group B with Shenmai injection combined with chemotherapy; group C with both cantharidin sodium and Shenmai injection combined with chemotherapy; while group D (control group) received chemotherapy alone. All patients were administered docetaxel at a dose of 75 mg/m2 on day 1, epirubicin hydrochloride at a dose of 60 mg/m2 on day 1, and cyclophosphamide at a dose of 500 mg/m2 on day 1 for 3 cycles (repeated at 21 day intervals). After ≥ three courses of treatment, quality of life and side effects were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 78 patients in this study, and the incidence of leukopenia and gastrointestinal reactions in groups A and B were lower than those in the control group and lowest in group C (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus cantharidin sodium and Shenmai injection combined with chemotherapy reduce side effects and deserve to be further investigated in randomized clinical control trials.
authors: Department of Chemotherapy, the Affiliated Jiangsu Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China E-mail : huangxinen06 @aliyun.com.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Xin-En
authors: XE
authors: Huang
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002193:Cantharidin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D043823:Taxoids; C009252:fructus schizandrae, radix ginseng, radix ophiopogonis drug combination; D000077143:Docetaxel; D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002193:Cantharidin