title: Comprehensive treatment with Chinese medicine in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A multicenter, prospective, cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether additional Chinese medicine (CM) could prolong survival and improve the quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with Western medicine (WM) alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter, prospective cohort study. A total of 474 hospitalized patients with stage III-IV NSCLC were recruited and divided into 2 groups. Patients in the WM group received radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and optimal supportive therapy according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. In the integrative medicine (IM) group, individualized CM (Chinese patent medicines and injections) and WM were administered. The primary end point was overall survival, and the secondary end points were time to disease progression, adverse events, and QOL. Follow-up clinical examinations and chest radiography were performed every 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival was 16.60 months in the IM group and 13.13 months in the WM group (P<0.01). The incidences of loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting in the IM group were significantly lower than those in the WM group (P<0.05). The QOL based on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung in the IM group was markedly higher than that in the WM group at the fourth course (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional CM may prolong survival and improve the QOL patients with NSCLC. The adverse effects of radio- and chemotherapy may be attenuated as CM is used in combination with conventional treatments.
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China. drlinhongsheng@163.com.
authors: Hong-Sheng
authors: HS
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Hou
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Bao-Jin
authors: BJ
authors: Hua
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Pei-Tong
authors: PT
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Integrative Oncology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, 110042, China.
authors: Shen-Yu
authors: SY
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi Cancer Hospital, Xi'an, 030013, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Xie
authors: Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Integrative Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060, China.
authors: Guang-Ru
authors: GR
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Mei-Ying
authors: MY
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Wen-Guang
authors: WG
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Nian-Bo
authors: NB
authors: Guan
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Tian-Yu
authors: TY
authors: Guan
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Cong-Huang
authors: CH
authors: Li
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Li-Yuan
authors: LY
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Dao-Rui
authors: DR
authors: Li
authors: Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese medicine; advanced non-small cell lung cancer; integrative medicine