Study on Traditional Chinese Medicine Maintenance Therapy for Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Yi Lin （ Department of Internal Medicine-Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China ）

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and application advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore the factors related to the maintenance effect of TCM. Methods: Case data in this study were obtained from the Oncology Wards and Outpatient Clinics of Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, patients with advanced NSCLC meeting the study criteria, who were controlled by first-line chemotherapy, were divided into two groups: the maintenance treatment group and the control group according to whether there was TCM intervention and the degree of intervention. The data and treatment status were recorded through retrospective research, and the patients were followed up to record their survival time. The efficacy of TCM maintenance treatment was evaluated together by the patient’s overall survival time (PFS, OS) and quality of life (syndrome score, Karnofsky performance status, weight); and then relevant factor analysis was carried out. Results: A total of 66 eligible patients were included in the study, including 36 patients in the TCM maintenance treatment group and 30 patients in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, smoking status, comorbidities, tumor location, stage, pathological type, complications, chemotherapy cycle and the first-line treatment effect in the baseline data. At the end of the study, it was found that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of the treatment group was 5.6 months, and that of the control group was 3 months. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.014 < 0.0.5). In the survival time analysis, MST of the treatment group and the control group were 22 months and 15 months, respectively. The analysis results only showed the trend of the treatment group being longer than the control group, and there was no statistical difference in the results (P > 0.05). In terms of quality of life, compared with the control group, the TCM maintenance treatment group of traditional Chinese medicine can significantly improve the patient’s syndrome score, Karnofsky performance status and weight of the patients. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.0.5). Through binary logistic stepwise regression analysis, it was found that the PFS and quality of life in TCM maintenance treatment group had obvious correlation with the TCM maintenance treatment mode; that is to say, patients who simultaneously applied oral and intravenous anti-cancer TCM could obtain greater benefits in PFS and quality of life. Conclusion: The use of TCM maintenance treatment can extend the PFS of patients with advanced NSCLC after first-line therapy, and has a tendency to extend the overall survival time. TCM maintenance treatment Can significantly improve patients' symptoms, improve physical condition scores, and weight, thus Improve the quality of life in patients with advanced NSCLC.

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