OBJECTIVETo compare the differences and characteristics in Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine therapeutic evaluation methods in the application of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

METHODSA total of 200 cases of advanced non-small cell lung cancer from 3 subcenters were enrolled the study and assigned to two groups, 104 in the CM group treated with CM injection combined with treatment based on syndrome differentiation, 96 in the chemotherapy group treated with the international chemothearapy scheme, both the course of treatment was 6 weeks. Their short-term therapeutic effects were observed by the "clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM" simultaneously and by the follow-up Western medical solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, including clinical symptoms, tumor body, Karnorfsky score, body weight and immune function evaluation.

RESULTSAccording to WHO solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, the efficacy of the chemotherapy group was much better than that of the CM group (P < 0.01). While, according to the "clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM", the efficacy of the CM group was better than that of the chemotherapy group without statistical difference (P = 0.05), however, there was a very strong trend of appearing difference. There was difference inult o the results of the two evaluation methods.

CONCLUSIONCompared with WHO solid tumor's effect evaluation criterion, "the clinic efficacy appraisal standard of therapy for advanced lung cancer with CM" can reflect more features and advantages of CM for cancer treatment, having value for further study.