OBJECTIVETo 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.

METHODSThis 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.

RESULTSThe 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).

CONCLUSIONSAdditional 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.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Analgesics ; administration & dosage ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; administration & dosage ; Flurbiprofen ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; administration & dosage ; Midazolam ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Molar, Third ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; prevention & control ; Patient Satisfaction ; Preoperative Care ; Prospective Studies ; Tooth Extraction ; Young Adult

A 57-year-old male patient with pancreatic cancer received postoperative chemotherapy with an Ⅳ infusion of gemcitabine 1.6 g on days 1 and 8 combined with 3 capsules of tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil potassium orally (each capsule contains tegafur 20 mg,gimeracil 5.8 mg,and oteracil potassium 19.6 mg) twice daily on days 1-14 and one cycle took 21 days.On day 3 of drug use,the patient developed generalized burning pain and his highest temperature reached 39.6 ℃.Sporadic prunosus pruritus appeared in his limbs,chest,and back.Tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules were stopped immediately and gemcitabine was continued.On day 5 of drug use,the inside of his limbs,chest,and back were covered a large area of erythema multiforme,of which experienced vesicular in the center,red bulla fusing into lamella,and rupture and wound exposure,accompanied by erosive oral mucosa at the same time.Symptomatic treatments were given and,two weeks later,the rashes basically subsided.One week later,he received two cycles of combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and fluorouracil and two cycles of capecitabine for chemotherapy as well and the rashes did not recur.

A 57-year-old male patient with pancreatic cancer received postoperative chemotherapy with an Ⅳ infusion of gemcitabine 1.6 g on days 1 and 8 combined with 3 capsules of tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil potassium orally (each capsule contains tegafur 20 mg,gimeracil 5.8 mg,and oteracil potassium 19.6 mg) twice daily on days 1-14 and one cycle took 21 days.On day 3 of drug use,the patient developed generalized burning pain and his highest temperature reached 39.6 ℃.Sporadic prunosus pruritus appeared in his limbs,chest,and back.Tegafur,gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules were stopped immediately and gemcitabine was continued.On day 5 of drug use,the inside of his limbs,chest,and back were covered a large area of erythema multiforme,of which experienced vesicular in the center,red bulla fusing into lamella,and rupture and wound exposure,accompanied by erosive oral mucosa at the same time.Symptomatic treatments were given and,two weeks later,the rashes basically subsided.One week later,he received two cycles of combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and fluorouracil and two cycles of capecitabine for chemotherapy as well and the rashes did not recur.