The effect of long-term traditional Chinese medicine treatment on disease-free survival of postoperative stage I-III lung cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study
Journal Title: Traditional Medicine Research - Year 2019, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Objective: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been extensively used as one of popular alternative therapies for several cancers. However, it remains unclear whether TCM treatment is associated with longer survival in lung cancer patients. In this study, we explored the effect of long-term TCM treatment on patients with different stages of lung cancer. Methods: All information of lung cancer patients with stage I-III disease from January 2007 to September 2015 was collected for this retrospective cohort study. Those who were treated with TCM after surgery were divided into TCM group and the others were into the non-TCM group (control group). All patients were regularly followed up by clinic appointment or phone, and all survival data were collected from databases after the last follow-up in October 2017. Results: A total of 575 patients were included in this study, with 299 patients in the TCM group and 276 in the control group. For all patients, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 62.2% in TCM group and 42.1% in the control group, and 6-year DFSs were 51.8% and 35.4%, respectively (HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.66, log-rank P ≤ 0.001). For patients with stage I, 5-year DFSs were 83.7% (TCM group) and 57.5% (control group) and 6-year DFSs were 73.7% and 51.9%, respectively (HR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.50, log-rank P ≤ 0.001). For patients with stage II in the TCM group and the control group, 5-year DFSs were 59.4% and 17.6% and 6-year DFSs were 44.7% and 17.6%, respectively (HR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.52, log-rank P ≤ 0.001), and for patients with stage III, 5-year and 6-year DFSs in the TCM group were 18.7% and 12.5% compared with 28.4% and 20.3% in the control group (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.56, log-rank P = 0.76). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that long-term TCM treatment as an adjuvant therapy is able to improve the DFS of postoperative stage I-III lung cancer patients, especially in patients with stage I and II disease. However, these observational findings need being validated by large sample randomized controlled trials.
Authors and Affiliations
Su-Tong Liu, Su-Fang Zhang,Kai-Qi Su, Ying-Bin Luo, Zhi-Hong Fang, Yuan Fang, Jing Xu, Jian-Chun Wu,Yan Li
Fireneedle up-regulates the expression of ERK1/2 in neural stem cells
Objective: To explore the effect of fire needle on the expression of ERK1/2 of neural stem cells (NSCs) obtained from rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Sixty SD female rats were randomly divided into 5 groups,...
A multi-center randomized controlled clinical trial of three-step acupuncture and cupping therapy for cervicogenic headache
Objective: To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of three-step acupuncture and cupping therapy for cervicogenic headache (CEH). Methods: A randomized, single-blind, multi-center, parallel controlled clinical trial w...
Epigenetic regulations of hematopoietic stem cells ageing and the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine
The current progress in the study of DNA methylation and histone modifications regulating HSCs ageing and the epigenetic role of TCM in the treatment of hematological malignancies were summarized. Age-related defects...
Meta-analysis of neostigmine injections given at the Zusanli (ST 36) acupoint in the treatment of postpartum urinary retention
Objective: We aimed to determine the effect of neostigmine injections given at the Zusanli (ST 36) acupoint when treating postpartum urinary retention. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to identify randomized con...
The potential effects of Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most common form of neuropathy worldwide, with its prevalence rising alongside diabetes, and being characterized by sensory, motor or autonomic symptoms. DN is considered to be an incurabl...