Abstract

Traditional systems of medicine all over the world even traditional medicine and cancer have been using plants and plants products for therapeutic intention. The purpose of these retrospective trials is to assess the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy in conjunction with TCM for a broad variety of cancers. 75 patients with available cancers were concluded in the study during September1993 – May 2018.The sex ratio of male: female was 50:25 respectively. The mean age at onset was 46.9 years（range 10-79 years. All patients were treated with different dosage of various chemotherapy in combination with TCM or traditional medicine alone. The basic chemotherapeutic regimen consisted of vincristine（VCR,1-2mg/ week)、cyclophosphamide（CTX,200-1,000mg/ week)、mitomycin C（MMC,2-4mg/week) and 5-fluorouracil（5-Fu,250-500mg/ day).In addition, according to patient condition, the additional drug doxorubicin（ADM, 20mg/ week）in lymphoma and metastatic breast cancer, demethylcantharidin in liver cancer and cisplatin (DDP) or interleukin-2（PHA）or gefitinib in lung cancer. The detail prescription of TCM varied among a broad variety of carcinomas. The criteria of complete remission（CR）and/or partial remission（PR）is according to the rules where physicians have in common with in clinics. In 75 cases, the CR was obtained in 33(44%) advanced cancers, a short CR in 11(14.7%) cases, PR in 25 (33.3%) cancers, stable disease in 6 cases. In differential types of 20 patients over ten years, lymphoma occupied 8 cases (40%). As to approach to the schedule of drug administration, 16 lymphoma obtained CR via COMA (CTX, VCR, MMC, ADM) regimen and TCM or antibiotics and immunotherapy. Five advanced gastric cancer were successfully treated using MFC and cinobufacini/ cantharidin, and TCM. In follow up, one HCC accompanied with colon polyps obtained CR via hepatectomy and targeting oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Among two lung cancer, one female with metastatic lung cancer was given targeting oncogenic receptor EGFR gefitinib therapy after the combination chemotherapy, which was stable disease for 8+months.CR can also achieved in one advanced cholangicarcinoma and one advanced gallbladder cancer through major protocol of TCM and the addition of small dosage of chemotherapy. Thyroid cancer was placed on the primary use of TCM. The crude herbs consisted of sargassum, tangle, Oyster（mussels）, Poria cocos, Ophiopogon japonicus, Prunella vulgaris, Taraxacum, Scrophularia ningpoensis, Cremastra appendiculata, Trichosanthes Kirilowii, Sophora subprostrata, Houttuynia cordata, Scutellaria barbata d. don and Oldenlandia diffusa roxb. Among those long-term survivors, 31 carcinomas obtained in disease-free survival over 5years, 20 cancers were survival over 10years, the longest four patients over 25 years. In this study, it was experienced that a CR was a pivotal influencing factor in those longest survival patients, and traditional medicine was also recommended. Down regulating oncogenic receptors may be useful paradigm and perspective in currently the third line setting of clinical target therapy and in rendering our better understanding of cancer biology. Keywords: Cancer chemotherapy, traditional medicine, target therapy

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