ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of astragalus polysaccharide (APS) in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 80 elderly patients with I～IV stage NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups. The 40 patients in the therapeutic group received radiotherapy in combination with APS. The 40 patients in the control group received radiotherapy alone. Both groups received 3D-CRT with a total dose of 50～ 70Gy, 2.0Gy/fraction, once a day, 5 times per week. The patients in the therapeutic group were treated with radiotherapy combined with injection of APS (250mg in 5% glucose) or normal saline (500 mL) intravenously once a day until the end of radiotherapy. The short-term efficacy and patients' quality of life were evaluated. The T-lymphocyte subpopulation and peripheral blood leukocyte count were also measured after treatment. Results: The short-term effective rates of the therapeutic group and the control group were 87.5% and 72.5%, respectively, without significant difference between the two groups (P＞0.05). The decrease of peripheral blood leukocyte count after treatment in the control group was significant (P＜0.05). In the therapeutic group, the T-lymphocyte subsets CD8 and CD4/CD8 were improved after treatment, with a significant difference (P＜ 0.05). But in the control group, no significant changes in T-lymphocyte subsets CD8 and CD4/CD8 were observed after treatment (P＞0.05). Patients' quality of life in the therapeutic group was superior to that in the control group, with a significant difference (P＜0.05). Conclusion: APS in combination with 3D-CRT can reduce the side effects of radiation and improve the quality of life of elderly patients with NSCLC.