ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of Yanshu injection (a compound Chinese traditional medicine from Sophora flauescens Ait) combined with concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomized into Yanshu group and control group (n = 30, each). Patients in the Yanshu group received Yanshu injection in addition to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concomitant chemotherapy, and those in the control group were treated with IMRT and concurrent chemotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4-year overall survival rates were 100%, 93.3%, 86.7%, 80.0% for Yanshu group, and 96.7%, 90.0%, 83.3%, 76.7% for the control group, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.565). The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4-year progression-free survival rates were 96.7%, 90.0%, 83.3%, 70.0% for Yanshu group, and 90.0%, 86.7%, 76.7%, 66.7% for control group, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.554). However, the reaction of mucosa of oral cavity, myelosuppression and thrombocytopenia in the Yanshu group were significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The quality of life of the patients in the Yanshu group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Yanshu injection combined with radiochemotherapy in patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma show a good efficacy and can reduce the side effects of radiochemotherapy of nasopharygeal carcinoma, and improve the quality of life of the patients.</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols , Therapeutic Uses , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Drug Therapy , Pathology , Therapeutics , Chemoradiotherapy , Methods , Cisplatin , Combined Modality Therapy , Disease-Free Survival , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Therapeutic Uses , Follow-Up Studies , Leukopenia , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Mucositis , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms , Drug Therapy , Pathology , Therapeutics , Neoplasm Staging , Paclitaxel , Plants, Medicinal , Chemistry , Quality of Life , Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated , Sophora , Chemistry , Survival Rate , ThrombocytopeniaABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the prognostic predictor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of nm23-H1 and vessel endothelium growth factor (VEGF) protein were examined by immunohistochemistry S-P staining in 108 NPC tissues, the expression of nm23-H1 and VEGF protein in NPC tissues with clinical stage of NPC, radiosensitivity of tumor, survival rate of patients, relapse and metastasis of carcinoma were studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of nm23-H1 and VEGF was 48.1% and 59.3% respectively. The clinical staging, metastatic potential of lymph nodes were correlated with low-level expression of nm23-H1 protein. The patients with negative nm23-H1 expression had worse prognosis than those with positive nm23-H1 expression. The clinical staging, metastatic potential and poor sensitivity of radiotherapy were correlated with high level expression of VEGF protein. The patients with positive VEGF expression had worse prognosis than those with negative VEGF expression. The expression of nm23-H1 protein was negatively correlated with the expression of VEGF protein (r = -0.577, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The low level expression of nm23-H1 protein and the high level expression of VEGF protein may be associated with the development and poor prognosis of NPC.</p>