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
OBJECTIVE@#To determine the effect of radiotherapy on the thyroid of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.@*METHODS@#Thyroid dynamic imaging was performed on 51 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer who had the metastasis of the jugular lymph node before and after the radiotherapy. The peak time of the thyroid artery perfusion and the constant K were obtained. The levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood serum were measured at the same time.@*RESULTS@#The peak time of the left and right thyroid artery perfusion before the radiotherapy was (14.5+/-2.1)s and (15.1+/-1.9)s, respectively, while that after the radiotherapy was (19.3+/-3.2)s and (20.2+/-3.5)s, respectively. There was significant difference between the pre- and post-radiotherapy (P0.05, respectively].@*CONCLUSION@#The peak time of the thyroid artery perfusion and the constant K which reflect blood stream status after the radiotherapy are all damaged in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. The level of FT3 and FT4 in the blood serum is dropped but the TSH level has no obvious change.