Effect of traditional Chinese medicine on quality of life and survival period in patients with progressive gastric cancer / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on quality of life (QOF) and survival period in patients with progressive gastric cancer, and thus exploring its clinical efficacy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TCM therapy applied in the 34 patients assigned in the TCM group (Group I ) included intravenous injection of Cinobufotalin, beta-elemene, or orally taking of anti-cancer Chinese herbs. The same TCM was also applied in the 36 of the combined treatment group (Group II), but in combined use of FOLFOX chemotherapeutic protocol. Twenty-one days was taken as one cycle and all the patients received 2 cycles of treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median survival period in group II was 31 months, while it was 30 months in group I; the 1-, 2-, 3-year survival rates in group II were 88.89%, 84.38% and 59.26%, and those in the group I were 82.35%, 71.43% and 65.00%, respectively with insignificant difference between the two groups (chi2 = 0.298, P > 0.05); QOF in group I was significantly superior to that in group II (P < 0.05), and the adverse reaction occurrence was significantly less in Group I than that in group II.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chinese medicine treatment can improve the QOF and prolong the survival period of patients with progressive gastric cancer with few side effects.</p>