|
Lung Cancer Research
Chinese herbs effective in
the treatment of lung cancer
Chinese medicinal herbs (CMH) can improve
chemotherapy treatment in lung cancer according to researchers at the
Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang.
The researchers observed the effect of Chinese
medicinal herbs (CMH) and chemotherapy
on non-small cell lung cancer.
Comparing the therapeutic effects of three
treatment regimens on 110 patients diagnosed with advanced non-small cell
lung cancer patients - 58 patients were treated with CMH plus
chemotherapy, 28 cases treated with chemotherapy only, and 24 cases
treated with
CMH alone.
The results showed that the effective rates (i.e.
partial remission or complete remission)
were 22.9 per cent in CMH and chemotherapy group, but just 13.6 per cent
both in chemotherapy and in the CMH groups.
There were no significant differences between the
three groups according to the short-term results. The average (mean)
survival time for those patients treated with CMH in conjunction with
chemotherapy, was 10.2 months, whereas the patients in the chemotherapy
and CMH groups had an average survival rate of 5.3 and 8.0 months
respectively.
The survival rate (Kaplan Meicr method) of both
the CMH and chemotherapy group and
the CMH group were significantly higher than that of the chemotherapy
group but there were no significant differences between CMH and CMH + CT
group.
The researchers concluded that Chinese medicinal
herbs were helpful to improve average survival times and survival rates of
patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The herbs could be used
in conjunction with chemotherapy and the evidence suggests that they may
be equally effective used alone which would mean that patients may be able
to avoid the side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
[Therapeutic effect of
Chinese medicinal herbs combined with chemotherapy on advanced non-small
cell lung cancer]. Huang ZM; Long H. Chung Kuo Chung Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa
Chih, 17:26-8, 1997 Jan
©
The Internet Health Library 2000
return to top
|
