Influence of TCM dialectical maintenance therapy on the living quality and life span in advanced NSCLC patients

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) dialectical maintenance therapy on the living quality and life span in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients after first-line chemotherapy.

MethodsOne hundred and twenty-five mitigatory or stable advanced NSCLC patients after standard first-line chemotherapy were randomly divided into the observation group(62 cases) and control group(63 cases).The control group received conventional symptomatic treatment with western medicine, and the observation group was treated with TCM dialectical maintenance therapy based on the control group.Two groups were treated to disease progression or intolerance.The scores of survival quality and TCM symptoms, progression-free survival(PFS) and overall survival(OS) were compared between two groups.

ResultsAt the end of the experiment, 60 cases in observation group and 62 cases in control group were investigated.Compared with the control group, the scores of TCM symptoms and KPS scores were significantly improved(P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), and the scores of physiological, functional and additional status were also significantly improved in observation group after treatment(P < 0.01).The differences of the scores of emotional, social or family status between two groups after treatment were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The median PFS in observation group(13.90 months) was greater than that in control group(11.30 months)(P < 0.05).The median OS in observation group and control group were 28.90 months and 16.90 months, respectively, and the difference of which was not statistically significant(P>0.05).

ConclusionsThe TCM dialectical maintenance therapy in treating NSCLC can improve the clinical symptoms of TCM and quality of life, and prolong the PFS of patients.