Conventional treatment integrated with Chinese herbal medicine improves the survival rate of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. (October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Chen-Yu; Huang, Hung-Sen; Su, Yuan-Chih; Tu, Chih-Yen; Hsia, Te-Chun; Huang, Sheng-Teng
• Is Part Of: Complementary therapies in medicine. Volume 40(2018)
• Page Start: 29
• Page End: 36
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Subjects: CAD coronary artery disease -- CHM Chinese herbal medicine -- CI confidence interval -- COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- EGFR-TKIs epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors -- GMP Good Manufacturing Practice -- HR hazard ratio -- ICD-9-CM International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification -- MDR multi-drug resistance -- MOHW Ministry of Health and Welfare -- NHI National Health Insurance -- NHIRD National Health Insurance Research Database -- NSCLC non-small cell lung cancer -- OS overall survival -- PFS progression-free survival -- QoL quality of life -- RA rheumatoid arthritis -- RCIPD Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patient Database -- SLE systemic lupus erythematosus; Chinese herbal medicine -- Non-small cell lung cancer -- Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors -- 5-Year survival rate -- Retrospective cohort study; Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; Médecines parallèles -- Périodiques; Thérapeutique -- Périodiques; Alternative medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.07.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2299

Abstract

Highlights: CHM as an effective adjunct to prolong the five-year survival of NSCLC patients. CHM as an adjunct to alleviate side effects and prevent cancer metastasis. CHM associated with conventional medication is deserved as the cost effect. The common ten single herbs and formulas were combined use with EGFR-TKIs. Abstract: Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess whether treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), can improve the five-year survival rate in patients suffering from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), compared to patients treated by EGFR-TKIs alone. Interventions and main outcome measures: The study is based on information in the sub-dataset of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from years 2000 to 2010, during which time a total of 14, 244 patients were diagnosed with NSCLC in Taiwan. After selection by exclusion criteria and matching process, 2, 616 NSCLC patients were included in the study. Statistical analysis was utilized to evaluate the differences in characteristic distribution, and to compare the survival rates between the CHM cohort and non-CHM cohort. Results: Patients with advanced NSCLC using CHM as an adjunct therapy exhibited a significantly improved survival rate [hazard ration (HR) = 0.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73-0.87, p value<0.001], compared with non-CHM users. Based on a survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier method, the 5-year survival rate of CHM users was 4.9% higher, with the most notable difference being an elevated 2-year survival rate of up to 12.75%. In addition to the survival rate analysis, we provide the ten most used single herbs and herbal formulas prescribed for patients with advanced NSCLC. Conclusions: This nationwide retrospective cohort study provides evidence supporting CHM as an effective adjunctive therapy to ameliorate the side effects of target therapy and prolong the five-year survival rate of patients with advanced NSCLC.