Next Article in Journal
Experiences of Canadian Oncologists with Difficult Patient Deaths and Coping Strategies Used
Previous Article in Journal
Phase I/II Trial of Dose-Reduced Capecitabine in Elderly Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer
 
 
Current Oncology is published by MDPI from Volume 28 Issue 1 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher in Open Access under a CC-BY (or CC-BY-NC-ND) licence, and they are hosted by MDPI on mdpi.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Multimed Inc..
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine as Maintenance Treatment after Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1
Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
2
Department of Oncology, Shanghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
3
Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
4
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
5
Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Curr. Oncol. 2017, 24(4), 269-276; https://doi.org/10.3747/co.24.3561
Submission received: 9 May 2017 / Revised: 5 June 2017 / Accepted: 10 July 2017 / Published: 1 August 2017

Abstract

Background: The concept of maintenance therapy in cancer treatment is currently under debate because of modest survival benefits, added toxicity, economic considerations, and quality-of-life concerns. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used in China for cancer patients, offering the advantages of low toxicity and enhancement of quality of life. However, no systematic reviews or meta-analyses have assessed the role of TCM as maintenance treatment for non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Methods: We searched the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases for all eligible studies. The endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), the 1-year and 2-year survival rates, and performance status. Our meta-analysis used a fixed-effects model and a random-effects model for heterogeneity in the Stata software application (version 11.0: StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, U.S.A.), with the results expressed as hazard ratios (HRS) or risk ratios (RRS), with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIS). Results: Sixteen randomized studies representing 1150 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with best supportive care, observation, or placebo, TCM as maintenance treatment was associated with a significant increase in OS (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.68; p < 0.001), PFS (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51 to 0.84; p = 0.001), and 2-year survival rate (RR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.92, p = 0.017), and a significant improvement in performance status (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.75; p < 0.001). Conclusions: For patients who show non-progression—including stable disease, partial response, or complete response—after first-line chemotherapy, including those with poor quality of life, oral Chinese herbal medicine can be considered an efficient and safe maintenance therapy strategy.
Keywords: traditional Chinese medicine; non-small-cell lung cancer; advanced; maintenance therapy; integrative oncology traditional Chinese medicine; non-small-cell lung cancer; advanced; maintenance therapy; integrative oncology

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, Q.; Wang, Q.; Wang, S.F.; Jiao, L.J.; Zhang, R.X.; Zhong, Y.; Zhang, J.; Xu, L. Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine as Maintenance Treatment after Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Curr. Oncol. 2017, 24, 269-276. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.24.3561

AMA Style

Wang Q, Wang Q, Wang SF, Jiao LJ, Zhang RX, Zhong Y, Zhang J, Xu L. Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine as Maintenance Treatment after Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Current Oncology. 2017; 24(4):269-276. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.24.3561

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Q., Q. Wang, S.F. Wang, L.J. Jiao, R.X. Zhang, Y. Zhong, J. Zhang, and L. Xu. 2017. "Oral Chinese Herbal Medicine as Maintenance Treatment after Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" Current Oncology 24, no. 4: 269-276. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.24.3561

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop