Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy and benefit response of extracorporeal high frequency thermotherapy (EHFT) combined with Chinese medicine (CM) in the treatment of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer.
Methods: The study adopted a prospective, small sample and randomized controlled method, and the advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients were assigned to two groups according to the table of random digits, one having the treatment of EHFT combined with CM (the treatment group), the other only with CM (the control group). The patients in the treatment group were treated with EHFT one hour once per day, together with CM differentiation decoction, 250 mL orally taken, twice daily for 14 days as one cycle, and 3-4 cycles was performed. The patients in the control group were treated only with CM differentiation decoction using the same dose as the treatment group. The efficacies were evaluated after three to four cycles of treatment. Primary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR) and time to progression (TTP). Secondary endpoints were overall survival time and 1-year survival rate.
Results: Sixty-six patients accomplished the study. After the patients underwent different treatments, none of the patients got a complete response or partial response in both groups. In the treatment group, DCR was 72.2%, and 10 had progression of disease (28.8%), while the DCR of the control group was 63.3%, and 11 had progression of disease (36.7%); there was a significant statistical difference (P <0.05), suggesting that the combined regimen had superiority on the DCR. As for long-term efficacy, the median survival time (MST) of the treatment group was 7.5 months, TTP was 5.5 months, and 1-year survival rate was 21.4 %; in the control group, the results were 6.8 months, 4.5 months and 16.6% respectively. There was significant statistical difference on TTP (P <0.05), but no difference on MST or 1-year survival rate.
Conclusion: EHFT combined with CM differentiation has better tolerance and short-term efficacy in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.