A pilot study of lung cancer following chemotherapy and traditional medicine: report of 12 cases

Background: In this paper, we have reported the retrospective study of lung tumors under remission, with the combination chemotherapy and traditional medicine or traditional medicine alone.Methods: All 12 patients with lung tumors were in progressive at hospitalization.The criteria of complete remission (CR) and/or partial remission (PR) is according to the rules where physicians have in common with in clinics.Results: During the schedule of drug administration,8 patients were treated with different dosage of combination chemotherapy in conjunction with traditional medicine.Two of them were undergoing chemotherapy 5-Fu and antitumor capsule.Another lung cancer was given the combination chemotherapy plus targeting oncogenic receptor EGFR gefitinib therapy, which was in stable disease for 8+ months.A short CR following combination chemotherapy and traditional medicine was obtained in a boy with malignant mesothelioma.The other 4 lung tumors were using traditional medicine alone.The survival times were over 6 months to 1 year 4 cases,1-2 years 3 cases,8+years 1 case, over 10 years 3 cases, the longest survival time in one lung cancer was 17 years, and he died in his lung cancer relapse.Conclusion In this study, a CR was a pivotal influencing factor in those longer survival cancers, and traditional medicine was also recommended.Targeting oncogenic receptors are currently the third-line setting, especially in the treatment of advanced cancers.