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Chinese herbal medicine helps treat lung cancer
A review study published in PLOS One suggests that taking Chinese Herbal medicine along with conventional cancer therapy increases the efficacy of the lung cancer treatment.
A total of 24 trials of 2109 patients were included in the review which found that the Chinese Herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy increased one year survival rate among advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients by 36 percent, compared with chemotherapy only.
The Chinese herbs commonly used to treat lung cancer included Radix Astragalus, Radix Adenophorae, Radix Ophiopogonis, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Poria, Herba Oldenlandia Diffusa, Radix Asparagi, Semen Persicae and Radix Notoginseng.
S.G Li and colleagues, authors of the review, reported the Chinese herbal medicine with chemotherapy significantly increased immediate tumor response by 36% and improved Karnofsky performance score by 190 %.
Additionally, the combined therapy remarkably reduced nausea and vomiting at toxicity grade of III–IV and prevented the decline of hemoglobin and platelet in patients treated chemotherapy at toxicity grade of I–IV.
The review suggests that Chinese herbal medicine can be used an as adjuvant therapy to help reduce chemotherapy toxicity, increase survival odds, and enhance immediate tumor response and improve Karnofsky performance score in advanced non-small lung cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy.
Source: Food Consumer