The Study Of Quality Of Life In Patients With Advanced NSCLC Treated With "FuZhengKangAi" Decoction Combined With Gefitinib

ObjectiveTo study the impact on quality of life in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), whose EGFR gene mutation was negative or unknown and receiving "FuZhengKangAi" decoction combined with gefitinib. The value of the combination therapy will be assessed from a quality of life point of view after comparing with chemotherapy.MethodsSixty patients whose EGFR gene mutation was negative or unknown with advanced NSCLC were recruited to divide into two groups:the treatment group (receiving "FuZhengKangAi" decoction combined with gefitinib) and the control group (receiving chemotherapy). Before the treatments begin and after1month’s treatment, the evaluation will be carried out by using QLQ-C30+QLQ-LC13, FACT-L and PS score. The clinical efficacy will be determined by the score of these scales. Measurement data which is normal distribution will be analyzed by t-test using the SPSS17.0, and the other measurement data which does not conform to normal distribution will be analyzed by non-parametric test. Enumeration data will be analyzed by chi-square test. α=0.05.ResultsThe PS score of treatment group was a little bit decreased after1month’s treatment(P>0.05) while the control group’s PS score increased significantly (P<0.01).Nine aspects of QLQ-C30+QLQ-LC13were improved in treatment group (P<0.05), such as total health, symptom scales, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, dyspnea, sleeplessness, appetite loss, lung cancer special scale. But the physically functional domain, role function, emotional function, cognitive function, social function, constipation and diarrhea had no significant different (P>0.05). What’s more, the financial burden became worse after treatment (P<0.05). On the contrary, twelve aspects were got worse after chemotherapy (P<0.05), including physically functional domain, role function, emotional function, social function, total health, symptom scales, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, constipation, financial difficulty and lung cancer special scale. The cognitive function, pain, sleeplessness, dyspnea and diarrhea had no significant difference (P>0.05). The financial burden became worse in both two groups, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).FACT-L showed that the lung cancer special scale and the total score improved after "FuZhengKangAi" decoction combined with gefitinib treatment (P<0.05), but the physical functioning, social/family function, emotional function and functional domain were no changed significantly (P>0.05). The physical functioning, emotional function, functional domain, lung cancer special scale and total score in control group were decreased (P<0.05), while the social/family function had no obviously changed (P>0.05).In the subgroup analysis stratified by PS score, quality of life of patients in the treatment group was still better than the chemotherapy group, because those quality of life improved at different levels (P<0.05) while quality of life decreased at different levels in the chemotherapy group (P<0.05). On the other hand, in the subgroup analysis stratified by benefit population, quality of life were improved in both benefit population group and non-benefit population (P<0.05). The improvement of quality of life in benefit population was a little bit better than non-benefit population group.ConclusionBy relieving symptoms and reducing side effects,"FuZhengKangAi" decoction combined with gefitinib treatment can improve quality of life in patients whose EGFR gene mutation was negative or unknown with advanced NSCLC. On the contrary, most of patients’ quality of life decreased after chemotherapy. Therefore, in the treatment of advanced NSCLC with EGFR gene mutation was negative or unknown,"FuZhengKangAi" decoction combined with gefitinib treatment is more better than chemotherapy from a quality of life point of view.