Effect of traditional chinese medicine on survival and quality of life in patients with esophageal carcinoma after esophagectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and possible mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on survival and quality of life (QOL) in patients with esophageal carcinoma after esophagectomy. METHODS: Adopting prospective controlled method of study, the authors had 128 post-esophagectomy patients, hospitalized from February 2001 to February 2002, randomly divided into 3 groups: the TCM group, treated with TCM drugs alone; the chemotherapy group, with chemotherapy alone applied; and the synthetic group, treated with chemotherapy combined with Chinese medicine. Their survival rate and QOL were compared. RESULTS: In the TCM group, the chemotherapy group and the synthetic group, the respective 3-year relapse and remote metastasis rate were 71.4%, 76.7%, 53.4%, respectively (chi(2) = 6.53, P < 0.05); the 1-year survival rate 42.9%, 46.5%, 72.1%; 2-year survival rate 28.6%, 27.9%, 55.8%, and 3-year survival rate 26.2%, 23.1%, 37.2%, respectively. And the QOL improving rate was 69.0%, 37.2%, 58.1%, respectively, all showing significant difference among them (chi(2) = 6.10, all P < 0.05). Moreover, immune function was increased in the TCM and the synthetic groups. CONCLUSION: Integrative Chinese and Western medicinal treatment was the beneficial choice for post-operational patients with esophageal carcinoma. However, long time use of simple Chinese medicine was also advisable, especially for those in poverty.