Therapeutic effect of hydroxycamptothecin combined with Kushen injection on malignant pleural effusion in elderly patients with lung cancer

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-7386.2014.24.007

Abstract：Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of hydroxycamptothecin ( HCPT) combined with Kushen injection on malignant pleural effusion in elderly patients with lung cancer ,and to explore its action mechanism.Methods Eighty-two patients (≥60 years ) diagnosed as advanced stage lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion were randomly divided into 2 groups,trial group (HCPT combined with Kushen injection , n =42) and control group (HCPT only, n =40). The therapeutic effects were observed and compared between the two groups , and the levels of LDH , CH, ADA in pleural effusion were detected,and the lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and expression of PCNA ,Survivin genes were detected too.Results After treatment ,the effective rate and symptom improving rate in trial group were significantly higher than those in control group ( P <0.05),however,pleural effusion volume in trial group was significantly decreased ,as compared with that in control group ( P <0.05).Moreover the incidence of adverse reactions in trial group was significantly lower than that in control group ( P <0.05),and trial group was superior to control group in the indexes including lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood and biochemical parameters in pleural effusion ( P <0.05).The expression levels PCNA,Survivin mRNA in trial group were significantly lower than those in control group ( P <0.05).Conclusion HCPT combined with Kushen injection can get satisfactory therapeutic effect on malignant pleural effusion in elderly patients with advanced stage lung cancer,at the same time,which can obviously improve patient ’ s immunological function,and its action mechanism may be related to the inhibition effect of Kushen injection on the expression of PCNA ,Survivin .