Combined Kampo with radiation therapy prolongs survival in patients with cervical cancer

We conducted a retrospective study on therapeutic effects of Kampo therapy for the prolongation of life in patients with uterine cervical cancer. Our subjects in this study were 174 patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer who were admitted to the Tokushima University Hospital between 1976 and 1998, and who were treated with radiotherapy with concomitant Kampo therapy. Outcome was studied for a total of 92 patients (43 patients in Stage IIb and 49 patients in Stage IlIb) who were followed up for at least 5 years after treatment. For historical controls, we selected 120 patients treated during the same period in our department who did not receive concomitant Kampo treatment (63 patients in Stage IIb and 57 patients in Stage IIIb). Patients were treated with standard radiation therapy. Some patients were also treated with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The Kampo formulations used were Tsumura Kampo granulated extracts. Almost all patients began this regimen during radiation therapy and continued to follow it for several years, up to 20 years in some cases. The 5-year survival rate for the 92 patients given concomitant Kampo therapy was 75.6%, in comparison to 65.6% for the 120 patients not receiving Kampo treatment. 10-year survival rates for these groups were 65.9% and 49.1% respectively (p=0.0102982). Among patients in Stage IIIb, the 5-year survival rate was 68.4% among the 49 patients who given concomitant Kampo therapy and 48.4% among the 57 patients who did not receive Kampo treatment, and the 10-year survival rates were 59.7% and 38.3% respectively (p=0.00803624). This study shows that concomitant Kampo therapy significantly extended the survival of patients with uterine cervical cancer.