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Adjunctive Chinese Herbal Medicine therapy improves survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Despite good clinical results of current drugs, a good reason still exists to search for additional therapies for the management of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) has thus far been overlooked by researchers and no data exists on the subject. We studied the impact of adjunctive CHM on the disease course of CML, using mortality as the major outcome measurement. We used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to perform a nationwide population-based cohort study. Our study included CML patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. We matched groups according to age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score and use of imatinib, and compared the Hazard Ratios (HR) of CHM group and non-CHM users, as well as characterized trends of prescriptions used for treating CML. 1371 patients were diagnosed with CML in the years examined, of which 466 were included in to this study. We found that the HR of CHM group was significantly lower compared to non-CHM groups (0.32, 95% CI 0.22-0.48, P < 0.0001). We also established that this association between reduced HR was dose-dependent, and the longer CHM users received prescriptions, the lower the HR (P < 0.01). We also analyzed the most commonly used herbal products as well as the HR associated to their use, thus providing future research candidates. Our results supply a strong reason to assume that when administered by properly trained physicians, CHM may have a substantial positive impact on the management of CML.

SUBMITTER: Fleischer T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4831282 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Adjunctive Chinese Herbal Medicine therapy improves survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Fleischer Tom T Chang Tung-Ti TT Chiang Jen-Huai JH Chang Ching-Mao CM Hsieh Ching-Yun CY Yen Hung-Rong HR

Cancer medicine 20160115 4

Despite good clinical results of current drugs, a good reason still exists to search for additional therapies for the management of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) has thus far been overlooked by researchers and no data exists on the subject. We studied the impact of adjunctive CHM on the disease course of CML, using mortality as the major outcome measurement. We used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to perform a nationwide population-based ...[more]

PMID: 26773538

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Project description:Background and purpose: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is frequently applied in conjunction with western pharmacotherapy to relieve symptoms in patients with CKD. However, evidence-based research into the effectiveness of CHM use as applied to treat CKD is limited and warrants further investigation. The aim of this study is to assess whether adjunctive treatment with CHM affected survival rate of CKD patients undergoing conventional western medical management. Methods: A total of 14,718 CKD patients, including 6,958 CHM users and 7,760 non-CHM users, were recruited from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, a sub-dataset of the National Health Insurance Research Database, to conduct this study. Demographic characteristics, including sex, age, job type, residential area, and comorbidity were considered as covariates to adjust the analysis. A network analysis of treatments, including with herbal formulas and single herbs, was performed to investigate the core patterns of CHM use for the treatment of CKD patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the survival rate between CHM and non-CHM groups. Results: After matching for sex and age, there were 550 subjects in both the CHM and non-CHM cohorts. Other than presence of diabetes (adjusted OR = 0.57, p < 0.001) and urinary tract infection (adjusted OR = 0.69, p < 0.05), sex, age, job type, area of residence, and other comorbidities indicated no special preference for CHM use among subjects. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan (JSSQW) were the most frequent single herb and formula, respectively, prescribed for patients with CKD. The most frequent CHM combination between herbs and formulas was JSSQW, associated with Rheum officinale Baill. (RO), SM and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge (AM). The long-term survival rate demonstrated significant benefits for CHM users within a 12-year follow-up period (P < 0.004). Conclusion: This nationwide retrospective cohort study provides valuable insight into the characteristics and prescription patterns of CHM usage in CKD patients. JSSQW associated with RO, SM, and AM is the most common CHM prescription. CHM improves long-term survival in patients with CKD, suggesting that CHM is an effective adjuvant therapy for CKD.

Project description:Pemphigus is a life-threatening and skin-specific inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by intraepidermal blistering between the mucous membranes and skin. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used as an adjunct therapy for treating many diseases, including pemphigus. However, there are still limited studies in effects of CHM treatment in pemphigus, especially in Taiwan. To more comprehensively explore the effect of long-term CHM treatment on the overall mortality of pemphigus patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of 1,037 pemphigus patients identified from the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients database in Taiwan. Among them, 229 and 177 patients were defined as CHM users and non-users, respectively. CHM users were young, predominantly female, and had a lesser Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) than non-CHM users. After adjusting for age, sex, prednisolone use, and CCI, CHM users had a lower overall mortality risk than non-CHM users (multivariate model: hazard ratio (HR): 0.422, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.242-0.735, p = 0.0023). The cumulative incidence of overall survival was significantly higher in CHM users than in non-users (p = 0.0025, log rank test). Association rule mining and network analysis showed that there was one main CHM cluster with Qi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan (QJDHW), Dan-Shen (DanS; Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae; Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao--San (JWXYS), Huang-Lian (HL; Rhizoma coptidis; Coptis chinensis Franch.), and Di-Gu-Pi (DGP; Cortex lycii; Lycium barbarum L.), while the second CHM cluster included Jin-Yin-Hua (JYH; Flos lonicerae; Lonicera hypoglauca Miq.) and Lian-Qiao (LQ; Fructus forsythiae; Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl). In Taiwan, CHMs used as an adjunctive therapy reduced the overall mortality to approximately 20% among pemphigus patients after a follow-up of more than 6 years. A comprehensive CHM list may be useful in future clinical trials and further scientific investigations to improve the overall survival in these patients.

Dataset Information

Adjunctive Chinese Herbal Medicine therapy improves survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Publications

Adjunctive Chinese Herbal Medicine therapy improves survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

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