Objective: To evaluate the effect of supplementary moxibustion in treating III, IV a stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with radio- and chemotherapy.
Methods: Fifty-six cases of NPC were randomly divided into two groups, 28 in each group. They were treated with radiotherapy in routine or chemotherapy adopting AD protocol. Salt-separated moxibustion on Shenque (Ren 8) point was given to the treated group from beginning of radio- and chemotherapy for 30 times as one therapeutic course.
Results: The remission rate in the two groups after radio- and chemotherapy was not different significantly. The toxic and side-effect occurrence was less in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The 5-year local control rates of NPC and cervical lymphnode were 85.7% and 85.0% in the treated group, which were higher than those in the control group (78.6% and 78.9%). The 5-year survival rate in the two groups were 50.0% and 35.7% respectively. After radio- and chemotherapy, the blood content of malonyldialdehyde (MDA), middle molecular substance and sulfhydryl reduced the SOD activity ascended in the treated group, the difference was significant as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The supplementary moxibustion on Shenque point could obviously reduce the toxic side-effect of advanced NPC patients treated with radio- and chemotherapy.