A Case Report on the Improvement of Cancer Pain in a Patient with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Through Herbal Medicine-based Integrative Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapy

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate an improvement in metastatic cancer pain and a decrease in tumor size in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer.Method: A 53-year-old female patient diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in August 2022 underwent integrative cancer treatment (ICT) for two months to decrease the tumor size and improve back pain from bone metastasis. The patient underwent chemotherapy with ICT. Radiologic outcomes were assessed by chest, abdomen, and pelvis computed tomography based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) protocol. Clinical outcomes were assessed using National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (NCI-CTCAE), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and a numeric rating scale (NRS).Result: During the two months of treatment, the NRS scores for back pain were improved, and the ECOG score improved from grade 2 to 1. The size and metabolic activity of the primary lung tumor decreased and underwent partial remission based on RECIST. No serious side effects of grade 3 or higher were noted on the NCI-CTCAE test.Conclusion: This case suggests that ICT may have a therapeutic effect for cancer pain and a synergetic effect with chemotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.