Combination of Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Malignant Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combining neoadjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy via a subcutaneous implantable delivery system (SIDS) with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in treating malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. The treatment was applied to 148 patients from August 2001 to February 2016. The results showed that 9 patients achieved complete response (CR), 120 patients achieved partial response (PR), with a response rate (RR) of 87.2% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 100% according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Side effects included myelosuppression, with 46 patients (31.08%) experiencing grade 1 or 2 leucopenia, 15 patients (10.13%) experiencing grade 3 or 4 leucopenia, 22 patients (14.08%) experiencing grade 1 or 2 thrombocytopenia, and 3 patients (2.03%) experiencing grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia. All 148 patients (100%) experienced hair loss, 24 patients (16.22%) had myalgias or arthralgias, 6 patients (4.05%) had grade 1 or 2 liver injury, and 16 patients (10.81%) had grade 1 or 2 gastrointestinal reactions. The conclusion was that the combination of intra-arterial chemotherapy by SIDS with TCM could alleviate side effects, reduce damage to vital organs, and strengthen the immune system, thus having a synergistic effect in the treatment of these tumors.