Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To observe effect of compound Kushen injection on T-cell subgroups and NK cells in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) treated with concomitant radiochemotherapy.METHODS: We randomly divided 60 patients with locally advanced NSCLC who were treated at our hospital between May 2011 and May 2013 into a treatment group and a control group by drawing.The treatment group(n = 30) received concomitant radiochemotherapy plus compound Keshen injection, and the control group(n = 30) received only radiochemotherapy.RESULTS: After treatment, levels of CD3+, CD4+,CD4 +/CD8 + and CD16 +/CD56 + cells had significantly increased, and CD8 + cells had significantly decreased, in the treatment group compared with both their pretreatment levels and with levels in the control group. In the control group, post-treatment levels of CD3 +, CD4 +, CD4 +/CD8 + and CD16+/CD56+ cells were not significantly changed from pretreatment levels. The two groups did not significantly differ in their rates of toxicity reactions(P > 0.05).CONCLUSION: Compound Kushen injections can increase immunologic function in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who receive concomitant radiochemotherapy.

Key words: Compound Kushen injection, Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung, T-lymphocytes, Killer cells, natural, Chemoradiotherapy