Leucozepin® Increases White Blood Cell Count after Chemo- or Radiotherapy Clinical Study

Key words: Leucozepin®, tumor, leukopenia, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Abstract: The therapeutic effect of Leucozepin®, a natural herbal medicine, on white blood cell count was evaluated in fifty-nine patients with advanced stage tumors after chemo- or radiotherapy treatments. Among the forty-one cases with leukopenia before treatment, leukocyte count was back to normal in thirty-seven cases after treatment. The counts pre- and post-treatment were (2.8±0.6)×109/L and (5.9±1.4)×109/L respectively *P*0.01. In eighteen patients with normal leukocyte count before treatment, the counts of seventeen cases were still normal after treatment.
The time for leukocyte recovery was 8.0 days on average, while that of twenty-three patients who did not take Leucozepin® Compound was 20.6±1.8 days. The results indicated that the Leucozepin® compound had a leukocytogenic effect, and alleviated the inhibitive effect of the hemopoietic function of the bone marrow caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Materials and Methods

1.    Clinical data: Eighty-two patients with malignant tumors in advanced stages, confirmed by pathological and other examinations (B ultrasonic wave, CT), were enrolled in this clinical trial. The test group consisted of fifty nine patients (male 29, female 30), aged 22 years to 93 years (average age 54 years):

    • Lung cancer (17 patients),

    • Breast cancer (18 patients),

    • Stomach cancer (6 patients),

    • Colon cancer (3 patients)

    • Other tumors such as oophoroma, esophagus cancer, kidney cancer, urinary/bladder cancer, etc (15 patients,).

The control group had twenty-three patients (male 12, female 11), aged 27 years to 87 years, average age 56 years. All patients had been treated with chemo- or radiotherapy though the therapeutic programs varied due to the nature of the diseases. 

2.      Therapeutic methods:  Patients took Leucozepin®, which consists of Astragalus, Spatholobus, Reishi Mushroom, Codonopsis, Dong Quai, Rehmannia, Polygonatum, Psoralea, Ligustrum, Bai-zhu Atractylodes, Poria, Lycium, Tangerine, Dendrobium, and Chinese Licorice.  Patients in the control group did not take any leukocytogenic medicine.  The change in leukocyte count and the improvement of clinical symptoms pre- and post-treatment were evaluated.  

 

Results

1.      Criterion of therapeutic evaluation:  Clinical efficacy was based on leukocyte count first measured on the eighth day after treatment.  Efficacy is a measure of whether patients with leukopenia or nonleukopenia pre-treatment returned to normal post-treatment.  Leukocyte counts were divided into four grades:

·         0 grade ( WBC *4.0×109/L) ;

·         I* grade [WBC (3~3.9) ×109/L];

·         II grade [WBC (2~2.9) ×109/L],

·         III grade [WBC (1~1.9)×109/L]

* - The book Clinical Medical Tumor Handbook was used for reference.

2.      Results:  Among 59 patients, 18 patients’ leukocyte counts were normal - 0 grade while 41 patients were in grades I to III.

Of the 59 patients:

·         0  grade - 18 patients

·         I   grade – 21 patients

·         II grade - 18 patients

·         III grade - 2 patients

After treatment, the leukocyte count improved as follows:

·         54 patients to 0 grade

·         4 patients to I grade

·         1 patient to III grade

The average leukocyte counts pre-and post-treatment were (2.8±0.6)×109/L and (5.9±1.4)×109/L respectively *P*0.01. The results show significant differences in leukocyte counts between pre- and post-treatment.

3.       Comparing the time for leukocyte recovery between two groups:  The recovery time for the treated group was 8.0 days on average, while that for the control group was 20.6±1.8 days.  The results show Leucozepin® effectively shortens the time for leukocyte recovery.

                  

 

4.      Improvement of clinical symptoms:  After treatment, the clinical symptoms lessened or disappeared in most patients.  The results are shown in the following table.

Improvement of clinical symptom of 59 patients [case (%)]

                                  Post-treatment

Symptoms

Pre-treatment

Improvement

Disappearance

Inefficacy

Nausea

38

27 (71.1%)

0

11 (28.9%)

Fatigue

31

21 (67.7%)

        3 (9.7%)

7 (22.6%)

Dizziness

18

10 (55.6%)

5 (27.8%)

3 (16.7%)

Insomnia

33

19 (57.6%)

6 (18.2%)

8 (24.2%)

 

 

 

Discussion

The results indicate that Leucozepin® has a leukocytogenic effect, and alleviates the inhibitive effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy on bone marrow hematopoietic function.

Conventional cancer treatments such as chemo and radiation therapy damage healthy as well as diseased cells, hence weakening the immune system. More and more cancer sufferers are looking to complementary therapy to deal with the toxic side effects caused by conventional treatments. This is where TCM-based botanical medicines become useful. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the use of chemo- or radiotherapy as noxious heat that damages yin and consumes primordial energy (qi/chi) and bodily fluid.  This eventually leads to visceral function disorders, exhausting the source for life activity, resulting in Yin and vital energy (chi) deficiencies during treatment.

Leucozepin® consists of many traditional Chinese ingredients to replenish essential energy and support healthy energy.  This study indicates Leucozepin® promotes normal macrophage phagocytic functions, strengthens humoral and cellular immunity, and improves the hematopoietic function of bone marrow. Through these mechanisms Leucozepin® produces therapeutic effects on chemo- or radiotherapy induced leukopenia.  Leucozepin® is not only effective against leucopenia but it can also improve clinical symptoms to benefit those undergoing chemo- or radiotherapy treatments.