Abstract from the Master’s degree dissertation of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 2011
Author: Jinghua Shi

Objective: To obersve the quality of life in cancer patients who received dammarane sapogenins (containing both PPD and PPT) during chemotherapy.

Methods: 60 patients who received standard chemo regimens were recruited and randomized into either dammarane sapogenins plus chemo treatment (dammarane sapogenins group) or control group with chemo only. Dammarane sapogenins were administered at 200mg/d, qd for 8 weeks. Patients were assessed for their physical status, and quality of life.

Results:

• In dammarane sapogenins group, the rate of partial regression of the cancer was 36.7%, and the tumor was stabilized in another 50% of patients. In contract, the rate of partial regression was only 13.3%, another 50.0% were stabilized, and the left 36.7% had progressive tumors.
• Logistic regression analysis showed that the relative risk ratio of the control group is 5.47 when compared to the dammarane sapogenins group, indicating a significant difference in treatment response between two groups.
• Chemotherapy reduced the quality of life in both groups, however, the reduction in dammrane sapogenins group is much milder than the control group, suggesting dammarane sapogenins can improve the quality of life during chemotherapy.
• Before chemotherapy, there was no difference in physical strength betweek two groups; interestingly, dammrane sapogenins increased the physical strength, which was even greater than that before the chemothrapy. The physical strength in chemo group was reduced rapidly and persistantly.
• Dammarane sapogenins administration reduced the toxicity during chemotherapy.

Conclusion: Taken together, dammarane sapogenins can be safely used for cancer patients to increase the chemo response, alleviate the chemo toxicity and improve the quality of life in patients during chemotherapy.