Complete Response of Locally Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma Following Basil Combined With Cisplatin Plus Pemetrexed Chemotherapy: A Case Report

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) represents the established therapeutic modality for managing locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). However, its impact on improving the poor prognosis of LA-NSCLC patients is limited, and it can cause severe side effects. A 62-year-old Chinese female was diagnosed with unresectable stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma. She refused CCRT. Enhanced computed tomography of the chest revealed a space-occupying lesion in her left pulmonary hilum, invading and encircling the pulmonary artery trunk. Due to the reported anti-tumor effects of basil, a stasis-removing Chinese herb, the patient received basil combined with cisplatin plus pemetrexed (CP) chemotherapy as first-line treatment. After 6 cycles of treatment, her condition achieved complete remission, and circulating tumor cells were reduced to zero. Regular follow-ups showed that the patient maintained progression-free survival for nearly 3 years. This case highlights the potential efficacy of basil combined with CP chemotherapy in treating LA-NSCLC. However, the curative effect of this regimen needs further validation through larger clinical trials.