ABSTRACT
@#Objective To report a simple and safe method for in situ fenestration of left subclavian artery in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Methods Twenty-eight patients received in situ fenestration of left subclavian artery in TEVAR from June 2018 to May 2019 in our center, including 23 males and 5 females at an average age of 57.7±9.6 years. Among them, 12 patients used adjustable sheath or guiding catheter (a group A) and 16 patients used "J. D" technique (a group B). The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared. Results In the group A, 1 patient failed to receive fenestration and was transferred to the chimney technique. In the group B, 1 patient due to the traction system shift during operation, was completed by traditional adjustable sheath puncture. The group B had shorter alignment-perforation time and trigger time and less complications. There was no significant difference in endoleak during short-term follow-up between the two groups. Conclusion The "J. D" technique is simple, safe and easy to obtain materials. It effectively reduces the risk caused by difficult sheath alignment during the in situ fenestration of the left subclavian artery. Although the results of recent follow-up are not significantly different from traditional methods, it still needs to accumulate the cases to observe the possible risks and difficulties.
ABSTRACT
Background: A clinical study was conducted to determine the efficacy of nimotuzumab combined with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after surgery and conformal radiotherapy. Methods: Thirty-one HNSCC patients received three courses of chemotherapy every 21 days, at a dose of 75 mg/m2 of docetaxel and cisplatin on day 1 and 750 mg/m2 of 5-fluorouracil on days 1–5 followed by 200 mg/m2/week of nimotuzumab on week 1–2 (day 6–21). Results: After sequential therapy, complete and partial responses were observed in 10 (32.3%) and 17 (54.8%) patients, respectively. The overall response rate was 87.1%. A progression-free survival of 71.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51.6%–93.7%) and an overall survival of 78.3% (95% CI 58.9%–89.5%) were achieved at 2nd year. The most common Grade 3–4 toxicities during the complete treatment were lymphopenia (25.8%), neutropenia (22.6%), anemia (12.9%), and diarrhea (16%). In addition, no rash and treatment-related death occurred during this study. Conclusions: Nimotuzumab in combination with TPF has been well tolerated as a treatment program for locally advanced HNSCC