ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed in the treatment of relapsed primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seven cases with relapsed PCNSL admitted in our hospital between August 2012 and August 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 7 relapsed cases, ectopic recurrence occurred in 3, in situ recurrence in 3 and leptomeningeal metastasis in 1. Patients with relapsed PCNSL were administered with high-dose pemetrexed (900 mg/m²) once for every 3 weeks and supplemented with folic acid and vitamin B₁₂. Complete remission was obtained in 2 patients, partial remission in 3 patients and progressive disease in 2. The overall response rate was 71.4% (5/7). The main adverse reactions were myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reaction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treatment of relapsed PCNSL is difficult, and its prognosis is very poor. Pemetrexed therapy is a meaningful trial.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Central Nervous System Neoplasms , Drug Therapy , Pathology , Glutamates , Therapeutic Uses , Guanine , Therapeutic Uses , Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse , Drug Therapy , Pathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Pemetrexed , Prognosis , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the alteration of T-lymphocyte subsets and NK activity in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx and larynx.@*METHOD@#T-lymphocyte subsets and NK activity were determined by flow cytometry in 123 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx and larynx. Blood samples of 36 nontumor patients were used as control.@*RESULT@#The total T lymphocytes were lower in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx and larynx than control group significantly (P 0.05). On the other hand, the levels of suppressor lymphocytes in patients were higher than those in the control group (P 0.05), but NK activity in patients were lower than those in control group significantly (P 0.05). The levels of helper lymphocyte subsets in stage I-II patients were little higher than in stage III-IV patients (P > 0.05), but the levels of suppressor lymphocytes in stage I-II patients were lower than in stage III-IV patients (P 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The immune function in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of pharynx and larynx is disordered and lower. With advanced stage disease, not only the cellular immune function in patients decrease gradually, but also the humoral immunity is lower. Analyzing T-lymphocyte subsets and NK activity determined by flow cytometry would be easy and helpful to evaluate the immunologic condition of every patient.