ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the clinical significance of expression of DcR3/TR6 gene in the tissue of cardiac cancer and its correlation with survivin gene expression, Methods Two-step immnaohistochemistry technology was adopted to detect the expression of TR6 and survivin gene in 66 cases of cardiac cancer, none of the patients received prior chemotherapy. Results The positive expression rate of TR6 and survivin genes in cardiac cancer was 54.5% and 62.1% , respectively. The expression of TR6 was correlated with histology type,clinical stage and lymph node metastasis of cardiac cancer ( P<0.05 ). The positive expression rate of TR6 in cases that cardiac cancer with survivin expressed was significant higher than those without surviving expressed (χ2=15.145, P<0.01 ). Conclusions The expres-sion of TR6 and survivin can be regarded as valuable indicators for the diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac cancer.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the impact of esophagectomy and palliative treatment on short term and long term quality of life (QL) in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: 88 consective patients treated with radical esophagectomy or palliative treatment were scored by European organization of cancer research and treatment (EORTC), QLQ C30 measurement of QL before treatment and at regular intervals until death or 3 years after operation. The cases were divided into 3 groups and mean scores were obtained from each group. Patients surviving more than 2 years were classified as group 1, with group 2 surviving less than 2 years, and group 3 undergoing palliative treatment. Results: Baseline functional and symptomatic QL scores were similar before treatment in the first and second group, which were higher than scores from the third group. Six weeks after esophagectomy, patients reported worse functional, symptom and global QL scores than before treatment. In the first group, QL scores returned to preoperative level within 9 months. However, improved symptom of dysphagia the second group never regained their former QL scores apart from dysphagia improved after surgery. QL scores of the third group were similar to those of the second group after treatment. Conclusion: Esophagectomy might have a negative impact on patients QL. This effect was found to be transient in the first group but inreversible in the second group. It might seem reasonable for patients in late stage to be treated palliatively.