ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Can single-agent maintenance therapy be considered as an ideal strategy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment to achieve prolonged survival and tolerated toxicity? A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to elucidate this issue.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The electronic databases were searched for RCTs comparing single-agent maintenance therapy with placebo, best support care or observation. The required data for estimation of response, survival and toxicity were extracted from the publications and the combined data were calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eleven RCTs involving 3686 patients were identified. We found a statistically significant higher probability of tumor response for patients with maintenance therapy versus control patients (OR: 2.80, 95%CI: 2.15 - 3.64). Patients receiving maintenance therapy had significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.62 - 0.71) and overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.78 - 0.90). However, maintenance therapy was associated with more severe toxicities (OR: 6.45, 95%CI: 4.61 - 9.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In patients with advanced NSCLC, the use of single-agent maintenance therapy is associated with higher response rate and significantly prolongs PFS and OS despite of the risk of additional toxicity.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Antineoplastic Agents , Therapeutic Uses , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Drug Therapy , Mortality , Disease-Free Survival , Lung Neoplasms , Drug Therapy , Mortality , Publication BiasABSTRACT
Objective To preliminarily understand the genotyping characteristics regarding the variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates so as to provide evidence for the development of tuberculosis control and prevention programs in Fujian province.Methods Fifteen VNTR locus sets were used to detect the clinical isolates from the fifth surveillance project on tuberculosis resistance,in Fujian province.BioNumerics version 4.5 were used to analyze the cluster from the results generated by genotyping.Results 313 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were divided into 9 clusters,including Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ,Ⅴ,Ⅵ,Ⅶ,Ⅷ and Ⅸ,with the number of 220,9,48,2,1,3,10,10,10 isolates,respectively.Cluster Ⅰ was the major lineage,accounting for 70.3％ (220/313) of the total.Resistance rates of cluster Ⅰ isolates to isoniazid,streptomycin,ethambutol and multi-drug-resistaut were not statistically different from other clusters (P＞0.05).However,resistance rate to rifampicin (RFP) was significantly higher than that of other isolates of the clusters,33.2％ (73/220) vs.20.4％ (19/93) (P＜0.05).Conclusion The strains isolated from Fujian province showed significant polymorphism on genotyping.Cluster Ⅰ seemed to be the dominant,calling for the close monitoring program on cluster Ⅰ strains.Results from our initial studies demonstrated the existence of significant correlation between cluster Ⅰ strains and drug resistance to RFP.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the awareness on sever acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and public health emergencies among general publics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cluster sampling method was implemented in Harbin and Jiagedaqi district of Daxinanling of Heilongjiang province. Research subjects were divided into three groups as city, township and rural areas and were given questionnaires to fill in. Data was analyzed with Epi-data and SPSS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>2003 available questionnaires were collected. The general publics well understood the knowledge on public health emergencies and the SARS with the whole recognition rate more than 60 percent. During the epidemics, people in city, town and countryside were calm (71.7%). The rates of attitude towards the government were significantly different among the subjects living with the city, town or rural areas. The city group expressed the highest favor to the government and media, 71.8% of them gave the credit on the control of SARS to the effective method taken by the government and 65.0% of them showed that they had enough confidence on the governmental ability of dealing with crises while the countryside group trusted the hospitals and relative specialists the most.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is essential for the government to interact and communicate with the publics through media, medical and related institutions when confronting with the public health emergencies. Publicity on health knowledge and coping system on emergency should play key roles in the development of an effective public health system while the government should lead the battle.</p>