Characteristics of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the characteristics of recurrence in gastric cancer patients after radical gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 110 gastric cancer patients who developed recurrence or second primary malignancies after radical gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 regimen or docetaxel plus FOLFOX4 regimen were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median time to recurrence was 13.9 months (range, 1.7 to 63.1 months), and the median overall survival was 27.4 months (range, 6.9 to 90.7 months) in the whole group. The median survival time after recurrence was 10.1 months (range, 0.3 to 73.9 months). 82 (74.5%) patients had recurrence within 2 years after gastrectomy. The modes of surgical procedure and lymph node dissection influenced significantly on the time to recurrence (P<0.05 for both). Among the 110 patients with recurrence, 46 (41.8%) patients had peritoneal metastases, 33 (30.0%) had hematogenous metastases and 32 (29.1%) had locoregional lymph node metastases. Single, double, triple and quatro recurrences were observed at the first time of relapse in 78 (70.9%), 21(19.1%), 9(8.2%) and 2 cases (1.8%), respectively. Patients who developed simultaneous quatro recurrence had the poorest prognosis with a median overall survival of 15.2 months, significantly shorter than that of patients with single recurrence (31.8 months, P=0.003). Patients with peritoneal recurrence died most quickly ( mean 5.6 months), and patients with surgical field recurrence alone survived longest (mean 17.1 months).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Peritoneal, hematogenous and locoregional lymph node metastases are the most frequent recurrences after radical gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer. Single recurrence occurred in most patients at the first relapse. Combination with other adjuvant treatments should be considered besides adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients after radical gastrectomy.</p>

Risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea among cancer patients / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and the risk factors for acquisition of C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) among cancer patients who received chemotherapy or radiation therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We analyzed 277 stool samples from cancer patients with diarrhea between Sep 2010 and Dec 2011 in our hospital. Stool C. difficile toxin A/B test, stool culture for C. difficile and routine stool examination were performed. In addition, the risk factors for CDAD were investigated in a set of 41 C. difficile toxin-positive cancer patients and 82 matched C. difficile toxin-negative controls by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of a total of 277 cancer patients with diarrhea, 41 (14.8%) were C. difficile toxin-positive. Among these 41 cases, 11 (26.8%, 11/41) were C. difficile culture-positive. Univariate analysis showed that antibiotics use (P = 0.853), proton pump inhibitor use (P = 0.718), hypoproteinemia (P = 0.139) and white blood cell count (P = 0.454) did not appear to be associated with acquisition of CDAD in cancer patients. However, receiving chemotherapy (P = 0.023), receiving radiotherapy (P = 0.003), a positive fecal occult blood test result (P = 0.005) and the presence of fecal leukocytes (P = 0.007) showed close association with acquisition of CDAD in cancer patients. Multivariate analysis showed that receiving chemotherapy (OR, 8.308; 95% CI, 1.997-34.572; P = 0.004) and a positive result of fecal occult blood test (OR, 8.475; 95% CI, 1.463-49.109; P = 0.017) were independent risk factors for acquisition of CDAD among cancer patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our results support that receiving chemotherapy and a positive fecal occult blood test result are independent risk factors for acquisition of CDAD among cancer patients. Cancer patients who are at high-risk for CDAD should take stool C. difficile toxin A/B test and stool culture for C. difficile regularly and prevention of CDAD.</p>

Clinical study of sorafenib for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sorafenib for patients with advanced stage renal cell carcinoma.Methods The clinical data of 85 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma were reviewed.These patients were treated by sorafenib 400 mg Bid,dose escalation of sorafenib(400 mg Bid 1-4 weeks;600 mg Bid 5-8 weeks;800 mg Bid since then) or sorafenib 400 mg Bid+NF-α,respectively,until intolerance or disease progression occurred.The primary end points were objective response,disease control rate and adverse effects rate.Results The data of 80 patients can be evaluated.The median follow-up duration was 72 weeks (4-108 weeks).One patient (1.2%) reached complete remission(CR),17 cases(21.2%) reached partial remission(PR),50 cases (62.5%) maintained stable disease (SD),and 12 cases (15%) progressed.The objective response (CR+PR) was 22.5%,disease control rate (CR+PR-SD)was 85.0%.By May 2009,only 18 patients died,progression free survival and overall survival were not available.The common side effects included hand-foot skin reaction (55.0%),mucosa hemorrhage (52.5%),diarrhea(40.0%),lassitude (35.0%),anorexia(22.5%),mucosa ulcer(20.0%),hypertension(15.0%) and baldness(15.0%)etc.Most of these side effects could be released by symptomatic treatment.Conclusion Sorafenib has good short term effect for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and is well tolerated.

Clinical study of sorafenib in the treatment of Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in the treatment of Chi-nese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Methods This muhicenter phase Ⅱ clinical trial was performed from May 2006 to December 2006. Sixty-two patients with metastatic renal cell carci-noma not suitable for curative treatment were enrolled. All patients received oral sorafenib as single a-gent at the dose of 400 mg twice a day until disease progression or intolerable toxicities occurred. Re-salts Partial responses were recorded as best response in 11 patients, while complete remission was found in 1 patient and stable diseases were found in another 35 patients. According to the intents-to-treatment population, the overall response rate was 19.4% (12/62), and the disease control rate was 77.4%(48/62). The median progression free survival time was 9.6 months with 1-year progression-free survival rate of 41.9%. However, the median survival time had not reached due to the short fol-low-up. The most frequent adverse events included alopecia (66.1%), diarrhea (62.9%), hand-foot syndrome (58.1%), anorexia (40.3%), rash(37.1%), fatigue (37.1%), hypertension (35.5%), hoarseness(32.3%), joint pain (25.8%), hypophosphatemia (21.0%), fever (19.4%), nausea (19.4%), abnormal transeaminase( 11.3% ), elevated total bilirubicin( 16.1% ), leucopenia( 12.9% ), bleeding under nail(16.1%), and gum bleeding(11.3%). Grade 3 adverse events included hand-foot syndrome (16.1%), hypertension (12.9%), diarrhea(6.5%), hypophosphatemia (4.8%), joint pain (3.2%), and leucopenia(3.2%). Conclusions Sorafenib has prominent anti-tumor activity in Chi-nese metastatic renal cell cancer patients with most adverse events being grade 1 or 2. More attention should be paid to hypertension and cardio-cerebral vascular events during the application of sorafenib.