ABSTRACT
@#Objective To evaluate the timing of chest tube removal after resection of lung or esophageal cancer. Methods A prospective randomized controlled study was performed. From June 2014 to February 2016, 150 patients suspected as the cancer of lung or esophagus undergoing neoplasm resection and lymph node dissection in our single medical unit were classified into 3 groups according to the random number generated by SPSS17.0 with 50 patients in the each group. The drainage volume for chest tube removal was ≤100 mL/d in the group Ⅰ, 101–200 mL/d in the group Ⅱ, and 201–300 mL/d in the group Ⅲ. Chest radiography was performed 48 hours following chest tube removal. Results The 127 patients (108 males and 19 females, with an average age of 59.0±8.7 years) eligible for analysis consisted of 45 patients in the group Ⅰ, 41 in the group Ⅱ, and 41 in the group Ⅲ respectively after the 23 patients were excluded from this study who were diagnosed as benign lesions through intraoperative frozen pathology (n=20) and postoperative complications (empyema in 2 patients and chylothorax in 1 patient). Age, sex, types of neoplasm, and comorbidities except procedures via video-assisted thoracic surgery (and laparoscopy) showed no significant difference among the three groups (P>0.05). No mortality was observed in this study. There were postoperative complications in 6 patients and its distribution had no statistical differences among the three groups (P>0.05). The mean postoperative duration of chest tube was 181.0±68.2 h, 111.0±63.1 h, 76.0±37.2 h, the mean drainage volume was 1 413.0±500.9 mL, 1 005.0±686.4 mL, 776.0±505.8 mL, and the mean hospital stay time following chest tube removal was 19.0±9.7 d, 14.0±8.0 d, 9.0±4.8 d in the group Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ, respectively; there was a significant difference among the three groups (P=0.000). The 13 patients required reintervention after chest tube removal due to pleural effusion accumulation and it had no difference among the three groups (P>0.05). Chest pain relieved essentially after chest tube removal in all patients. Conclusion A drainage volume of ≤300 mL/d as a threshold for chest tube removal after resection of lung or esophageal cancer can shorten postoperative hospital stay and accelerate early recovery of the patients.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To detect the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) tissues, as well as to determine the correlation between growth factor expression and prognosis in SACC.</p><p><b>METHODOLOGY</b>Medical records of 63 patients surgically treated for SACC between January 1988 and October 2005 were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of NGF and VEGF in tumor tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox's proportional hazard regression model were applied to assess predictors of survival.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NGF and VEGF were overexpressed in SACC tissues, compared with those in normal salivary tissues (P < 0.05), and the staining intensity of these two factors was stronger in groups of solid subtype, advanced TNM stage, perineural invasion and recurrence. Patients with high-expression of NGF and VEGF, solid subtype, advanced stage, perineural invasion, recurrence and extended resection alone had worse survival rates (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NGF and VEGF are expressed increasingly in the tissues of SACC cases with invasion and metastasis. NGF expression and VEGF expression are independent</p>