The efficacy of radiotherapy based combined therapy for unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer and its associated factors analysis / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for patients with lung and liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer: a phase Ⅱ trial / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To explore the safety and effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for oligometastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm phase Ⅱ trial. Patients who had histologically proven CRC, 1 to 5 detectable liver or lung metastatic lesions with maximum diameter of any metastases ≤5 cm were eligible. SBRT was delivered to all lesions. The primary endpoint was 3-year local control (LC). The secondary endpoints were treatment-related acute toxicities of grade 3 and above, 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Results: Petients from 2016 to 2019 who were treated in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Forty-eight patients with 60 lesions were enrolled, including 37 liver lesions and 23 lung lesions. Forty-six patients had 1 or 2 lesions, with median diameter of 1.3 cm, the median biologically effective dose (BED(10)) was 100.0 Gy. The median follow-up was 19.5 months for all lesions. Twenty-five lesions developed local failure, the median local progression free survival was 15 months. The 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 70.2% (95% CI, 63.7%~76.7%), 89.0% (95% CI, 84.3%~93.7%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 33.0%~47.8%). The univariate analysis revealed that planning target volume (PTV) and total dose were independent prognostic factors of LC (P<0.05). For liver and lung lesions, the 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 58.7% and 89.4% (P=0.015), 89.3% and 86.5% (P=0.732), 30.5% and 65.6% (P=0.024), respectively. No patients developed acute toxicity of grade 3 and above. Conclusion: SBRT is safe and effective treatment method for oligometastases from CRC under precise respiratory motion management and robust quality assurance.

Oral contrast agents lead to underestimation of dose calculation in volumetric-modulated arc therapy planning for pelvic irradiation / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The effects of oral contrast agents (OCAs) on dosimetry have not been studied in detail. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the influence of OCAs on dose calculation in volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans for rectal cancer.@*METHODS@#From 2008 to 2016, computed tomography (CT) images were obtained from 33 rectal cancer patients administered OCA with or without intravenous contrast agent (ICA) and 14 patients who received no contrast agent. CT numbers of organs at risk were recorded and converted to electronic densities. Volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans were designed before and after the original densities were replaced with non-enhanced densities. Doses to the planned target volume (PTV) and organs at risk were compared between the plans.@*RESULTS@#OCA significantly increased the mean and maximum densities of the bowels, while the effects of ICA on these parameters depended on the blood supply of the organs. With OCA, the actual doses for PTV were significantly higher than planned and doses to the bowel increased significantly although moderately. However, the increase in the volume receiving a high-range doses was substantial (the absolute change of intestine volume receiving ≥52 Gy: 1.46 [0.05-3.99, cubic centimeter range: -6.74 to 128.12], the absolute change of colon volume receiving ≥50 Gy: 0.34 [0.01-1.53 cc, range: -0.08 to 3.80 cc]. Dose changes due to ICA were insignificant. Pearson correlation showed that dose changes were significantly correlated with a high intestinal volume within or near the PTV (ρ > 0.5, P  0.3, P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Contrast agents applied in simulation cause underestimation of doses in actual treatment. The overdose due to ICA was slight, while that due to OCA was moderate. The bowel volume receiving ≥50Gy was dramatically increased when OCA within the bowel was absent. Physicians should be aware of these issues if the original plan is barely within clinical tolerance or if a considerable volume of enhanced intestine is within or near the PTV.

Relationship between the expression of MMP-9, MMP-13, HIF-1α and clinical pathologic features, EGFR mutation and prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose To analyze the MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissue and to explore the relationship with clinical pathologic features,EGFR mutation and prognosis of the patients.Methods The expression of MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α in 629 cases of lung adenocarcinoma were detected by using immunohistochemical of SP method.50 cases of normal tissue adjacent to carcinoma and 50 cases of pneumonia pseudotumor hyperplasia tissues were selected as controls.629 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and all of them were followed-up.Results The MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues were higher than controls (P ＜ 0.001).The MMP-9 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis and the size of the tumor (P ＜ 0.05).The MMP-13 expression was correlated with smoking history,TNM stage,lymph node metastasis and the size of the tumor (P ＜0.05).The HIF-1α expression were correlated with smoking and lymph node metastasis.Statistically significant differences were found in all these above groups (P ＜ 0.05).But the expression of all has nothing to do with the EGFR mutation (P ＞0.05).The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis results showed that MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α positive expression groups of 12,24 and 36 months cumulative survival were significantly lower than the negative expression groups.COX multiple factor analysis results showed that EGFR mutation,the expression of MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α,tumor size,TNM stage were independent risk factors for the development of lung adenocarcinoma patients living conditions.Statistically significant differences were found in these groups (P ＜0.05).Conclusion MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α are overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues,and its expression are associated with lymph node metastasis,but has nothing to do with EGFR mutations.Patients with positive expression of MMP-9,MMP-13,HIF-1α and with no EGFR mutation have lower survival rates,and they are independent risk factors for the development of lung adenocarcinoma patients living conditions.

Research progress in CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene polymorphism and individualized warfarin therapeutic regimen / 解放军医学杂志

Warfarin is still the most clinically used oral anti-coagulant despite of its narrow therapeutic index and high risk of hemorrhage. The mean daily dose of warfarin varies widely from patient to patient, and to achieve the same therapeutic effect, the daily dose of warfarin could be varied over 20-fold. The variability in warfarin dosage depends on several factors, including gene polymorphisms, index of body mass, age and other drugs, and these factors compelled the clinicians to individualize warfarin dosage in order to optimize the therapeutic regimen. A number of genes are involved in metabolism of warfarin, such as cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9), vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1), cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2), gamma-glutamylcarboxylase (GGCX), etc. Of them CYP2C9 and VKORC1 are the emphasis of current researches. The association between the polymorphism of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 and individualized warfarin therapeutic regimen are mainly discussed in this paper.

Relationship of RhoA signaling activity with ezrin expression and its significance in the prognosis for breast cancer patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>We have recently reported that RhoA may regulate the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells as an upstream signal of ezrin in vitro. In this study, we examined the relationship of RhoA signaling activity with ezrin expression in breast cancer and its prognostic significance in patients with breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Paraffin tumor sections of breast cancer were collected retrospectively from 487 patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2004. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of RhoA, phosphorylated (activated) RhoA, and ezrin.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ezrin overexpression was detectable in 15.2% of 487 invasive breast cancers. The majority (85.1%) of ezrin-overexpressing tumors coexpressed phosphorylated RhoA; 78.8% of tumors with phosphorylated RhoA cooverexpressed ezrin. Patients whose cancers showed overexpression of ezrin or expression of phosphorylated RhoA had shorter survival rates.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>RhoA activation is important in human breast cancer due to its upregulation of ezrin; thus, agents that target phosphorylated RhoA may be useful in the treatment of tumors with ezrin overexpression.</p>

Expression and clinical significance of PI3K in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of PI3K in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of PI3K proteins was detected by immunohistochemical SP staining in 91 ESCC tissues and normal mucosa of 10 cases. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of PI3K mRNA in 30 ESCC tissues and adjacent normal mucosa. The relation between PI3K expression and the clinicopathological features and prognosis was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of expression of PI3K protein in ESCC was 86.8%, significantly higher than that in normal esophageal mucosa (10.0%, P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between P13K expression and the degrees of differentiation, invasion depth, and clinical stage. No positive correlation was found between the expression of PI3K protein and age, gender and lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). The poorer is the differentiation of ESCC, the stronger is expression of PI3K protein (r = 0.351, P<0.05); the deeper is the invasion depth of ESCC, the stronger is expression of PI3K protein (r = 0.210, P<0.05); and the higher is the clinical stage of ESCC, the stronger expression of PI3 K protein (r = 0.240, P<0.05). RT-PCR results demonstrated that the level of PI3K mRNA expression in ESCC was 0.675 +/- 0.029, significantly higher than that in the adjacent normal mucosa (0.349 +/- 0.073, P<0.05). The high expression of PI3K mRNA was correlated with poor differentiation, deep invasion and clinical stage of ESCC (P<0.05). The result was consistent with SP staining immunohistochemistry. By Kaplan-Meier analyses, following factors were observed to be significantly associated with prognosis: PI3K expression, the degrees of differentiation, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, tumor embolus and stump invaded (all P<0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stage (P<0.05), invasion depth (P<0.05) and stump invaded (P<0.05) were significantly correlated with the prognosis. The multivariate analysis of Cox model showed that PI3K was not an independent prognostic indicator of prognosis (chi2 = 1.235, P = 0.266).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression levels of PI3K protein and mRNA in ESCC tissues are significantly increased and PI3K plays a role in the carcinogenesis and development of ESCC. The enhanced PI3K expression may serve as a reference index indicating a poor prognosis in ESCC.</p>

Prognostic value of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 in node positive breast cancer patients treated by mastectomy / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prognostic value of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Her-2) in node-positive breast cancer patients treated by mastectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 835 breast cancer patients treated by mastectomy from January 2000 to December 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. All had positive axillary nodes without distant metastases and with the immunohistochemistry staining of ER, PR and Her-2 available. 764 (91.5%) patients received anthracycline- and/or taxanes-based chemotherapy. 464 (55.6%) patients received hormonal therapy. Eight (1%) patients received trastuzumab. Postmastectomy radiotherapy were given to 352 out of 437(80.5%)patients with T3-T4 and/or N2-N3 disease and 68 out of 398(20.9%)patients with T1-2N1 disease. Patients were classified into 4 subgroups according to the status of hormone receptors (ER and PR, Rec) and Her-2: Rec(-)/Her-2(-) (triple negative), Rec(-)/Her-2(+), Rec(+)/Her-2(+) and Rec(+)/Her-2(-). End points were isolated locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastases (DM), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>141 (16.9%) patients were Rec(-)/Her-2(-), 99 (11.9%) Rec(-)/Her-2(+), 157 (18.8%) Rec(+)/Her-2(+) and 438 (52.5%) Rec(+)/Her-2(-). Patients with Rec(+)/Her-2(-) breast cancer had a significantly lower 5-year LRR rate than others (6.2% vs. 12.9%, P = 0.004). Compared with patients with Rec(+) breast cancer, patients with Rec(-) breast cancer had significantly higher 5-year DM rate (26.4% vs. 19.7%, P = 0.0008), lower DFS rate (66.7% vs. 75.6%, P = 0.0001) and lower OS rate (71.4% vs. 84.2%, P = 0.0000). In multivariate analysis, Rec(+)/Her-2(-) was significantly associated with lower risk of LRR. Rec(-) was an independent prognostic factor for higher risk of DM, decreased DFS and OS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ER, PR and Her-2 are independent prognostic factors for locoregional recurrence and survival in node-positive breast cancer patients treated by mastectomy.</p>

Postmastectomy radiotherapy in moderate-and high-risk elderly breast cancer patients / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in moderate- and high-risk elderly breast cancer patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 874 breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy and axillary dissection were retrospectively analyzed. The T1-2N1 patients were defined as moderate- risk (IR) group, and T3-4 and/or N2-3 cases as high-risk (HR) group. The locoregional recurrence (LRR) and overall survival (OS) rates were calculated and compared according to different age groups and radiotherapy status. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test was used for calculation and comparison of the survival curves of different patient groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median follow up time was 47 months. 108 (12.4%) patients were > or = 65 years. For patients who were < 65 and > or = 65 years, 18.1% and 15.3% received PMRT in the IR group, and 82.7% and 52.2% received PMRT in the HR group, respectively. For patients > or = 65 years, the 5-year LRR rates were 0% and 14.2% (P = 0.242) and 5-year OS rates were 100% and 75.2% (P = 0.159) for the PMRT-IR and non-PMRT-IR groups, respectively. The 5-year LRR rates were 0% and 14.1% (P = 0.061), 5-year OS rates were 84.6% and 77.4% (P = 0.597) for the PMRT-HR and non-PMRT-HR groups, respectively. For patients < 65 years, the 5-year LRR rates were 0% and 9.9% (P = 0.035) and 5-year OS rates were 87.0% and 82.1% (P = 0.739) for the PMRT-IR and non-PMRT-groups, respectively. The 5-year LRR rates were 7.2% and 26.1% (P = 0.000), 5-year OS rates were 79.2% and 57.7% (P = 0.000) for the PMRT-HR and non-PMRT-HR groups, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>With the increasing of age, there is a trend of decreasing use of postmastectomy radiotherapy in high-risk breast cancer patients. Postmastectomy radiotherapy can improve the locoregional control for high-risk patients and maybe considered even for those who are > or = 65 years.</p>

Analysis on the clinical pathology of 21 cases of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathologic features of pulmonary sclerosing he- mangioma (PSH).Methods With clinicopathologic date of 21 cases of PSH patients obtained,all speci- mens were stained by immunohistochemical method with a panel of antibodies including CK,synaptophysin, chromogranin,actin,calretinin,F-Ⅷ,CD_(34) and vimentin.Results PSH usually affects female patients.Age ranged from 26 to 70 years old.The tumor cells showed a mixture histological pattern,with the feature of pap- illary and the proliferation of interstitutial monocyte.Immunohistochemical staining revealed that surface of the papillary cells expressed CK,monocyte expressed synaptophysin.PSH should be distinguished from bronchi- oloalveolar carcinoma,carcinoid and inflammatory pseudotumor.Conclusion PSH is a rare and potential malignant behavior tumor,and is different from benign tumor.

Treatment option and outcome for patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the nasal cavity / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The optimal treatment for primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the nasal cavity remains controversial. This study was to analyze the initial response rate of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the influence of different treatment modalities on prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 1996 to December 2002, the clinical data of 129 patients with previously untreated nasal NHL were retrospectively reviewed with all lesions confirmed by pathology. 116 patients were morphologically diagnosed as having nasal NK/T cell lymphoma. The immunophenotype was available in 57 cases and 52 (91.2%) of them were confirmed as NK/T-cell lymphoma. According to the Ann Arbor Staging System, 102 patients had stage I(E), 22 stage II(E), and 5 stage IV(E) disease. Among the 124 patients with stage I(E) and II(E) diseases, 22 patients received radiotherapy alone, 7 chemotherapy alone, and 95 combined modality therapy (CMT). Of these 95 patients treated with CMT, 45 patients were treated with radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy, and 50 with chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. The primary treatment for stage IV(E) patients was chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy to the primary tumor.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall 5-year survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) for all patients was 68.0% and 55.8%, respectively. It was 71.7% and 60.9% for stage I(E), and 70.6% and 47.0% for stage II(E), respectively (P > 0.05). The OS and DFS at the 5th year were 83.1% and 68.0% for patients who achieved complete response (CR), and 18.0% and 15.5% for those who did not, respectively (P = 0.000). Of the 124 patients with stage I(E) and II(E) disease, 67 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone (22 patients) or radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy (45), whereas 57 were treated with chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (50) or chemotherapy alone (7). The CR rate after radiotherapy was 74.7%, however, it was only 19.3% after chemotherapy (P = 0.000). Of the 46 patients with PR, SD or PD after chemotherapy, 42 still had locoreginally localized lesion and 31 of these patients achieved CR by following radiotherapy which revealed satisfactory results. For stage I(E) and II(E) disease, the 5-year OS and DFS were 76.0% and 65.0% for radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, and 74.4% and 56.2% for chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. The difference was statistically not significant. However, 7 stage I(E) and II(E) patients were treated with chemotherapy alone, and 4 of them died of disease progression, with 1-year survival of 26.7%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The majority of Chinese patients with primary nasal NHL are NK/T cell in origin. The complete response rate by radiotherapy is much higher than that by chemotherapy. The addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy did not improve the survival of patients with early stage nasal lymphoma. Radiotherapy is suggested as the primary treatment for stage I(E) and II(E) nasal NK/T cell lymphoma.</p>

Comparison of preliminary results of involved-field with extended field radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy for early stage Hodgkin's disease / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate whether involved-field (IF) radiotherapy is equally effective and less toxic in comparison with extended-field (EF) radiotherapy for patients with early-stage Hodgkin's disease (HD) who received combined modality therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 88 early-stage HD patients treated with combined modality therapy were retrospectively reviewed. According to Ann Arbor classification, 12 patients (13.7%) had stage IA disease, 56 stage IIA (63.6%), and 20 IIB (22.7%). Forty-two (47.7%) patients underwent involved field radiotherapy (IF group), whereas the other 46 (52.3%) received extended field radiotherapy (EF group).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 6 patients who developed recurrence, 3 (7.1%) were in IF group and the other 3 (6.5%) in EF group. Only one patient's recurrence developed inside the radiation field in EF group. Three patients (7.2%) in IF group and 9 (19.5%) in EF group had WHO grade 1 and 2 leukopenia (P = 0.089). Overall survival rate at 1-, 2- and 3-year was 100.0%, 97.1%, and 97.1% in IF group versus 100.0%, 100%, and 95.8% in EF group (P = 0.86), respectively. Freedom from progression survival rate at 1-, 2- and 3-year was 97.6%, 94.8%, and 91.7% in IF group versus 97.8%, 93.2%, and 93.2% in EF group (P = 0.65), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with extended-field radiotherapy, involved-field radiotherapy is equally effective and less toxic for patient with early-stage Hodgkin's disease treated with combined modality therapy.</p>

Phase I study of postoperative concurrent chemoradiation with capecitabine as adjuvant treatment for stage II/III operable rectal cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This phase I study is to determine the maximal tolerated dose and the dose-limiting toxicity of capecitabine combined with standard radiotherapy (RT) as postoperative adjuvant treatment for rectal cancer patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stage II/III rectal cancer patients 18 - 75 years of age had undergone curative surgery with Karnofsky score > or = 70% were eligible to be included in this study. Total dose of RT DT 50 Gy was delivered to the pelvic area in fraction of 2.0 Gy per day for 5 weeks. Capecitabine was orally administered concurrently with radiotherapy for a total of 2 cycles in escalating doses: twice daily at 12 hour interval for consecutive 14 days as one cycle, separated by a seven day rest, then followed by another cycle. From March 2004 to May 2005, 24 patients were included and treated at the following dose levels: daily 1000 mg/m(2) (3 patients), 1200 mg/m(2) (3 patients), 1400 mg/m(2) (3 patients), 1500 mg/m(2) (3 patients), 1600 mg/m(2) (6 patients), and 1700 mg/m(2) (6 patients). Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) including grade 3 or grade 4 hematologic and nonhematologic toxicity were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Dose-limiting toxicity was observed in one patient treated at dose of 1600 mg/m(2) with grade 3 diarrhea, and in 2 patients at dose of 1700 mg/m(2) with one grade 3 and one grade 4 diarrhea.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Diarrhea is the most common dose-limiting toxicity. In our study, the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of capecitabine given concurrently with radiotherapy was daily 1600 mg/m(2), from D1 to D14 separated by 7-day rest for 2 cycles. Capecitabine given concurrently with standard radiotherapy is safe and tolerable for operated stage II/III rectal cancer patients.</p>

Expression profile of nasal NK/T cell lymphoma by cDNA microarray / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of gene expression profile in nasal NK/T cell lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Total RNA was extracted from the fresh nasal NK/T cell lymphoma tissue and normal lymph node. Fluorescent labeled cDNA was obtained through synthesizing process by reverse transcription. After hybridization in the two identical microarrays consisting of 4096 genes, overexpressed or underexpressed tumor related genes were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In both experimental group and control group, there were six samples. A total of 365 (8.9%) genes was found to be differentially expressed by a factor of twofold or greater in both of two identical cDNA microarrays, which included oncogenes, tumor supressor genes, cell cycle regulators, apoptotic and antiapoptotic factors, DNA transcription factors, DNA repair and recombination factors, signal transduction genes, protein translation genes, as well as a large number of metabolic genes. Thirty-seven of these genes were found to be differentially expressed by a factor of fourfold or greater. The biochemical functions of these differentially expressed genes were diverse.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study demonstrates that many different kinds of genes are possibly involved in the initiation and progression of nasal NK/T lymphoma. cDNA microarray technique is useful in screening cancer gene expression for nasal NK/T lymphoma.</p>