Efficacy evaluation of high intensity focused ultrasound combined with intra-arterial infusion of gemcitabine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to discuss the clinical effectiveness of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with gemcitabine administered by intra-arterial infusion on intermediate and advanced pancreatic cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-eight patients with intermediate and advanced pancreatic cancer were divided into two groups. Twenty-four patients of the experimental group were treated by HIFU combined with gemcitabine, and 24 patients of the the HIFU group were treated by HIFU alone. Then the curative effect, extent of pain relief, and survival time were compared in the course of the treatment between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with those in the control group, the overall response rate, level of pain relief, and 12-month survival rate after therapy were higher and the median survival time was longer in the joint group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Ultrasound imaging, CT and associated tumor marker detection can make effective measurement to evaluate curative effect on pancreatic carcinoma. HIFU plus gemcitabine administered by intra-arterial infusion can improve the clinical therapeutic efficacy, pain relief, quality of life and long-term survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer.</p>

Isolation and identification of cancer stem cells from primary human ovarian cancer tissues / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate and identify the cancer stem cells from primary human ovarian cancer tissues.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fresh tumor tissues from five cases of pathologically diagnosed ovarian cancers were taken, minced and then digested with collagenase and hyaluronidase to obtain single cell suspension. The erythrocytes were removed with ACK Lysis buffer. The suspensions were sorted by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) using CD133-binding microbeads. Then the sorted CD133(+) cells were verified by flow cytometry. The cells were cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF, bFGF, insulin and BSA, and grew into spheroids. Immunofluorescence, differentiation and tumor formation tests of the cells were performed to characterize the properties of cancer stem cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ovarian cancer stem cells were successfully isolated from primary human ovarian tumors, which formed typical spheroids in serum-free medium and had stronger ability of tumorigenesis. The results of related experiments verified that CD133 positive cells owned the properties of cancer stem cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The ovarian cancer stem cells presenting the characteristics of stemness in vitro and in vivo, have been successfully isolated from primary human ovarian tumor tissues by MACS. The isolated ovarian cancer stem cells could be used in future researches of their biological functions.</p>