Multi-center phase II clinical trial of humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 combined with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safty of the humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally, 137 patients from 7 medical center around China were randomly divided into combined therapy group or control group. There was no difference in Karnofsky performance score between two groups. All patients in both groups received radical conventionally fractionated radiotherapy to the total dose of D(T) 70-76 Gy. For the combined therapy group, h-R3 was added at a dose of 100 mg i.v. weekly for 8 weeks started at the beginning of radiotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 137 eligilbe patients, 70 were in the combined therapy group treated by h-R3 plus radiotherapy and 67 in the control group by radiotherapy alone. The intent-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 130 patients, while the per-protocol (PP) population was composed of 126 patients. The efficacy was assessed respectively at three point of time: the end of treatment, the 5th- and 17th-week after treatment. The complete response (CR) of the combined therapy group was significantly higher than that of the control group in both ITT and PP (ITT: 65.63%, 87.50%, 90.63% versus 27.27%, 42.42%, 51.52%; PP: 67.21%, 90.16%, 93.44% versus 27.69%, 43.08%, 52.31%; P < 0.05, respectively). The most common h-R3-related adverse reactions were fever (4.3%), hypotension (2.9%), nausea (1.4%), dizziness (2.9%) and rash (1.4%), which could be reversible if treated properly. Radiotherapy combined with 100 mg h-R3 i. v. weekly was tolerable and did not aggravate the side effects of radiation. The quality of life in the combined therapy group was comparable to that in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This phase 1 multicenter clinical trial shows that h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy is effective and well-tolerated for the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p>

Screening of molecular markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma by microarrays / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify molecular markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma by cDNA microarray technique.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>cDNA expression profiles were examined by microarrays of 6 surgical specimens of stage I lung squamous cell carcinomas. Those genes, either up-regulated or down-regulated in every specimen studied, were identified. The expression levels of nm23 and BRCA2 by the squamous cell carcinoma of the lung were further examined by immunohistochemical techniques.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 107 genes were identified, of which 26 were up-regulated and 81 were down-regulated in all six specimens. Immunohistochemical staining showed that, compared with normal lung tissues, the intensity of nm23 expression by the squamous cell carcinoma of lung was significantly increased while that of BRCA-2 was decreased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>cDNA microarrays can be used to identify gene expression profile of lung cancer, some of which may be used as markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma.</p>

The analysis of different treatment methods for 184 cases of soft tissue sarcoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the proper way of using combined postoperative chemo-radiotherapy and prognostic factors of soft tissue sarcoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 184 patients were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were devided into surgery group (S, 94 patients), surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy group (S + R, 62 patients) and surgery plus chemotherapy group (S + C, 28 patients).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 5-year survival rates of S, S + R and S + C groups were 39.4%, 48.4% and 28.6%, respectively. Combined multitherapy was the key to improve survival rate and life quality. Clinical stage, pathological type and therapeutic method were also important prognostic factors for the long term survival.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy can improve the 5-year survival rate of soft tissue sarcoma.</p>