Multivariate analyses of prognostic factors for breast cancer patients with liver involvement / 中国癌症杂志

Purpose:To investigate the prognostic factors for breast cancer patients with liver involvement.Methods:114 breast cancer patients with liver metastases,who were hospitalized in Fudan University Cancer Hospital between January,1996 and December,2003,were included in this study.Their survival data were analyzed.Results:The response rates with first-,second-,third-,fourth-line chemotherapy were 31.9%,27.8%,16.7% and 0%,respectively.Univariate analyses indicated that patients with impaired liver function and patients with a short interval between surgery and the first recurrence or metastasis had a poor prognosis.Multivariate analyses suggested that the presence of liver function impairment was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival.Conclusions:The response rates of chemotherapy drop with number of lines of chemotherapy.Breast cancer patients with liver involvement and impaired liver function have a poor prognosis.

Clinical observation on the prevention of Doxorubicin-associated cardiotoxicity by astragalus injection / 中国癌症杂志

Purpose:To evaluate the protection of astragalus injection for Doxorubicin (adriamycin)-associated cardiotoxicity. Methods:58 patients were randomized into two groups for this clinical trial. 30 patients were in the test group ,and 28 in control group. Patients in the test group received astragalus injection in 5% glucose solution once every day for two weeks starting three days before adriamycin-based chemotherapy. 28 patients in the control group began to receive oral vitamin E 100 mg twice a day and coenzyme Q10 20 mg three times a day for two weeks. Chemotherapy is the same as that in the test group. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram were employed to evaluate the cardiac function. Results:There was a substantial difference in ejection fracton between the two groups,but the difference was not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were observed in the two groups with regard to all other parameters,including abnormal changes in ECG and LVIDD、LVISD、A/E、FS. Conclusions:Astragalus injection is a good drug which can prevent the occurrence of acute cardiotoxicity associated with adriamycin. It can also reduce the occurrence of chronic cardiotoxicity.