The effect of Ge doping concentration on the electrochemical performance of silicene anode for lithium-ion batteries: a first-principles study.

Two-dimensional materials have been considered as novel anode materials for LIBs because of their large surface area, small volume change, and low Li diffusion barrier. Among them, the two-dimensional material SixGey has many excellent properties as an anode. However, Ge is expensive and not suitable for mass production. Therefore, proper Ge doping is of great significance to improve performance and reduce cost. Herein, we systematically study the effect of Ge doping and its concentration on the structure and electrochemical performance of two-dimensional SixGey by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The incorporation of low concentration Ge can improve the horizontal and vertical diffusion ability of Li atoms compared to silicene. However, excessive Ge will increase the horizontal diffusion energy barrier of Li and reduce the theoretical capacity, where Si6Ge2 has a relatively high theoretical capacity and a low diffusion energy barrier. In addition, fully lithiated 2D SixGey shows poor electrical conductivity and increasing Ge concentration seems to be effective in improving the electrical conductivity of the material. This study will provide significant theoretical guidance for the design and preparation of two-dimensional silicon-based materials.

Covered SEMS failed to cure airway fistula closed by an amplatzer device.

BACKGROUND: Airway fistula is a rare but threatening complication associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. We report the experience of Amplatzer device application in airway fistulae that failed to be cured with a covered self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who failed occlusion with a covered self-expandable metallic stent and received Amplatzer device placement from Jan 2015 to Jan 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. A total of 14 patients aged 42 to 66 years (55.14 ± 7.87) were enrolled in this study. The primary diseases, types of fistula, types of stents, duration, size of fistula, and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: All 14 patients with airway fistula failed to be occluded with a covered metallic stent and received Amplatzer device placement. Among the 14 patients, 6 had BPF, 3 had TEF and 5 had GBF. The average stent time was 141.93 ± 65.83 days. The sizes of the fistulae ranged from 3 to 6 mm. After Amplatzer device placement, the KPS score improved from 62.14 ± 4.26 to 75.71 ± 5.13 (P < 0.05). No procedure-related complications occurred. During the 1-month, 3-month and 6-month follow-ups, all the Amplatzer devices were partially surrounded with granulation. Only 1 patient with BPF failed with Amplatzer device occlusion due to the recurrence of lung cancer. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the application of the Amplatzer device is a safe and effective option in the treatment of airway fistula that failed to be occluded with SEMSs.

Diagnostic potential of routine brain MRI and high-resolution, multi-contrast vessel wall imaging in the detection of internal carotid artery dissection.

Objective: Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is one of the major causes of stroke and most commonly occurs at the site of the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA). This study aimed to assess the value of routine brain MRI, clinical information, and high-resolution, multi-contrast vessel wall MR imaging (hrVWI) for the timely detection of ICA dissection. Methods: A total of 105 patients with CAD and 105 without CAD were recruited for this study. The lesion type in the patients was determined based on images from different modalities, including brain MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA), ultrasonography, and hrVWI and clinical information. Each lesion was reviewed to determine the type following a stepwise procedure by referring to (1) brain MRI only; (2) brain MRI and clinical information; (3) hrVWI only; and (4) hrVWI, CTA, DSA, and clinical information. Results: Typical clinical presentations of patients with potential CAD include headache, neck pain, and/or Horner's syndrome. Representative imaging signs in the brain MRI included a crescentic or circular iso- or hyperintensity around the lumen, a curvilinear and isointense line crossing the lumen, or aneurysmal vessel dilation. Based on brain MRI alone, 54.3% (57/105) of the patients with CAD were correctly classified, and the accuracy increased to 73.3% (77/105) when clinical information was combined (P < 0.001) with high specificity and low sensitivity. Further analysis showed that hrVWI had the superior capability in detecting CAD, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 95.1% and 97.0%, respectively. Conclusion: The combination of brain MRI and clinical information could be used for the diagnosis of CAD; however, hrVWI should be sought for uncertain cases.

Defective graphene/SiGe heterostructures as anodes of Li-ion batteries: a first-principles calculation study.

Two-dimensional silicon-based material siligene (SiGe) has a low diffusion barrier and high theoretical specific capacity, but the conductivity drops sharply after being fully lithiated. To improve their electrical conductivity, the three heterostructures (SV-G/S, DV-G/S, and SW-G/S) formed with defective graphene and SiGe were proposed and the feasibility of them as anode materials was analyzed systematically. Based on density functional theory, the structural properties of defective graphene/SiGe heterostructures (Def-G/S), the adsorption and diffusion behaviours of Li, the voltage and theoretical capacity, and electrical conductivity during the lithiation process were investigated. The results show that defective graphene can form a stable heterostructure with SiGe and the heterostructure with defects can accommodate more Li atoms. The good adsorption and low diffusion energy barrier ensure the capacity, cycling, and safety performance of Def-G/S as anode materials. Moreover, Def-G/S significantly improves the conductivity of pristine 2D SiGe after full lithiation. These excellent properties indicate that Def-G/S has great potential as an anode material for Li-ion batteries.

Intraoperative cone beam computed tomography of tracheal stenting for stenosis and fistula diseases: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Angiographic computed tomography (CT) is useful in various medical contexts, but little research has been presented regarding the application of cone beam CT (CBCT) in airway stenting. This study set out to evaluate the clinical feasibility of using CBCT in airway stent placement in a single-center retrospective cohort. Methods: A total of 228 patients with stenosis or fistula diseases were treated with metallic airway stents in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. Of them, 128 patients underwent fluoroscopy-guided airway stenting. CBCT scanning was performed on the other 100 patients during and after treatment, and their images were compared with those from postoperative multidetector CT (MDCT). The outcomes and complications in the CBCT-guided and fluoroscopy-guided groups were also assessed via Pearson's χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Results: Tracheal stenting was performed successfully on the first attempt for 90 patients in the CBCT-guided group and 123 patients in the fluoroscopy-guided group. The mean measured diameters of the central airway in the CBCT images and MDCT images were 18.2±2.81 and 19.0±2.33 mm, respectively, and the mean lengths were 58.7±16.82 and 58.5±17.06 mm, respectively. In the CBCT-guided group and the fluoroscopy-guided group, the mean scores for visibility of the distal bronchus were 3.7±0.49 and 3.9±0.34, respectively; the mean scores for the pulmonary parenchyma were 3.3±0.71 and 3.9±0.31, respectively; and the mean scores for the airway above the upper stent graft were 1.8±0.41 and 4.0±0.20, respectively. Two of the three anatomical areas were reproduced in a diagnostically relevant way. The major complications rate was 7% and 19% in the CBCT-guided and fluoroscopy-guided groups, respectively. Conclusions: CBCT produces images with sufficient quality to replace MDCT as a reasonable control measure after stent implantation, and its use during surgery reduces complications relating to airway stent placement.

The zone II aorta is not a forbidden zone for occlusion in women with morbidly adherent placenta.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of balloon occlusion at the Zone II aorta for the management of morbidly adherent placenta. METHODS: From September 2015 to October 2018, a total of 80 consecutive patients who were prenatally diagnosed with morbidly adherent placenta were assigned into two groups: the balloon occlusion group (n = 40) and the non-balloon occlusion group (n = 40).The intraoperative estimated blood loss, blood transfusion, urine output, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and hysterectomy rate were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The estimated blood loss in the balloon occlusion group was significantly lower than that in the non-balloon occlusion group (811.75 ± 299.93 ml vs 1529.75 ± 808.01 ml, P < 0.001). The median amount of packed RBCs transfused in the balloon occlusion group and non-balloon occlusion group was 0 U and 2 U, respectively (P = 0.001). The women in the former group had a lower blood transfusion rate than those in the latter group (30% vs 57.5%, P = 0.013). Hysterectomy occurred in none in the balloon occlusion group but in six patients in the non-balloon occlusion group (P = 0.011). CONCLUSION: The middle abdominal aorta (Zone II) is not a forbidden zone for occlusion as long as the single occlusion time is limited to 15 min. Balloon occlusion at the Zone II aorta can effectively reduce blood loss, transfusion requirements and hysterectomy rates in patients with morbidly adherent placenta.

The Effects of Increasing Aortic Occlusion Times at the Level of the Highest Renal Artery (Zone II) in the Normovolemic Rabbit Model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing zone II resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) occlusion times on physiological, end-organ and inflammatory responses in rabbits to assess the safe aortic occlusion time in a normovolemic rabbit model. METHODS: The zone ll aorta was occluded with a balloon in 32 rabbits (8 animals each for 15, 30, 60, and 90 min). 8 rabbits served as a control. ELISAs were used to examine the serum levels of ALT, AST, Cr, BUN, MDA, SOD, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α; HE staining was used to identify the morphological changes in the kidney; RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and NF-κB in the kidney and uterus; and Western blotting was used to measure the protein expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and NF-κB in the kidney and uterus. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of liver markers, kidney markers, inflammatory factors and oxidative stress indicators were significantly increased at the end of reperfusion in the 30 min, 60 min and 90 min groups. Damage to the kidney occurred in the 30 min, 60 min and 90 min groups. The mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and NF-κB in the kidney and uterus were significantly increased at the end of reperfusion in the 30 min group, and as the time of occlusion extended, these levels continued to increase. CONCLUSION: Activation of systemic inflammation and ischaemia-reperfusion injury of end-organs occurred when the occlusion time reached 30 min. Therefore, 15 min should be regarded as a safe period of REBOA in zone II.

Drug-eluting bead trans-arterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation therapy vs. microwave ablation alone for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a preliminary investigation of clinical value.

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical value of drug-eluting bead trans-arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) combined with microwave ablation (MWA) vs. MWA treatment alone for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive data from 102 HCC patients at early stage who were referred to our hospital from December 2014 to May 2016 were retrospectively collected. Forty-seven patients underwent DEB-TACE combined with MWA treatment, whereas 55 patients underwent MWA alone. After 1 month of treatment, the tumour responses of the patients were assessed using the mRECIST criteria. Treatment-related complications and hepatic function were also analysed for the two groups. In addition, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Patients in the combined treatment group (DEB-TACE combined with MWA) presented a better objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) compared with those in the monotherapy group (MWA treatment). The median OS and PFS were longer in the combined treatment group compared with the monotherapy group. Multivariate Cox's regression further illustrated that DEB-TACE + MWA vs. MWA was an independent protective factor for PFS and OS. No serious treatment-related complications were observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment with DEB-TACE appeared to have advantages in prolonging OS and PFS compared to MWA. Therefore, combined treatment was efficient and should be strongly recommended to early stage HCC patients.

Comprehensive Treatment of Trans-Arterial Chemoembolization Plus Lenvatinib Followed by Camrelizumab for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

Aim: This study aimed to report the efficacy and safety of trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus lenvatinib and camrelizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 22 patients with advanced HCC from March 2018 to December 2019. All the patients received comprehensive treatment with TACE plus lenvatinib followed by camrelizumab. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated and analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Treatment response and adverse events (AEs) were also evaluated. Results: The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) for the whole cohort were 68.2 and 100% at the first month and 72.7 and 95.5% at the third month, respectively. The median OS was 24 months (95% CI, 20.323-27.677 months), and the median PFS was 11.4 months (95% CI, 8.846-13.954 months). The majority of treatment-related adverse reactions were mild or moderate, except for 4 that developed to grade 3-4 (3 reactions of grade 3, 1 reaction of grade 4). No deaths or other serious adverse reactions occurred. Conclusion: Trans-arterial chemoembolization plus lenvatinib and camrelizumab shows good results incontrolling tumour progression and prolonging median OS in patients with advanced HCC.

Efficacy and Safety of Drug-Eluting Bead Bronchial Arterial Chemoembolization Plus Anlotinib in Patients With Advanced Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of drug-eluting bead bronchial arterial chemoembolization plus anlotinib oral administration in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Consecutive data from 51 patients with advanced NSCLC were retrospectively collected from February 2018 to August 2019. All patients underwent drug-eluting bead bronchial arterial chemoembolization (DEB-BACE) followed by anlotinib treatment. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, and factors associated with OS and PFS were assessed by a Cox proportional hazards test. Treatment response at 30 days was assessed by enhanced computed tomography (CT), and then the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were calculated. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were also evaluated. Results: The median OS was 18.4 months (95% CI, 16.6-20.2 months), and the median PFS was 8.4 months (95% CI, 6.2-10.6 months). The ORR and DCR for the whole cohort were 21.6 and 100%, respectively, at 30 days after the first cycle of treatment. Most of the treatment-related adverse reactions were mild and moderate and included anorexia, hypertension, fatigue, and hand-foot syndrome. Only eight (15.7%) patients developed grade 3 TRAEs. No deaths or other serious adverse reactions occurred. Both TNM stage and brain metastasis were independent risk factors for OS and PFS. Conclusion: DEB-BACE concomitant with anlotinib has promising efficacy and tolerable toxicity in patients with advanced NSCLC.

RAMRSGL: A Robust Adaptive Multinomial Regression Model for Multicancer Classification.

In view of the challenges of the group Lasso penalty methods for multicancer microarray data analysis, e.g., dividing genes into groups in advance and biological interpretability, we propose a robust adaptive multinomial regression with sparse group Lasso penalty (RAMRSGL) model. By adopting the overlapping clustering strategy, affinity propagation clustering is employed to obtain each cancer gene subtype, which explores the group structure of each cancer subtype and merges the groups of all subtypes. In addition, the data-driven weights based on noise are added to the sparse group Lasso penalty, combining with the multinomial log-likelihood function to perform multiclassification and adaptive group gene selection simultaneously. The experimental results on acute leukemia data verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Making timely remedial measures after TACE based on the results of cone-beam CT liver perfusion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of using cone-beam CT (CBCT) to measure changes in parenchymal blood volume (PBV) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and to guide microwave ablation (MWA) for residual tumors. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 42 patients with HCC who completed TACE and received CBCT-guided perfusion imaging. The residual active lesions after TACE were supplemented with MWA to complete the treatment process according to the residual PBV. The outcomes were analyzed, including PBV changes, interventional-related complications, local tumor progression (LTP) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all lesions. Correlation analysis revealed that greater volume of residual PBV after MWA is negatively correlated with LTP. (p = .000); and the decrease of PBV was positively correlated with LTP (p = .000). All adverse events and complications were CTCAE Grade 1/2. After combination treatment, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year LTP-free survival were 97.6%, 69.0% and 15.1%, respectively, with a median LTP of 49.0 months (95% CI:43.129,54.871). Multivariate Cox regression revealed that the residual PBV > 13 ml/1000 was an independent factor predicting a shorter OS and LTP (Both p< .05). For LTP, multivariate Cox regression showed that a tumor in a single lesion were independently predicted to have a longer LTP in patients with HCC (p = .033). CONCLUSION: CBCT is feasible and safe to use to measure changes in the PBV before and after TACE treatment, while it can also guide MWA for the treatment of residual tumors in one session.

Comparison of the efficacy of prophylactic balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta at or below the level of the renal artery in women with placenta accreta undergoing cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of prophylactic balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta (PBOA) performed at the level of the renal artery (PBOA-ARA) or below this level (PBOA-BRA) for the management of placenta accreta. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective investigation of 57 women scheduled for cesarean delivery who underwent PBOA at our hospital between October 2015 and July 2017. The balloon occlusion was performed at (PBOA-ARA group; n = 30) or below (PBOA-BRA group; n = 27) the renal artery origin. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Estimated blood loss was lower in the PBOA-ARA group than in the PBOA-BRA group (p > .05). There were no intergroup differences in intraoperative blood transfusion volume, hemoglobin reduction, urine output, and serum levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Postballoon release hemorrhage occurred in eight patients of the PBOA-BRA group, but in none of the PBOA-ARA group, indicating a significant difference (p = .007). Subgroup analysis of placenta types revealed that the estimated blood loss among women with placenta increta in the PBOA-ARA group was less than that in the PBOA-BRA group (p = .015), which was reflected by a significant difference in the reduction of hemoglobin levels (p = .042). CONCLUSIONS: PBOA at the level of the renal artery entailed lesser blood loss than that performed below the renal artery origin, particularly in the case of placenta increta; this, in turn, reduces the risk of postpartum hemorrhage from ovarian arteries and subsequent blockade of the ovarian artery origin.

Comparison of Treatment Response, Survival Profiles, as Well as Safety Profiles Between CalliSpheres® Microsphere Transarterial Chemoembolization and Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization in Huge Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: CalliSpheres® microspheres (CSM) are the first drug-eluting beads (DEB) developed in China. This study aimed to compare treatment response, survival, and safety profiles between DEB transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with CSM and conventional TACE (cTACE) in huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. METHODS: A total of 71 patients with huge HCC who underwent DEB-TACE or cTACE were consecutively enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Treatment response was assessed at first month (M1), third month (M3), and sixth month (M6) after TACE therapy; progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated; liver function indexes were recorded before TACE operation (M0), at first week (W1), M1 and M6 after TACE therapy; adverse events which occurred after TACE operation were recorded. RESULTS: DEB-TACE presented with higher objective response rate (60.0% vs. 29.7%, p < 0.05) and disease control rate (86.7% vs. 59.4%, p < 0.05) compared with cTACE at M3. Regarding survival profiles, PFS [median: 3.3 months (95% CI: 2.8-3.7) vs. 2.1 months (95% CI: 1.7-2.5)] as well as OS [median: 7.8 months (95% CI: 4.6-11.0) vs. 5.7 months (95% CI: 5.0-6.3)] were longer in DEB-TACE group compared with cTACE group (both p < 0.01). Multivariate Cox's regression further illustrated that DEB-TACE vs. cTACE was an independent protective factor for PFS and OS (both p < 0.01). As for safety profiles, patients' liver function injury was reduced in the DEB-TACE group compared with the cTACE group. The incidence of fever was lower, and CINV was less severe in the DEB-TACE group compared with the cTACE group (both p < 0.05), while no difference in occurrence of liver abscess, increase of ascites, or moderate pain between two groups was observed. CONCLUSION: DEB-TACE with CSM presents with better treatment response, survival profiles, as well as safety profiles compared with cTACE in treatment for huge HCC patients.

Management of thoracogastric airway fistula after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: A systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Thoracogastric airway fistula (TGAF) is a serious complication of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the appropriate therapeutic options for acquired TGAF. METHODS: We performed a literature search to identify relevant studies from PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science using the search terms "gastric airway fistula", "gastrotracheal fistula", "gastrobronchial fistula", "tracheogastric fistula", "bronchogastric fistula", "esophageal cancer", and "esophagectomy". RESULT: Twenty-four studies (89 patients) were selected for analysis. Cough was the main clinical presentation of TGAF. The main bronchus was the most common place for fistulas (53/89), and 29 fistulas occurred in the trachea. Almost 73% (65/89) of patients underwent non-surgical treatment of whom 87.7% (57/65) received initial fistula closure. Twenty-three patients underwent surgery, including 19 (82.6%) with initial closure. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, and 9-month survival rates in patients who underwent surgical repair were 95.65%, 95.65%, 82.61%, 72.73%, and 38.10%, respectively, and the equivalent survival rates in patients with tracheal stent placement were 91.67%, 86.67%, 71.67%, 36.96%, and 13.33%, respectively. CONCLUSION: TGAF should be suspected in patients with persistent cough, especially in a recumbent position or associated with food intake. Individualized treatment should be emphasized based on the general condition of each patient.

A combination of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios as a useful predictor of survival outcomes following the transarterial chemoembolization of huge hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) plus the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) to predict survival outcomes in huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: There were 180 huge HCC patients undergoing TACE between 2011 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who has an increased NLR (greater than 3.94) and a decreased LMR (≤2.20) were assessed score 2 according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and patients who were assigned with 1, with one of these characteristic or 0 with neither of these characteristics. We used univariate and multivariate analyses for evaluations of the predicative NLR, LMR and other values about overall survival (OS) using multivariate Cox's regression. RESULTS: The liver function index such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and total bilirubin, as well as in ammatory biomarkers like absolute neutrophil count, monocyte count, lymphocyte count, seemed much larger than the groups with an NLR-LMR score of 2 than in the other 2 groups (p less than 0.05 for all), including BCLC stage. Higher NLR plus a low level of LMR predicted a short median OS. Multivariate Cox's regression revealed that an NLR-LMR score of 2 was a useful predictor of OS in huge HCC patients after TACE. CONCLUSION: The pretreatment NLR plus LMR are effective for predicting survival outcomes in huge HCC patients after TACE.

Brachytherapy Combined With or Without Hormone Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of brachytherapy combined with or without hormone therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: We systemically searched the Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase databases for studies published between the databases' dates of inception and February 2019. The primary endpoints were the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates, 5-year biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) rates and 10-year bPFS rates. The results were expressed as the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Based on the heterogeneity evaluated with the I 2 statistic, a meta-analysis was performed using either a random- or fixed-effects model. Results: A total of 16 cohort studies including 9,359 patients met all the criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Our data showed that brachytherapy (BT) combined with hormone therapy (HT) increased the patients' 5-year bPFS rates (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.08, P = 0.005) and 10-year bPFS rates (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23, P = 0.001) compared with BT monotherapy. However, BT combined with HT did not increase the patients' 5-year OS rates (RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.99-1.095, P = 0.1) compared with BT monotherapy. Conclusions: BT combined with HT can increase the bPFS rates of patients with localized prostate cancer, but it does not improve patients' OS rates.

Portal Vein Stenting Combined with 125I Particle Chain Implantation Followed by As2O3 in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumour Thrombus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of portal vein stenting (PVS) combined with 125I particle chain implantation and sequential arsenic trioxide (As2O3) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT) by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: From January 2015 to January 2018, the clinical data of 30 patients with HCC complicated by PVTT were retrospectively analysed (26 men and 4 women). The laboratory examinations, incidence of adverse events, cumulative survival rate, and stent patency were analysed for all enrolled patients. RESULTS: The success rate of interventional treatment in all patients was 100%. The results of the laboratory tests before and 1 week after surgery showed that the mean concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased from 50.9 U/L ± 25.8 to 41.8 U/L ± 21.6 (P < 0.001) and 57.6 U/L ± 19.9 to 44.2 U/L ± 26.1 (P < 0.001) and 57.6 U/L ± 19.9 to 44.2 U/L ± 26.1 (. CONCLUSION: PVS combined with 125I particle chain implantation followed by TACE with As2O3 is safe and feasible for patients with PVTT. The long-term efficacy of this treatment needs to be further studied.