广泛期小细胞肺癌一线化疗肿瘤缓解深度与生存期的相关性

目的:分析广泛期小细胞肺癌一线化疗后肿瘤缓解深度与患者生存期的相关性。方法:回顾性分析符合入组条件的50例初治广泛期小细胞肺癌患者的临床资料。通过Spearman秩相关检验评价广泛期小细胞肺癌化疗后肿瘤缓解深度与生存期的相关性，应用Log-rank检验比较不同肿瘤缓解深度对生存期的影响，应用COX比例回归模型进行多因素分析。结果:Spearman秩相关分析显示肿瘤缓解深度与PFS及OS均呈中等程度相关。不同缓解深度患者的生存期存在统计学差异。体重减少（P＜0.000 1）、缓解深度（P＜0.001）为无进展生存期的独立影响因素；体重减少（P＜0.000 1）、体力状态（P=0.001 2）、缓解深度（P＜0.001）、化疗周期（P=0.000 2）、二线治疗（P=0.006 7）为总生存期的独立预后因素。结论:广泛期小细胞肺癌一线化疗后肿瘤缓解深度对患者生存期有一定的预测价值。     

不同针灸疗法干预关节炎炎症反应的机制研究进展

关节炎是一系列以关节及关节周围组织，因炎症、感染、创伤、退化或其他因素引起的炎性疾病。近年来关节炎的患病率显著增加，临床上代表性关节炎有类风湿关节炎、脊柱关节炎（以强直性脊柱炎为典型）、痛风、骨关节炎等。近年来的研究逐渐重视这些疾病中炎性细胞因子的研究，包括白介素（IL）家族系列中多种炎性因子及肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）。最新研究发现针灸在此类疾病的治疗中，可能参与相关炎性因子的致病途径，并通过调控此类细胞因子水平，从而改善炎症反应，为临床运用针灸治疗关节炎提供了理论及实验依据。     

Adaptive response of resistant cancer cells to chemotherapy

Despite advances in cancer therapeutics and the integration of personalized medicine, the development of chemoresistance in many patients remains a significant contributing factor to cancer mortality. Upon treatment with chemotherapeutics, the disruption of homeostasis in cancer cells triggers the adaptive response which has emerged as a key resistance mechanism. In this review, we summarize the mechanistic studies investigating the three major components of the adaptive response, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling, and senescence, in response to cancer chemotherapy. We will discuss the development of potential cancer therapeutic strategies in the context of these adaptive resistance mechanisms, with the goal of stimulating research that may facilitate the development of effective cancer therapy.     

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Pathologic Response Prediction in Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

PurposeTo determine the overall performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating between benign and malignant breast lesions and in predicting the pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer (BC).Materials and MethodsArticles published up to April 2019 were systematically searched in Medline, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The sensitivities and specificities across studies, the calculations of positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR⁺ and LR⁻), diagnostic odds ratio (OR), and constructed summary receiver operating characteristic curves were determined. Methodologic quality was assessed using the QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) tool. Subgroup analyses and metaregression were performed on prespecified study-level characteristics.ResultsFifty-one studies involving 4875 patients with 5246 breast lesions and 10 studies involving 462 patients with BC receiving NAC were included. Methodologic quality was relatively high, and no publication bias was detected. The overall sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic OR, LR⁺, and LR⁻ for CEUS were 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.89), 0.82 (95% CI, 0.80-0.83), 30.55 (95% CI, 21.40-43.62), 4.29 (95% CI, 3.51-5.25), and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.13-0.21), respectively, showing statistical heterogeneity. Multivariable metaregression analysis showed contrast mode to be the most significant source of heterogeneity. The overall sensitivity, specificity, LR⁺, LR, and diagnostic OR of CEUS imaging in predicting the overall pathologic response to NAC in patients with BC were 0.89 (95% CI, 0.83-0.93), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.78-0.88), 4.49 (95% CI, 3.04-6.62), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.10-0.24,), and 32.21 (95% CI, 16.74-62.01), respectively, showing mild heterogeneity.ConclusionOur data confirmed the excellent performance of breast CEUS in differentiating between benign and malignant breast lesions as well as pathologic response prediction in patients with BC receiving NAC.     

Stimulus probability affects the visual N700 component of the event-related potential

ObjectiveTo examine whether the occipito-temporal visual N700 component of the event-related potential is sensitive to stimulus probabilities.MethodsP1, N1, P3, and, in particular, the occipito-temporal N700 component of the event-related potential were analysed in response to frequent and rare non-target letters of a continuous performance task in 200 healthy adolescents. Additionally, amplitude habituation with time was examined for the occipito-temporal N700 and N1 components.ResultsThe visual P1, N1, and occipito-temporal N700 components were significantly larger in response to rare letters than to frequent letters, whereas the P3 component demonstrated no amplitude difference. Over time, the occipito-temporal N700 amplitude decreased in response to the rare letters, while the N1 amplitude increased, to both, frequent and rare letters.ConclusionsThis study provides first evidence that the visual occipito-temporal N700 is sensitive to stimulus probabilities, suggesting an enhanced post-processing of rare stimuli in secondary visual areas. The distinct habituation patterns of occipito-temporal N700 and N1 amplitudes distinguish repetition effects on stimulus post-processing (N700) from those on perception (N1).SignificanceThe enhanced N700 component to rare stimuli might reflect an orienting response and underlying attentional processes. The N700 sensitivity to stimulus probabilities should be examined in patient groups with attentional deficits.     

Response Rate of Cisplatin Plus Docetaxel as Primary Treatment in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Carcinoma (Squamous Cell Types)

Objective: To evaluate the response rate of Cisplatin plus Docetaxel in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: It was a longitudinal study, conducted at the Department of Medical Oncology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan from December 2018 to June 2019. One hundred patients of age 14-66 years of age of either gender with histologically proven Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, Stage III and IV (locally advanced) with no distant metastases were included in the study. Patients who were declared unresectable by the otolaryngologist and those with delayed appointment for radiation were given 3 cycles of Induction Chemotherapy with Cisplatin and Docetaxel, both at a dose of 75mg/m2 3 weekly. After 3 cycles, CT scan was repeated to assess the clinical response. Those patients who had partial or complete response as per RECIST criteria were re-assessed by the otolaryngologist and were planned for surgery if disease became resectable while other patients were referred for Concurrent Chemo-Radiation Therapy (CCRT). SPSS version 23 was used to analyze data. Results: The partial response was achieved in majority of the patients after Induction Chemotherapy with Docetaxel and Cisplatin (62%) with a complete response in 12 %. However, 22% showed progression of the disease, and 4% showed stable disease. The most frequent side effects observed were diarrhea (62%) and neutropenia (57%). Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy with Cisplatin and Docetaxel is a promising regimen with good response and favorable toxicity profile and can be considered as a potentially effective outpatient regimen for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck.     

Prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory markers in resectable biliary tract cancer – Validation and comparison of the Glasgow Prognostic Score and Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in a Western cohort

IntroductionEstablished preoperative prognostic factors for risk stratification of patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) are lacking. A prognostic value of the inflammation-based Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) in BTC has been indicated in several Eastern cohorts. We sought to validate and compare the prognostic value of the GPS and the mGPS for overall survival (OS), in a large Western cohort of patients with BTC.Material and methodsWe performed a retrospective single-center study for the period 2009 until 2017. 216 consecutive patients that underwent surgical exploration with a diagnosis of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), or gallbladder cancer (GBC) were assessed. GPS and mGPS were calculated where both CRP and albumin were measured pre-operatively (n = 168/216). Survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier estimate and uni-/multivariate Cox regression.ResultsGPS and mGPS were negatively associated with survival (p < 0.001/p < 0.001), and the association was significant in all three subgroups. GPS, but not the mGPS, identified an intermediate risk group: with GPS = 1 having better OS than GPS = 2 (p = 0.003), but worse OS than GPS = 0 (p = 0.008). In multivariate analyses of resected patients, GPS (p = 0.001) and mGPS (p = 0.03) remained significant predictors of survival, independent of postoperatively available risk factors.ConclusionsPreoperative GPS and mGPS are independent prognostic factors in BTC. The association to OS was shown in all patients undergoing exploration, in resected patients only, and in both cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. Furthermore, GPS – which weights hypoalbuminemia higher – could identify an intermediate risk group.