The presentation and survival of patients with non-cutaneous AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. We describe for the first time a proportion of patients with AIDS-KS who presented with no evidence of cutaneous disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From our cohort of 5932 individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) treated in the HAART era, 319 were identified with KS. Of these, 11 patients (5.4%) were diagnosed with KS without the presence of any cutaneous disease. We compared their survival, clinical, immunological and virological characteristics to other individuals with KS. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in survival, CD4 count or HIV viral load at KS presentation. We observed that tumour-associated oedema (P = 0.046) and non-oral gastrointestinal KS (P = 0.042) were significantly more common in patients with non-cutaneous KS. Only one case of non-cutaneous KS was observed prior to the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). CONCLUSIONS: Non-cutaneous KS is a recognisable condition; patients should be treated with the standard of care as their prognosis is not inferior. This is likely to reflect a strong immune response, in the era of HAART.     

Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the presenting features and outcome of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Kaposi sarcoma

BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on clinical characteristics of presentation and the natural history of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in patients already receiving HAART at the time of KS diagnosis. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing epidemiologic, clinical, and outcome data for 160 patients who were naive to HAART at the time of KS diagnosis (KS-naive) with the corresponding data for 51 patients already receiving HAART at the time of KS diagnosis (KS-HAART). The analysis included all patients with a diagnosis of KS since January 1996 within two Italian cohorts of patients with human immunodeficiency virus. RESULTS: Immunologic and virologic status at the time of KS diagnosis were significantly more favorable in the KS-HAART group than in the KS-naive group. The frequency of cutaneous involvement was similar in both groups, but cutaneous disease was more indolent among KS-HAART patients, with 1 anatomic site of involvement in 9 patients (21%) and less than 10 lesions in 26 patients (60%), compared with 16 patients (12%; P = 0.06) and 47 patients (34%; P = 0.01), respectively, in the KS-naive group. A smaller proportion of KS-HAART patients presented with visceral disease (24% vs. 39%; P = 0.06); in particular, gastrointestinal tract involvement was significantly less frequent among KS-HAART patients (14%) compared with KS-naive patients (28%; P = 0.05). Median survival was not reached in either group, and the 3-year survival rates of KS-HAART patients (64%) and KS-naive patients (78%) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The data from the current study indicate that KS exhibits a less aggressive presentation in patients already receiving HAART compared with patients who are naive to HAART at KS diagnosis. Natural history and outcome do not appear to be influenced by the initiation of HAART before development of KS.     

Remission from Kaposi's sarcoma on HAART is associated with suppression of HIV replication and is independent of protease inhibitor therapy

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces the incidence and improves the prognosis of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). This study was designed to identify factors associated with KS clinical responses in HIV-infected patients during HAART. We reviewed the files of 138 HIV-1-infected patients with KS. Epidemiologic and HIV-related clinical and biological parameters were recorded at KS diagnosis (baseline) and every 6 months thereafter. In a subset of 73 antiretroviral-naive patients, we compared the clinical outcome of KS according to the use or nonuse of protease inhibitors (PI). After 6 months of follow-up, KS remission was more frequent in patients who were naive of HAART and who were at ACTG stage S0 at baseline (P = 0.03 and 0.02). Undetectable HIV viral load was strongly associated with KS remission (P< or = 0.004 at all time points), while CD4 cell count was not. Among the 73 antiretroviral-naive patients at baseline, and who were studied for 24 months, KS outcome did not differ between patients who were prescribed PI-containing and PI-sparing regimens. Intercurrent multicentric Castleman's disease was associated with poor outcome after 60 months of follow-up (P< or = 0.0001). Fourteen deaths occurred after a median follow-up of 37.5 months, eight of which were KS related. Suppression of HIV replication appears to be crucial to control KS. Non-PI-based regimens were equivalent to PI-based regimens as regards the clinical and virological outcome of antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients with KS.     

Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on survival among HIV-infected men with Kaposi sarcoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on survival in HIV-infected patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is unknown. Our study examines survival after HAART for these 2 malignancies. Analyses were performed using data from 387 HIV-infected men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) after a diagnosis of either KS or NHL in 1990-99. Potential prognostic factors, including HAART, were evaluated in univariate analyses using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests. Multivariate survival analyses were conducted using Cox's time-dependent proportional hazards models, adjusting for CD4(+) cell levels at the time of cancer diagnosis and other covariates. Forty-three of 287 KS patients (15%) and 13 of 100 NHL patients (13%) had been treated with HAART. HAART treatment was associated with improved survival for KS and NHL patients (log-rank p = 0.0001 for each group). In multivariate analyses, HAART was associated with an 81% reduced risk of death among KS patients [relative hazard (RH) 0.19, 95% confidence limits (CL) (0.08, 0.45)], compared to those not exposed to HAART and an 84% reduced risk [RH 0.16, 95% CL (0.04, 0.64)] among NHL patients. Relative hazards estimates were similar for those with HAART initiation before and after NHL diagnosis. The use of HAART prolongs overall survival among HIV-positive men diagnosed with KS and NHL. HAART appears to be effective in improving survival even when initiated after the diagnosis of NHL and KS.     

Phase II trial of infusional cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide in patients with HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Trial (E1494).

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of an infusional chemotherapy regimen in patients with HIV-associated lymphoma treated before and after the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in routine clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight assessable patients with HIV-associated intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma received cyclophosphamide 200 mg/m(2)/d, doxorubicin 12.5 mg/m(2)/d, and etoposide 60 mg/m(2)/d (CDE) given by continuous intravenous infusion for 4 days (96 hours) every 4 weeks plus filgrastim. Concurrent antiretroviral treatment consisted of the nucleoside analog didanosine in the first 43 patients enrolled before December 1996 (pre-HAART group), or HAART in the remaining 55 patients enrolled after that time (HAART group). RESULTS: Complete response occurred in 44 patients (45%; 95% CI, 35% to 55%). Failure-free survival and overall survival (OS) at 2 years was 36% (95% CI, 26% to 46%) and 43% (95% CI, 33% to 53%), respectively. At the time of the analysis, 30% in the pre-HAART group were alive compared with 47% in the HAART group; when adjusted for varying length of follow-up, patients in the HAART group had improved OS (P =.039). Patients in the HAART group experienced less grade 4 nonhematologic toxicity (22% v 42%; P =.037), thrombocytopenia (31% v 52%; P =.033), and anemia (9% v 27%; P =.021), and had fewer treatment-associated deaths (0% v 10%; P =.013). CONCLUSION: Infusional CDE is an effective and potentially curative regimen for patients with HIV-associated lymphoma. Patients treated in the HAART era have less chemotherapy-associated toxicity and improved survival.     

原发扁桃体非霍奇金淋巴瘤的预后因素

目的：评价原发扁桃体非霍奇金淋巴瘤（NHL）的肿瘤侵犯范围（T分期）和国际预后指数（IPI）的预后价值,并对早期患者提出治疗建议。方法：回顾分析306例原发扁桃体NHL,根据Ann Arbor分期,I期35例,II期178例,Ⅲ期49例,Ⅳ期44例,根据1997年AJCC TNM分期标准,TI 29例,T2 142例,T3 117例,T4 18例,I期单纯放射治疗12例,综合治疗23例,Ⅱ期单纯放射治疗57例,单纯化疗2例,综合治疗119例,Ⅲ,Ⅳ期以化疗为主,结果：T1,T2,T3和T4的5年癌症相关生存率（CSS）分别为73．8％,59．0％,56．5％和26．5％（P＜0．05）,IP1评分0分,1分和2或3分的5年CSS分别为69．9％,49．0％和25．0％（P＜0．01）,II期单纯放疗和综合治疗的5年无瘤生存率（DFS）分别为46．2％和60．4％（P＜0．05）,多因素分析证明,影响预后的因素有一般状态,B症状,Ann Arbor分期,T分期和IPI,结论：原发肿瘤T分期和IPI是扁桃体NHL重要的预后因素,综合治疗改善了II期扁桃体NHL的DFS。     

Simplified staging for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) fails to stratify patients adequately with respect to prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The ability of the currently proposed tumor (T) categories to effectively stratify the survival of 557 patients who underwent complete resection for HCC at four centers was examined. Independent predictors of survival were combined into a new staging system. RESULTS: Using the current AJCC T classification, patients with T1 and T2 tumors had similar 5-year survivals (P =.6). In addition, the survival of patients with multiple bilobar tumors (T4) matched that of T3 patients (P =.5). Independent predictors of death were major vascular invasion (P <.001), microvascular invasion (P =.001), severe fibrosis/cirrhosis of the host liver (P =.001), multiple tumors (P =.007), and tumor size greater than 5 cm (P =.01). Based on our results, a simplified stratification is proposed: (a) patients with a single tumor and no microvascular invasion, (b) patients with a single tumor and microvascular invasion or multiple tumors, none more than 5 cm, and (c) patients with either multiple tumors, any more than 5 cm, or tumor with major vascular invasion (P <.001). Severe fibrosis/cirrhosis had a negative impact on survival within all categories. The survival of patients with lymph node involvement matched that of patients with major vascular invasion (P =.3). CONCLUSION: The current AJCC staging system for HCC is unnecessarily complex. We propose a simplified model of stratification that is based on vascular invasion, tumor number, and tumor size and incorporates the effect of fibrosis on survival.     

Efficacy of nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma: analysis based on the new 1997 tumor-node-metastasis staging system.

PURPOSE: To analyze the experience with nephron-sparing surgery as a treatment modality for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1980 and 1997, 146 patients underwent partial nephrectomy at the University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center. A matched group of 125 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy at the same institution between 1986 and 1997 were selected for comparison. Patients were monitored for an average period of 57 months. Patients were staged according to both the 1997 and 1987 tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging criteria. Survival data were calculated in terms of both staging criteria. RESULTS: When comparing cancer-specific survival rates for patients with T1 lesions under both the 1987 and 1997 TNM staging criteria, no statistically significant difference in survival was noted (P =.53), although most of the tumors in our series measured < or = 4 cm. Patients with T2 lesions (1997 TNM) demonstrated a significant decrease in survival (66%) when compared with patients with T1 lesions (100%; P <.001). No statistically significant difference in survival for patients with T1 RCC treated with either radical or partial nephrectomy was noted (P =.219). Survival rates of partial and radical nephrectomies for patients with unilateral T1 RCC and a normal contralateral kidney also were not significantly different (P =.53). In contrast, for patients with lesions greater than T1, survival rates were significantly higher with radical versus partial nephrectomy (P =.001). CONCLUSION: Partial nephrectomy has become an effective method of treating T1 RCC lesions as categorized by both the 1987 and the revised 1997 TNM staging criteria. Selected patients with localized unilateral RCC lesions less than 7 cm (ideally, < 4 cm) and a normal contralateral kidney will benefit from partial nephrectomy.     

Efficacy and safety of Stealth liposomal doxorubicin in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. The International SL-DOX Study Group.

The utility of current chemotherapeutic regimens in the treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi''s sarcoma (AIDS-KS) is often compromised by both limited efficacy and substantial toxicity. Pegylated (Stealth) liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (SL-DOX) has been demonstrated specifically to deliver high concentrations of doxorubicin to Kaposi''s sarcoma (KS) lesions. This phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SL-DOX in the treatment of moderate to severe AIDS-KS. Patients were treated biweekly with 10, 20, or 40 mg m-2 SL-DOX. Tumour response was assessed according to AIDS Clinical Trials Groups (ACTG) criteria before each cycle. Best response was determined for 238 patients and was achieved after a mean of 2.3 cycles (range 1-20). Fifteen patients (6.3%) had a complete response to SL-DOX, 177 (74.4%) had a partial response, 44 (18.5%) had stable disease and two (0.8%) had disease progression. SL-DOX was well tolerated: ten patients discontinued therapy because of adverse events, in four cases because of neutropenia. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred after 281 of 2023 cycles (13.9%) but involved 137 of 240 patients (57.1%) for whom data were available. SL-DOX has substantial activity in AIDS-KS. Best response is typically seen after fewer than three cycles of chemotherapy and in some cases may be prolonged. The most important adverse event is neutropenia, which occurs after a minority of cycles but which may occur in over half of all patients.     

Prognostic factors and outcome of human herpesvirus 8-associated primary effusion lymphoma in patients with AIDS.

PURPOSE: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8 (KSHV/HHV-8) infection, and is mostly observed in the course of HIV infection. The prognosis is poor, with reported median survival time shorter than 6 months. To date, no prognostic factor has been identified in this subset of lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe here a large series of HIV-infected patients with PEL, including 28 cases diagnosed in six centers during an 11-year time period. Prognosis analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Statistically significant covariates were further analyzed in a forward, stepwise multivariate model. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 3.8 years (range, 10 months to 10.8 years), nine patients (32%) were still alive, and eight of them remained progression free. The median survival was 6.2 months, and the 1-year overall survival rate was 39.3%. Fourteen patients (50%) achieved complete remission, with a 1-year disease-free survival rate at 78.6%. In a multivariate analysis, only a performance status more than 2 (hazard ratio, 5.84; 95% CI, 1.76 to 19.33) and the absence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) before PEL diagnosis (hazard ratio, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.14 to 9.34) were found to be independent predictors for shorter survival. CONCLUSION: Based on a retrospective series of 28 patients, two prognostic factors were identified as being independently associated with impaired clinical outcome in HIV-related PEL--(1) a poor performance status and (2) the absence of HAART before PEL diagnosis.     

Expression of S100A4 and Met: potential predictors for metastasis and survival in early-stage breast cancer

BACKGROUND: To formulate individually tailored therapy for patients with early-stage breast cancer, it is necessary to identify biomarkers for predicting metastasis and survival. METHODS: A homogeneous cohort of 92 T1-2N0M0 breast carcinoma patients with a long-term follow-up were divided into two groups: the metastasis group (n = 41) and the disease-free group (n = 51). We evaluated the ability of risk discrimination of six biomarkers, including S100A4, Met, bcl-2, p53, survivin, and HER-2/neu, in early-stage breast cancer. RESULTS: In multiple logistic regression analysis, only S100A4 expression (odds ratio = 5.37, p = 0.008) and Met expression (odds ratio = 6.91, p = 0.002) were independent predictors of distant relapse. Multivariate Cox models showed S100A4 and Met expressions were associated with 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) (risk ratio 3.2 and 4.0, respectively); however, tumor size and histological grade were not significant predictors. The 10-year DFS of T1-2N0M0 patients was 55.4%. T1-2N0M0 patients with S100A4-positive tumors had a significantly worse 10-year DFS than those with S100A4-negative tumors (29.0 vs. 68.9 %, p = 0.001). The 10-year DFS in T1-2N0M0 patients with Met-negative tumors was 82.4 vs. 39.7% if Met expression was positive (p = 0.0002). S100A4, but not Met, was still a significant predictor of 10-year DFS in T1N0M0 breast carcinoma patients (p = 0.02). For the T2N0M0 subgroup, both S100A4 and Met were significantly correlated with survival. The 10-year DFS of T2N0M0 patients with S100A4-negative and Met-negative tumors was 92.3%; in those with S100A4-positive and Met-positive tumors, however, it was only 11.8%. CONCLUSIONS: S100A4 expression is an indicator of a poor prognosis for T1N0M0 breast cancer. In addition, the combination of S100A4 and Met expression gives the best risk group discrimination in the T2N0M0 subgroup. S100A4 expression appears to be an earlier step in the metastatic progression compared to Met expression in early-stage breast carcinoma.     

Long-term clinical outcome of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma during highly active antiretroviral therapy

The long-term impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in AIDS patients with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was evaluated in 22 consecutive, HAART-na?ve KS patients attending a single Italian referral centre for HIV/AIDS. Clinical, virologic and immunologic responses to HAART were assessed at baseline and every three months during the follow-up. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-associated human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) load was also evaluated by real-time PCR in 13 patients with durable clinical KS complete response (CR). In a median follow-up of 40 months (range 17-78), the KS overall clinical response rate was 91%: 18 complete and 2 partial responses were achieved, and two patients experienced disease progression. CR persisted in all 18 patients, including the 5 poor-risk KS patients in whom CR lasted for > 60 months, and was significantly linked to an increase in CD4+ cell counts and a drop in HIV-1-RNA copies. Compared to baseline levels, a decrease in PBMC HHV-8 load was observed at CR, and a significant further reduction was found at the end of follow-up. In this monocentric study, AIDS-KS patients treated with HAART showed high clinical response rate. Patients with CR showed a prolonged remission, lasting more than 5 years in a group of poor-risk patients, and a persistent reduction in circulating HHV-8-infected cells. These findings highlight that HAART deeply modifies the natural history of this tumour in AIDS patients, and that this long-lasting approach may be considered a first-line treatment for the majority of HIV-1-infected patients developing KS.     

Increased age at diagnosis has a significantly negative effect on outcome in children with Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the Children's Cancer Group Study 2891.

PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of children with Down syndrome (DS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving standard timing chemotherapy without bone marrow transplantation (BMT), with determination of prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children with DS and newly diagnosed AML or myelodysplasia were prospectively enrolled on Children's Cancer Group study 2891 (N = 161) and treated uniformly with four standard timing induction courses of dexamethasone, cytarabine arabinoside, 6-thioguanine, etoposide, daunorubicin (DCTER) followed by intensively timed high-dose cytarabine. RESULTS: Children with DS were significantly younger at diagnosis than those without (median age, 1.8 v 7.5 years, respectively; P <.001), with more megakaryocytic leukemia (70% v 6%; P <.001). Higher complete remission rates (91%) were achieved in children with DS than among those without DS (75%; P <.001). Equivalent grade 3 to 4 toxicity (29% v 30%; P =.84) was seen, though children with DS had greater pulmonary toxicity (P <.01) during induction and mucositis during intensification (P =.12). Children with DS had significantly better 8-year event-free survival (EFS; 77% v 21% standard and 40% intensive induction; P <.0001). Multivariate analysis in children with DS revealed that only age at diagnosis of 2 years or older was a risk factor for greater relapse risk (odds ratio, 4.9; P =.006) and worse survival. Children between ages 0 to 2 years (n = 94) had a 6-year EFS of 86%; those from 2 to 4 years (n = 58), 70%; and those older than 4 years (n = 9), 28%. Remission failures were the primary reason for worse 6-year EFSs (1% in those 0 to 2 years v 14% if >2 years; P =.002). CONCLUSION: Outcome for children with DS and AML is excellent with standard induction therapy, but declines with increasing age.     

Profile of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

PURPOSE: Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) among AIDS patients has declined both nationwide and in King County, Washington. We sought to compare clinical parameters of patients diagnosed with KS in the pre-HAART (1990 to 1996) and HAART (1997 to 2002) eras. METHODS: We used patient data abstracted from the Adult/Adolescent Spectrum of HIV-Related Diseases study of Public Health-Seattle and King County. RESULTS: Patients diagnosed with KS in the HAART era (n = 40) were significantly more likely (P < .05) than pre-HAART-era KS patients (n = 366) to be diagnosed with alcohol problems (43% v 18%), noninjection drug use (45% v 18%), injection drug use (25% v 10%), psychosis (25% v 13%), and hypertension (13% v 2%). Although median CD4(+) count and HIV-1 viral load at the time of KS diagnosis were not significantly different between the two groups, significantly fewer (P < .01) HAART-era KS patients developed opportunistic illnesses (OIs) during their follow-up. The risk of dying among KS patients diagnosed in the HAART era is significantly lower (P < .01) than for KS patients diagnosed in the pre-HAART era (hazard ratio, 0.24). CONCLUSION: Although HAART-era KS patients in King County were as likely to have a depleted CD4(+) cell count and high HIV-1 viral loads at the time of KS diagnosis as pre-HAART KS patients, they survived longer and fewer of them were diagnosed with other OIs. They also had an increased prevalence of substance abuse and mental illness, contributing to a dynamic and changing KS clinical profile.     

Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in European AIDS cases. No excess risk of Kaposi's sarcoma in Mediterranean countries

Prior to the AIDS epidemic, Kaposi's sarcoma (non-AIDS-KS) in Europe was mainly a disease of elderly Mediterranean men. In 1989 AIDS data from 15 European countries were collected to study proportional trends in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS) in order to determine whether specific factors in Southern Europe might be important in the development of KS among AIDS patients. Another AIDS-related cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was included as a malignancy control. Of 22,367 AIDS cases reported, 3,779 (16.9%) were KS and 741 (3.3%) were NHL. A significant, continuous fall in the percentage of AIDS-KS was seen for both homosexual men and other members of exposure groups during the period 1981-89 (p-trend less than 0.0001). The proportion with AIDS-KS decreased from 40.5% in 1983 to 26.5% in 1988 in homosexual men and from 12.2 to 3.6% in other exposure groups, respectively. No significant change was observed in the proportion of NHL cases among any of the risk groups over time, although a tendency towards a slight increase was noted for homosexual men. Comparing proportional trends of KS and NHL geographically, no significant difference was found overall, by time or by exposure group. In conclusion, a specific decline is observed over time for AIDS-KS. However, if geographically-restricted factors are important in the development of non-AIDS-KS in Europe, the same factors do not appear to affect the risk of AIDS-KS.     

非转移性T4期鼻咽癌的预后影响因素分析

目的探讨非转移性ⅣA期鼻咽癌的预后影响因子。方法初治的T4N0~3M0 (UICC 1997版分期)鼻咽癌患者145例纳入临床研究,分析患者的复发、转移、生存情况及预后影响因素。结果145例患者的5年OS、CCS、PFS、DLRFS、DMFS分别为59.2％、61.3％、53.0％、71.6％、62.6％。多因素分析显示：颈动脉鞘区受侵是影响DLRFS、DMFS的不良预后因素,UICC N分期是影响DLRFS、 DMFS的独立预后因素;颈动脉鞘区受侵是影响CCS的独立不良预后因素,年龄、颈部照射剂量、UICC N分期是影响CCS的独立预后因素。单因素分析显示: 颈动脉鞘区受侵、UICC N分期是影响CCS、PFS的预后因素,同期化疗或放疗联合化疗虽提示有提高DMFS及提高CCS的趋势,但差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论颈动脉鞘区受侵、UICC N分期是影响非转移性T4期鼻咽癌的重要预后因子。     

Preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery compared with primary surgery in resectable stage I (except T1N0), II, and IIIa non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) could improve survival in resectable stage I (except T1N0), II, and IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized trial compared PCT to primary surgery (PRS). PCT consisted of two cycles of mitomycin (6 mg/m(2), day 1), ifosfamide (1.5 g/m(2), days 1 to 3) and cisplatin (30 mg/m(2), days 1 to 3), and two additional postoperative cycles for responding patients. In both arms, patients with pT3 or pN2 disease received thoracic radiotherapy. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-five eligible patients were randomized. Overall response to PCT was 64%. There were two preoperative toxic deaths. Postoperative mortality was 6.7% in the PCT arm and 4.5% in the PRS arm (P =.38). Median survival was 37 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.7 to 48.3) for PCT and 26.0 months (95% CI, 19.8 to 33.6) for PRS (P =.15). Survival differences between both arms increased from 3.8% (95% CI, 1.3% to 25.1%) at 1 year to 8.6% (95% CI, 2.64% to 24.4%) at 4 years. A quantitative interaction between N status and treatment was observed, with benefit confined to N0 to N1 disease (relative risk [RR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.96; P =.027). After a nonsignificant excess of deaths during treatment, the effect of PCT was significantly favorable on survival (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.99; P =.044). Disease-free survival time was significantly longer in the PCT arm (P =.033). CONCLUSION: Although impressive differences in median, 3-year, and 4-year survival were observed, they were not statistically significant, except for stage I and II disease.     

Outcome of patients receiving radiation for cancer of the esophagus: results of the 1992-1994 Patterns of Care Study.

PURPOSE: A Patterns of Care Study examined the records of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) treated with radiation in 1992 through 1994 to determine the national practice processes of care and outcomes and to compare the results with those of clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A national survey of 63 institutions was conducted using two-stage cluster sampling, and specific information was collected on 400 patients with squamous cell (62%) or adenocarcinoma (37%) of the thoracic esophagus who received radiation therapy (RT) as part of primary or adjuvant treatment. Patients were staged according to a modified 1983 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. Fifteen percent of patients had clinical stage (CS) I disease, 40% had CS II disease, and 30% had CS III disease. Twenty-six percent of patients underwent esophagectomy. Seventy-five percent of patients received chemotherapy; 84% of these received concurrent chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). RESULTS: Significant variables for overall survival in multivariate analysis include the use of esophagectomy (risk ratio [RR] = 0.62), the use of chemotherapy (RR = 0.63), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) greater than 80 (RR = 0.61), CS I or II disease (RR = 0.66), and facility type (RR = 0.72). Age, sex, and histology were not significant. Preoperative CRT resulted in a nonsignificantly higher 2-year survival rate compared with definitive CRT alone (63% v 39%; P =.11), whereas 2-year survival by planned treatment rather than treatment given was 47.7% for preoperative CRT and 35.4% for definitive CRT (P =.23). Definitive CRT compared with definitive RT alone resulted in significantly higher 2-year survival (39% v 20.6%; P =.027) and lower 2-year local regional failure (30% v 57.9%; P =. 0031). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the value of CRT in EC treatment. It indicates that the results obtained in practice settings nationwide are similar to those obtained in clinical trials and that KPS and the 1983 clinical staging system are useful prognostic indicators. The suggested value of esophagectomy and superiority of preoperative CRT over CRT alone in this study should be tested in a randomized trial.     

Prognosis of Kaposi's sarcoma as an initial and later AIDS associated illness

Background: The natural history of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) as a primary presentation of AIDS has been well defined, but little is known about the prognosis of KS following a different AIDS defining illness (ADI).Patients and methods: Retrospective review of 852 consecutive individuals diagnosed with AIDS at Fairfield Hospital between 1984 and 1994. Demographic data, year of diagnosis, CD4 cell counts, treatment for KS and PCP prophylaxis were included in the analysis. Survival following a diagnosis of KS was evaluated, adjusting for the effects of year of diagnosis, primary or secondary KS and degree of immunodeficiency.Results: The overall cumulative incidence of KS by three years post ADI was 34%. Median survival for KS as an ADI (n = 130) was 20 months versus 9 months for KS subsequent to another ADI (n = 75, P < 0.001). Those with KS as an ADI had a higher CD4 count (median 90 vs. 11, P < 0.001), lower incidence of visceral disease (5 of 130 vs. 11 of 75, P = 0.032) and fewer associated AIDS related illnesses (1 vs. 2, P < 0.001). Poorer survival following diagnosis of KS was associated with a lower CD4 count at diagnosis of KS (P = 0.002), extensive cutaneous or visceral KS at diagnosis (P = 0.009 and P < 0.001 respectively) and with the number of associated AIDS related illnesses (P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis suggested that, after adjusting for these factors, there was no difference in survival between primary and secondary KS.Conclusion: We found no difference in survival between primary and secondary KS after adjusting for potential confounding factors. We cannot exclude, however, that the greater incidence of visceral disease identified in secondary KS reflects an inherently more aggressive biology.