Breast cancer in young women: case report and a review

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer in patients under 40 years is uncommon. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program reveals that 75% of breast tumors occur in women age > 50 years, only 6.5% in women age < 40 years, and a mere 0.6% in women age < 30 years. Breast-conserving surgery with subsequent chemo-radiotherapy has become the treatment of choice in women with breast neoplasm. CASE REPORT: Two young patients, 30 and 28 years respectively, with breast cancer. One patient with an atypical medullary breast carcinoma diagnosis, pT2 pN1 bipMx, Grade 3 Stage IIB, negative for receptors, Ki 67: 47%, cERB-2 negative; the other with an intraductal breast carcinoma, pT1c pN0 pMx, Grade 2 Stage I, negative for receptors, Ki 67: 85%, cERB-2 negative, p53 negative, Bcl-2 negative. The first patient underwent right radical mastectomy sec. Madden and axillary lymphoadenectomy in October 2001, started six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the right side of the chest and on axillary and supraclavicular lymph nodes area. After 2 years an ecotomography revealed small hypoechogenic nodules in the left breast. In December the patient underwent left radical mastectomy with positioning of an expander device. The histological exam revealed a not much differentiated intraductal carcinoma, pT1a N0 Mx, Stage I. After the surgical therapy, she follows another adjuvant chemotherapy. The second patient underwent left quadrantectomy with axillary limphoadenectomy in November 2004. Like the first-will follow several cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age differ from breast cancer in older women in numerous clinical, pathological and biological features. The studies demonstrate that breast cancer arising in women under 40 years have a more aggressive profile than those of older patients. In both our patients family history of breast cancer was reported. That suggests a possible genetic susceptibility of these patients through BRCA1 and BRCA2 germ-line mutations. Breast conservative surgery with chemio-radiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment breast cancer, expecially in consideration of the aggressiveness of the lesions.     

Initial cytoreductive treatment with thalidomide plus bolus vincristine/doxorubicin and reduced dexamethasone followed by autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma

Background High-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) after combined chemotherapy with infusional vincristine/doxorubicin plus dexamethasone is effective in multiple myeloma (MM). Outpatient treatment with bolus vincristine/doxorubicin infusion plus dexamethasone is convenient and has acceptable efficacy and toxicity for MM. Thalidomide has recently been shown to have significant antimyeloma activity. We assessed the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of bolus vincristine/doxorubicin and reduced dose dexamethasone with thalidomide (T-bVAd), administered on an outpatient basis, in untreated MM. Patients and methods Twenty-six patients prospectively received T-bVAd, consisting of intravenous (i.v.) vincristine 0.4 mg plus doxorubicin 9 mg/m², administered as a single bolus on days 1 to 4, dexamethasone 20 mg per os daily for 4 days, and thalidomide 200 mg/day at bedtime. Response assessment was conducted after each 4-week treatment cycle. Patients who achieved response were allowed to proceed to high-dose chemotherapy with ASCT. Results On an intention-to-treat basis, 23 of the 26 patients (88%) responded to treatment, with 16 (61%) achieving complete response (CR), 2 (8%) very good partial response (VGPR) and 5 (19%) partial response. Only three patients (12%) were rated as non-responders. Grade 3 and 4 hematologic toxicities consisted of neutropenia (13%), febrile neutropenia (6%), and thrombocytopenia (4%), without significant nonhematologic events. Of the 23 patients who showed response, 7 proceeded to single ASCT and 9 to tandem ASCT. With median follow-up time of 15.3 months (range, 9–25 months), median event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) have not been reached yet, and OS and EFS rates for patients who achieved complete response after T-bVAd regimen were significantly higher than patients not. Conclusions Induction therapy with T-bVAd, administered as an outpatient regimen, was efficient and relatively well tolerated in the treatment of MM.     

腹腔热灌注化疗治疗卵巢癌 60例

目的 观察腹腔热灌注化疗治疗晚期卵巢癌的临床效果.方法 选取2015年4月至2018年4月在黄河三门峡医院接受治疗的卵巢癌病人120例,对其进行卵巢癌肿瘤细胞减灭术,术后采用随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组,各60例,对照组给予静脉化疗,观察组给予腹腔热灌注化疗联合静脉化疗,比较两组治疗后的肿瘤标志物CA125、CA199、CA153、甲胎蛋白(AFP)、癌胚抗原(CEA)、人附睾蛋白4(HE4)的情况,比较两组治疗后1年、2年复发率及生存率.结果 观察组与对照组比较,观察组CA125(1个月52例比40例,3个月58例比44例)、CA199(1个月27例比14例,3个月32例比20例)、CA153(1个月40例比32例,3个月50例比38例)、AFP(1个月10例比8例,3个月16例比12例)、CEA(1个月12例比10例,3个月18例比14例)、HE4(1个月49例比34例,3个月58例比38例)在1个月、3个月时降至正常的例数高于对照组(P<0.05),观察组的1年(63.33％比75.00％)、2年的复发率(88.33％比95.00％)低于对照组,观察组的1年(86.67％比76.67％)、2年生存率(63.33％比50.00％)高于对照组.结论 晚期卵巢癌病人在手术后进行热灌注化疗联合静脉化疗,对控制肿瘤的生长有明显作用,复发率更低,生存率更高,值得在临床工作中进一步开展与应用.     

Pre-irradiation semi-intensive chemotherapy with carboplatin and cyclophosphamide in malignant glioma: a phase II study

We undertook a phase II trial in 17 patients with malignant glioma and large measurable disease to assess response rate and survival with pre-irradiation chemotherapy, using higher doses than standard, trying to improve the outcome. Patients characteristics were: male/female 10/7, age 49 (range 23-59), median Karnofsky index 90% (range 70-100), glioblastoma multiforme/anaplastic astrocytoma 14/3. Treatment consisted of 2 cycles of carboplatin 200 mg/m(2) days 1-3 (or AUC x 8, total dose) plus cyclophosphamide 1000 mg/m(2) days 1-3. One partial response (6.5%) and two stabilizations (13.5%) were observed after pre-irradiation chemotherapy. Twelve out of 15 patients (80%) progressed after chemotherapy. Median survival time was 7.6 months and the survival at 1 year was 33%. Main toxicity was hematologic in the first cycle: neutropenia grade 4 in 100%; thrombocytopenia grade 4 in 73% and grade 3 in 27%; anemia grade 3 in 7%; in the second cycle: neutropenia and thrombocytopenia grade 4 in 100% and anemia grade 3 in 50%). No toxic death was related to treatment. This regimen showed limited activity in malignant glioma with large residual disease after surgery or biopsy.     

Pharmacotherapy of gestational trophoblastic disease

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasms are the most responsive of all solid tumours to chemotherapy leading to an overall cure rate of > 90%. Non-metastatic disease (FIGO Stage I) and low-risk metastatic disease (FIGO Stages II and III; WHO score < 7) can be treated with single-agent methotrexate or actinomycin D protocols resulting in a survival rate approaching 100%. Metastatic high-risk disease (FIGO Stage IV or WHO score > 7) should be treated with initial intensive multimodality therapy with combination chemotherapy, consisting of etoposide, high-dose methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine (EMA-CO) and adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery when indicated. Despite this aggressive approach, approximately 30% of patients with high-risk disease will fail initial therapy or relapse from remission. Salvage chemotherapy with drug regimens containing platinum agents and etoposide, usually in conjunction with bleomycin or ifosfamide, as well as surgical resection of sites of resistant disease, will ultimately result in a survival rate of 80 - 90% for metastatic high-risk disease.     

FGFR4 genetic polymorphisms determine the chemotherapy response of Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Aim:

To investigate the relationship of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) gene polymorphisms with the response of Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to chemotherapy.

Methods:

A total of 629 patients with Stage III (A+B) or IV NSCLC, as well as 729 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited. All the patients received platinum-based chemotherapy, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated. Three polymorphisms in the FGFR4 gene (rs351855G/A, rs145302848C/G, and rs147603016G/A) were genotyped, and the association between the 3 polymorphisms and the chemotherapy effect was analyzed using SPSS software, version 16.0.

Results:

The genotype frequencies of rs145302848C/G and rs147603016G/A were not significantly different between NSCLC patients and healthy controls on one hand, and between the responders and non-responders to the chemotherapy on the other hand. The distribution of AA genotype and A-allele of rs351855G/A was significantly lower in NSCLC patients than in healthy controls. Using patients with the GG genotype as a reference, the AA carrier had a significantly reduced risk for the development of NSCLC after normalizing to age, sex and smoking habits. In NSCLC patients, this genotype occurred more frequently in the responders to the chemotherapy than in non-responders. The chance of being a responder was significantly increased with the AA genotype as compared to G genotype. The AA genotype of rs351855G/A had a better prognosis compared with GA and GG genotype carriers: the overall survival of patients with the AA genotype of rs351855G/A was significantly longer than those with the GG+GA genotype (21.1 vs 16.5 months).

Conclusion:

The rs351855G/A polymorphisms of FGFR4 gene can be used to predict the occurrence, chemotherapy response and prognosis of NSCLC.     

The value of ifosfamide in the polychemotherapy of metastasized testicular cancer pretreated with chemotherapy

Ifosfamide (Holoxan) has an effect as a single drug on testicular carcinoma and shows synergism with cisplatinum in mice. In combination chemotherapy of testicular cancer ifosfamide has great value as an alternative to bleomycin when the total bleomycin dose has reached a toxic level. The VIP regimen is effective on lung nodules (a marked regression can be seen) and tumor markers (the levels fall). In combination with surgery 8 of 14 patients (= 60%) with disseminated disease (Stage IIIa and IIIb) can reach NED status even after having extended tumor manifestations (bulky disease) after more than 4 cycles of previous combination chemotherapy.     

以手术为主的综合治疗对食管小细胞癌患者生存期的影响

目的 对我院确诊的17例原发性食管小细胞癌( PESC)的临床特点、治疗方法和预后进行总结,分析以手术为主的综合治疗方法对患者生存期的影响.方法 17例PESC中单纯食管癌根治术2例,单纯放射治疗(放疗)3例,手术+放化疗4例,放疗+化疗7例,单纯化疗1例.化疗采用EP、FP方案,即依托泊苷加顺铂注射液、氟尿嘧啶加顺铂注射液,手术+放化疗者手术后化疗1～2个周期再放疗后再化疗2～3个周期,放疗+化疗者放疗后再化疗3～6个周期.结果 1例广泛期患者单纯化疗后5个月内死亡,5例局限期患者行单纯局部治疗(单纯手术或单纯放疗),1年生存率40.0％(2/5),2年生存率0％.11例局限期患者接受综合治疗(手术+化疗+放疗或化疗+放疗),1年生存率为63.6％( 7/11),2年生存率为54.5％ (6/11),3年生存率为18.1％ (2/11),中位生存期为14个月.综合治疗较单纯治疗生存期有所延长.结论 对PESC患者采用以手术为主的综合治疗方法,有可能延长患者的生存期.     

Ⅲ级和Ⅳ级脑胶质瘤术后放疗联合替莫唑胺化疗的疗效观察

目的 评价Ⅲ、Ⅳ级脑胶质瘤术后放疗联合替莫唑胺化疗的近期疗效.方法 回顾分析2011年1月至2013年10月收治的52例Ⅲ、Ⅳ级脑胶质瘤术后放疗或放化疗患者的临床资料,其中单纯放疗19例,放疗联合替莫唑胺化疗33例.分析患者近期疗效.结果 随访率100%,随访时间满1、2年样本数分别为22、7例.1、2年总生存率分别为44挝.0%、13.46%.单因素分析显示:手术切除程度、术前有无癫痫、是否同期化疗均为影响患者生存的因素(P=0.000、0.013、0.003).多因素分析显示:肿瘤切除程度、术前有无癫痫发作、放疗是否联合替莫唑胺化疗、化疗周期数是影响患者生存预后的独立影响因素(P=0.001、0.018、0.028、0.006).结论 Ⅲ、Ⅳ级脑胶质瘤术后患者放疗联合替莫唑胺化疗可取得较好疗效,同时肿瘤切除程度、术前有无癫痫发作、放疗联合替莫唑胺化疗及化疗周期数是影响恶性胶质瘤患者长期生存的重要因素.     

Effect of Agaricus sylvaticus supplementation on nutritional status and adverse events of chemotherapy of breast cancer: A randomized,placebo-controlled,double-blind clinical trial

Background:

Breast cancer (BC) represents the highest incidence of malignancy in women throughout the world. Medicinal fungi can stimulate the body, reduce side-effects associated with chemotherapy and improve the quality of life in patients with cancer.

Aim:

To evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Agaricus sylvaticus on clinical and nutritional parameters in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Materials and Methods:

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial was carried out at the Oncology Clinic, Hospital of the Federal District-Brazil from September 2007 to July 2009. Forty six patients with BC, Stage II and III, were randomly assigned to receive either nutritional supplement with A. sylvaticus (2.1 g/day) or placebo. Patients were evaluated during treatment period.

Results:

Patient supplemented with A. sylvaticus improved in clinical parameters and gastrointestinal functions. Poor appetite decreased by 20% with no changes in bowel functions (92.8%), nausea and vomiting (80%).

Conclusion:

Dietary supplementation with A. sylvaticus improved nutritional status and reduced abnormal bowel functions, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia in patients with BC receiving chemotherapy.KEY WORDS: Agaricus sylvaticus, chemotherapy side effects, nutritional status     

Review article: overview of medical treatments in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma—an impossible meta-analysis?

Background:

Controversies surrounding medical treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma continue to persist.

Aim:

To perform a meta-analysis of therapeutic modalities which had been evaluated in two or more randomized trials.

Methods:

Fifty-two randomized trials were studied; only 30 were included. This overview identified seven therapeutic modalities which had been evaluated in two or more trials: adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil, interferon, percutaneous ethanol injection, transarterial chemotherapy, the combination of lipiodol with transarterial chemotherapy, and tamoxifen.

Results:

Comparisons of survival between control groups showed substantial heterogeneity. There was no survival benefit at 1 year with adriamycin (mean difference 4%), 5-fluorouracil (mean difference ?3%), percutaneous ethanol injection (mean difference 6%) or transarterial chemotherapy (mean difference ?2%). For interferon, the survival benefit was significant with the Der Simonian & Laird method (mean difference 9%, 95% CI = 1–18%, P = 0.04) but not with the Peto et al. method (2.4 mean odds ratio, 95% CI = O.9–6.8). The meta-analysis of tamoxifen showed a borderline survival benefit (mean difference 25%, 95% CI = 0–49%, P = 0.05). However, in sensitivity analyses, the survival benefit of tamoxifen was no longer significant.

Conclusions:

No treatment has clearly proven efficacy in survival. 5-Fluorouracil, adriamycin and transarterial chemotherapy were not associated with survival benefit at 1 year. The number of randomized controlled trials was insufficient to enable a conclusion to be reached for interferon and percutaneous ethanol injection. Controversy persists concerning tamoxifen efficacy. Interferon and tamoxifen require new randomized controlled trials on a larger population of patients.

     

Combination of surgery and chemotherapy for small-cell bronchial carcinoma

In several test model systems using spontaneous metastasizing experimental tumours, convincing data indicate the importance of the tumour burden left after surgery for the efficacy of the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Early removal of the primary tumour by radical surgery for cure seems to improve the conditions for chemotherapy. Since 1979, in nine different departments of thoracic surgery, patients with small-cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) have been randomized after surgery for cure to receive a new sequential intermittent polychemotherapy (sq.CT) of 3 different alternating drug combinations given intermittently over 1 year, or one 4-drug combination chemotherapy (CT) given intermittently over 3 years. The calculation of their life table curves at 1 August 1984 indicated an improvement in the 4-year survival rate of 23 patients receiving sq.CT to about 50%, compared with a survival rate of about 30% for 29 patients receiving CT. The number of patients is still too small for firm conclusions to be drawn, but it is concluded that surgery for SCCL seems to be an advisable measure for the efficacy of aggressive intermittent long-term polychemotherapy. However, this can only be proved in large cooperative studies.     

Rosuvastatin restored adrenergic and nitrergic function in mesenteric arteries from obese rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We investigated whether high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity was associated with changed function of components of the mesenteric innervation (adrenergic, sensory and nitrergic), the mechanisms involved and the possible effects of rosuvastatin on these changes.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. (i) rats fed a standard diet (control group); (ii) rats fed a HFD (33.5% fat) for 7 weeks; and (iii) rats fed a HFD and treated with rosuvastatin (15 mg·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹) for 7 weeks. Segments of isolated mesenteric arteries were exposed to electric field stimulation (EFS) with or without tetrodotoxin, phentolamine, 7-nitroindazole (7NI) or N^ω nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Noradrenaline, ATP and NO release, and nNOS expression were also measured.

KEY RESULTS

EFS induced a greater frequency-dependent contraction in obese than in control rats. In HFD rats, phentolamine reduced contractions elicited by EFS, but noradrenaline release was greater and ATP release decreased. L-NAME and 7NI increased contractions to EFS in segments from control rats, but not in those from HFD rats. NO release and nNOS expression were lower in arterial segments from HFD rats than in control rats. All these changes in HFD rats were reversed by treatment with rosuvastatin.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Neural control of mesenteric vasomotor tone was altered in HFD rats. Enhanced adrenergic and diminished nitrergic components both contributed to increased vasoconstrictor responses to EFS. All these changes were reversed by rosuvastatin, indicating novel mechanisms of statins in neural regulation of vascular tone.     

Cardiac troponin T for early detection of cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients treated with epirubicin

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of cTnT for the prediction of long term cardiac dysfunction after epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. The study group comprised of 45 patients (all female; mean age 48 ±8 years), treated with epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer. Patients received either 4 cycles of cyclophosphamide plus epirubicin (90 mg/m²) (n=23; stage 2 breast cancer) or 6 cycles of cyclophosphamide plus epirubicin (75 mg/m²) plus fluorouracil (n=18; stage 3 breast cancer). Venous blood samples were drawn, before and 72 hours after, every cycle of chemotherapy for the measurement of cTnT. Cardiac assessment was carried out at baseline and 1 year after chemotherapy by clinical evaluation, electrocardiography, radio-nuclide ventriculography (RNV) and transthoracic echocardiography. All patients remained free of clinical heart failure during the study period. In 26 patients (63%), cTnT was elevated after chemotherapy. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction, assessed by RNV at baseline and one year after chemotherapy, were 61±8% and 56±7% (p<0.0001). The sensitivity and specifity of cTnT for the detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction at one year were 69% and 39% respectively. Echocardiographic examinations at baseline and one year after chemotherapy revealed a significant decrease in E/A ratio from 1.15±0.3 to 0.9±0.2 in cTnT positive patients, suggesting diastolic dysfunction. In conclusion, elevated serum cTnT levels after epirubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage 2 and stage 3 breast cancer, predict future cardiac dysfunction with moderate sensitivity and poor specificity.     

继发性B细胞型非霍奇金淋巴瘤患者的临床特征分析

目的　探讨继发于非血液系统恶性肿瘤的B细胞型非霍奇金淋巴瘤（sNHL）患者的临床特征及预后情况。方法　2007年1月—2018年5月就诊于我院的NHL患者中,1.65%（47/2 853）以第二恶性肿瘤的形式出现,其中44例为B细胞型sNHL。44例中第一原发恶性肿瘤治疗情况：29例为手术切除治疗,10例为手术联合化疗,2例为手术联合放疗,3例接受手术联合化疗及放疗。继发肿瘤的治疗情况：34例患者接受化疗,5例患者接受化疗+手术切除,4例患者因结外病变或巨大包块接受放疗,1例结外边缘区B细胞淋巴瘤,黏膜相关淋巴组织型淋巴瘤（胃型）患者仅接受抗幽门螺杆菌治疗。中位化疗时间为6（2,8）个月。CD20+的弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）或CD20+Ⅲ～Ⅳ期滤泡淋巴瘤（FL）患者在化疗前1 d静脉滴注利妥昔单抗（375 mg/m2）。中位随访时间11.4（4.2,28.8）个月。结果　44例sNHL患者最常见的第一原发恶性肿瘤疾病类型为乳腺癌（10例）,最常见的sNHL病理类型为DLBCL（29例）。65.9%（29/44）的患者第一原发肿瘤诊断年龄＜60岁,59.1%（26/44）的患者sNHL诊断年龄≥60岁。中位sNHL发生时间为63.4（25.2,146.9）个月。平均无疾病进展时间为9.6（4.1,26.0）个月。3年总生存率为73.5%。一线治疗后完全缓解率为38.6%,总缓解率为63.6%。利妥昔单抗组与未利用利妥昔单抗组的3年总生存率分别为81.1%和66.5%（Log-rank χ2=2.026,P＞0.05）。单因素分析显示第一原发恶性肿瘤诊断年龄≥60岁（Log-rank χ2=7.562,P＜0.05）,sNHL诊断年龄≥60岁（Log-rank χ2=4.887,P＜0.05）均提示预后不良;多因素分析显示第一原发恶性肿瘤发病年龄≥60岁（HR=4.745,95%CI：1.405～16.020）是影响sNHL患者生存率的独立危险因素。结论　第一原发恶性肿瘤的诊断年龄≥60岁会增加sNHL患者的死亡风险。     

The non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic response counteracts changes in guinea-pig airway tone with and without sympathetic activation.

1. We examined whether the non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) neural response can counteract changes in smooth-muscle tone with and without simultaneous sympathetic activation in guinea-pig airways. 2. Isolated airway preparations were pretreated with indomethacin (10 microM) and incubated with either atropine (1 microM) and guanethidine (10 microM) or atropine (1 microM) alone. The response to electrical field stimulation (EFS: 1200 mA, 0.5 ms, 3 Hz for 240 s) was studied at various levels of tone prior to EFS: first without induced tone, then at a moderate tone induced by histamine (0.3 microM) and finally at a high tone induced by histamine (6 microM). 3. The response to EFS was a contraction when the tone prior to EFS was low and a relaxation when the tone prior to EFS was high. These responses converged towards a similar level of tone, in the distal trachea and in the main bronchus, with and without guanethidine. 4. The mean (s.e. mean) level of tone towards which the responses to EFS converged was lower after incubation with atropine alone compared with incubation with atropine and guanethidine, both in the distal trachea [8 (1)% compared with 30 (6)% of maximum tone] and in the main bronchus [28 (4)% compared with 57 (2)% of maximum tone]. In separate experiments, the guanethidine-induced effect on the responses to EFS was imitated by propranolol (1 microM) but not by prazosin (0.3 microM) and yohimbine (1 microM). 5. These findings indicate that the NANC neural response can counteract changes in airway smooth-muscle tone via a contraction or via a relaxation, depending on the tone prior to activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Bevacizumab as First-Line Therapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Brazilian Center Experience

Objectives

Bevacizumab has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a first-line therapy for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel. A single Latin American center experience was reviewed to determine the safety and efficacy of adding bevacizumab to first-line chemotherapy in a local population.

Methods

We retrospectively identified patients with non-squamous NSCLC treated with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy combinations as first-line chemotherapy between July 1, 2006, and January 30, 2011, at Sirio Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We collected data on patient characteristics, treatment combinations, toxicities, response to treatment, and survival. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, and prognostic factors were identified by the Cox regression model.

Results

A total of 56 patients were included in the final analysis (median age 62.4 years; 70% male). In 35 patients (62.5%), bevacizumab was combined with carboplatin and paclitaxel, and in 16 patients (28.6%), it was combined with pemetrexed and carboplatin. The response rate evaluated by the reference clinical team reached 74.5%, the median PFS was 5.3 months, and the median OS was 14.8 months. In multivariate analysis, use of maintenance therapy was the only predictive factor for OS (hazard ratio 6.85, 95% confidence interval 2.94–15.22). No treatment-related deaths were identified, and the overall incidence of grade 3–4 non-hematologic toxicities was 16%.

Conclusion

Our results confirm the efficacy and safety data of bevacizumab first-line combinations for NSCLC in a Brazilian population.     

Cardioprotective effect of N-methylnicotinamide salt of pyruvate in experimental model of cardiac hypoxia

Background

Pyruvate improves contractility of normal, hypoxic, and post-ischemic myocardium. However, sodium overload is a major problem with its therapeutic application if sodium pyruvate is used. Development of alternative forms such as N-1-methylnicotinamide (MNA) pyruvate may help to overcome this problem. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of MNA pyruvate in a murine model of cardiac ischemia.

Combined treatment in advanced stages (IIIb-IV) of non-small cell lung cancer

Chemotherapy regimens based on platinum represent the reference standards in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and when it is associated with radiotherapy and/or surgery (combined treatment) it improves survival of patients. Aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of chemotherapy, based on high-dose epirubicin plus cisplatin, associated with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Twenty-four inoperable NSCLC patients (15 pts in stage IIIb and 9 in stage IV) were treated with epirubicin (120 mg/m2) plus cisplatin (60 mg/m2), every three weeks for at least 3 cycles up to a maximum of 6. A total of 109 treatment cycles (epirubicin plus cisplatin) were administered and two of 24 patients achieved full response (CR), 9 showed partial response (PR), for an overall response rate of 45.8%, 8 patients (33.4%) achieved stable disease (SD) and 5 (20.8%) progressive disease (PD). Leukopenia aroses in 81.9% of the cycles, anaemia in 36.6% and thrombocytopenia in 14%. After chemotherapy, nausea/vomiting was present in 33.3% of patients, while in a small number of cases there were also mucositis, diarrhea, fever, phlebitis, transaminase increase and electrocardiographic anomalies. Upon entry, at the end of therapy patients underwent restaging (CT, bronchoscopy, bone scintiscan) to evaluate the possibility of surgical resection; 15 out of 24 patients completed treatment with radiotherapy (40-60 Gy) and then were re-evaluated for surgery. Five patients underwent complete surgical resection of the neoplasia (4 after chemotherapy and one after radiotherapy). After 1 year survival was 66.6% for all patients. Combined treatment in advanced NSCLC showed a good response and survival after 1 year.     

子宫颈神经内分泌癌16例临床病理特征及预后影响因素分析

目的　探讨影响子宫颈神经内分泌癌（NECC）预后的因素。方法　回顾性分析2012年7月至2021年8月广州医科大学附属第三医院收治的16例NECC患者的临床病理资料,进行单因素及多因素生存分析。生存率比较采用log-rank检验,用Cox比例风险模型进行多因素预后分析。结果　患者年龄23～63（42.94±1.2）岁,中位年龄44.5岁,肿瘤长径1.0～10.0（5.03±1.9）cm。单一型NECC 10例,鳞状细胞癌伴NECC 4例,腺癌伴NECC 2例。13例行广泛全子宫+双附件切除+盆腔淋巴结清扫术（其中5例接受新辅助化疗）,1例未手术者仅放疗1次放弃治疗,2例妊娠合并NECC均行剖宫产+全子宫切除术（1例接受化疗,1例放弃术后放化疗）。16例患者获得最终随访,随访时间2～97个月。15例手术患者中,6例无复发及转移,1例发生盆腔转移仍带瘤生存,8例死于多发转移所致的多器官功能衰竭（4例肺、肝、腰骶椎、骨盆转移,4例腹腔、膈角、纵隔、锁骨下多发淋巴结转移）;1例未手术ⅣB期患者随访3个月因多器官功能衰竭死亡。单因素分析显示,年龄（≥40岁）、术后化疗、盆腔淋巴结转移、国际妇产科联盟（FIGO）分期（>ⅡA期）是影响无进展生存期（PFS）及总生存期（OS）的因素（均P<0.05）。Cox回归模型多因素分析表明,FIGO分期>ⅡA期（HR=0.168,95%CI：0.038～0.743,P=0.019）是影响PFS的唯一独立因素,术后化疗（HR=5.034,95%CI：1.137～22.282,P=0.033）是影响OS的唯一独立因素。结论　NECC预后与肿瘤分期及术后化疗有关,提高肿瘤早诊早治率,可使患者生存受益,即使早期患者也建议术后辅助化疗,对于改善预后具有重要意义。