Patient-Reported Quality of Life Before and After Chemoradiation for Intact Pancreas Cancer: A Prospective Registry Study

PurposeOur purpose was to determine the effect of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on patient-reported quality of life (QOL) for patients with intact pancreas cancer.Methods and MaterialsWe reviewed a prospective QOL registry for patients with intact, clinically localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treated with CRT between June 2015 and November 2018. QOL was assessed pre-CRT (immediately before CRT, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy) and at the completion of CRT with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) and its component parts: FACT-General (FACT-G) and hepatobiliary cancer subscore (HCS). A minimally important difference from pre-CRT was defined as ≥ 6, 5, and 8 points for FACT-G, HCS, and FACT-Hep, respectively.ResultsOf 157 patients who underwent CRT, 100 completed both pre- and post-CRT surveys and were included in the primary analysis. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years (range, 23-90). National Comprehensive Cancer Network resectability status was resectable (3%), borderline resectable (40%), or locally advanced (57%). Folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) (75%) or gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (42%) were given for a median of 6 cycles (range, 0-42) before CRT. Radiation therapy techniques included 3-dimensional conformal (22%), intensity modulated photon (55%), and intensity modulated proton (23%) radiation therapy to a median dose of 50 Gy (range, 36-62.5). Concurrent chemotherapy was most commonly capecitabine (82%). Sixty-three patients (63%) had surgery after CRT. The mean decline in FACT-G, HCS subscale, and FACT-Hep from pre- to post-CRT was 3.5 (standard deviation [SD], 13.7), 1.7 (SD 7.8), and 5.2 (SD 19.4), respectively. Each of these changes were statistically significant, but did not meet the minimally important difference threshold. Pancreatic head tumor location was associated with decline in FACT-Hep. Nausea was the toxicity with the greatest increase from pre- to post-CRT by both physician-assessment and patient-reported QOL.ConclusionsFor patients with intact pancreatic adenocarcinoma, modern CRT is well tolerated with minimal decline in QOL during treatment.     

HIV Protease: Historical Perspective and Current Research

The retroviral protease of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an excellent target for antiviral inhibitors for treating HIV/AIDS. Despite the efficacy of therapy, current efforts to control the disease are undermined by the growing threat posed by drug resistance. This review covers the historical background of studies on the structure and function of HIV protease, the subsequent development of antiviral inhibitors, and recent studies on drug-resistant protease variants. We highlight the important contributions of Dr. Stephen Oroszlan to fundamental knowledge about the function of the HIV protease and other retroviral proteases. These studies, along with those of his colleagues, laid the foundations for the design of clinical inhibitors of HIV protease. The drug-resistant protease variants also provide an excellent model for investigating the molecular mechanisms and evolution of resistance.     

放疗在肝癌治疗中应用的研究进展

肝癌是临床上常见的恶性肿瘤，因早期症状不典型，至发现时往往已为中晚期，失去最佳手术治疗时机和机会。作为非手术治疗之一的放射治疗技术，其发展在近年来已有了较大的进步。放疗包括体外放疗和体内放疗，皆具有一定的治疗效果和相对可控的不良反应。本文就肝癌放射治疗的应用进展作一综述。     

基于VOSviewer的2019新型冠状病毒病中医临床诊疗可视化分析＊

目的 通过对公开发表在网络和数据库的有关中医药治疗2019新型冠状病毒肺炎（corona virus disease 2019，COVID-19）的文献进行方、药、证的可视化分析，客观全面的对COVID-19的中医药治疗进行探讨，为现代中医临床诊疗提供参考。方法 本文选用运用文献计量学方法和VOSviewer可视化软件对纳入文献中的用药情况进行数据拆分、整理和分析。结果 本研究高质量数据的主要期刊来源是核心期刊《中医杂志》；新冠临床用方以解表清热剂、开窍补益剂、辟秽祛湿剂为主；临床用药以解表药、清热解毒药、化湿祛痰药以及补益药为主；临床治病思路以六经辨证、三焦辨证和卫气营血辨证理论为指导；临床常见证型为湿、热、寒、毒相关证型；重视新冠前期预防以及后期恢复调养；治疗过程用药考究，注重养阴与祛邪并进。结论 新冠的中医临床诊治考病全面，并注重养阴与祛邪并进，可为官方制定治疗方案提供参考。     

Ileocolic Intussusception Caused by a Giant Ulcerating Lipoma of Bauhin’s Valve: an Unusual Cause of Intestinal Obstruction in the Adult

We report a case of intestinal obstruction in a 73-year-old woman caused by ileocolic intussusception. The underlying cause was a giant submucosal ulcerating lipoma (6?×?3.3?×?3.8 cm) extending from the superior mucosal lip of Bauhin’s valve. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a pathognomonic target-like mass appearing as multiple concentric rings. CT scan confirmed the diagnosis. Because of apparent obstruction, a laparotomy with right hemicolectomy and ileocolic anastomosis was performed. Lipomas most frequently occur in the cecum and ascending colon where they represent the most common submucosal mesenchymal tumor. They typically occur in elderly women with an incidence that varies from 0.15 to 0.56 %. Pain, rectal bleeding, and obstruction are typical symptoms. When faced with an intussusception in children, reduction with air per rectum can be performed. In adults, however, malignant cell spreading and seeding is of big concern. Since approximately 20–50 % of all underlying causes are malignant, explorative surgery is favored in adults.