Efficacy and Safety of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation after Breast‐conserving Surgery: A Meta‐analysis of Published Comparative Studies

To compare the treatment outcomes between accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and conventional whole‐breast irradiation (WBI) and to explore the efficacy and safety of APBI as an adjuvant treatment for early‐stage breast cancer who received breast‐conserving therapy. Eligible studies were identified on Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library updated to July 10, 2012. Comparative studies were considered for inclusion. Analyses were carried out using Stata software. Eleven comparative studies with a total of 7,097 patients were included. The meta‐analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences between group APBI and group WBI associated with the supraclavicular failure, distant metastasis, overall survival, and disease‐free survival, while local recurrence (LR) and axillary failure (AF) increased in group APBI. The sensitivity analysis indicated that both the LR and AF were not statistically significant difference between the two groups. In the subgroup analysis, LR was statistically significantly higher in group APBI for patients with the age <60, large tumor size, and unknown margin status. APBI is a safe treatment modality and could become a potential option for the delivery of adjuvant radiation therapy in patients receiving breast‐conserving therapy, especially for the suitable group that was classified by the American Society of Radiation Oncology Consensus Panel.     

肝移植病人焦虑状况及相关因素分析

我国每年因终末期肝病死亡的病人超过20万人,由于缺乏有效的治疗手段,这些病人大多因肝衰竭而死亡,而肝移植已成为治疗终末期肝病,尤其是救治濒临死亡的暴发性肝衰竭病人唯一的有效和可靠手段,而且移植技术日臻成熟,与手术技术相关的术后并发症明显减少.目前,免疫抑制治疗和康复治疗已蜒成为影响移植手术的关键.在实际工作中发现＞80%的移植术后病人存在过度焦虑等负性情绪.     

鼻咽癌患者淋巴细胞近端着丝粒染色体随体联合频率的分析

本文对60例鼻咽癌患者用银染及非银染方法比较分析了近端着丝粒染色体随体联合的频率(SAs及Ag-AA),发现每细胞平均出现的SAs及Ag-AA分别为0.55和1.29(P<0.01)。D、G组染色体在随体联合中的比例分别为DSAf0.620及0.597,GSAf为0.380及0.403,具有随机性。G显带证实13、14、21号染色体更多地参与随体联合。     

Prognostic Factors of Patients with Spinal Chondrosarcoma: A Retrospective Analysis of 98 Consecutive Patients in a Single Center

Purpose

Chondrosarcoma (CHS) in the spine is relatively rare and minimal information has been published in the literature regarding this subject. The objective of our study was to discuss the factors that may affect outcomes of patients with spinal CHS.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for recurrence, distant metastasis, and survival of spinal CHS. T test, χ ² test and rank sum test were used to analyze a single factor for recurrence and metastasis, while survival rate was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Factors with p values of ≤0.1 were subjected to multivariate analyses by binary logistic regression analyses or Cox regression analyses. p Values of ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 98 patients with spinal CHS were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was 49.7 months (range 6–178). Recurrence was detected in 42 patients after initial surgery in our center, while distant metastasis and death occurred in 24 and 32 cases, respectively. The statistical analyses suggested that pathology grade III was closely related with distant metastasis which was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Total en bloc spondylectomy could significantly decrease the risk of recurrence, distant metastasis, and death of patients with spinal CHS.

Conclusions

Total en bloc spondylectomy could significantly decrease the risk of recurrence and distant metastasis, and meanwhile improve overall survival of spinal CHS. Distant metastasis which was closely associated with pathology grade III was an adverse prognostic factor for overall survival of spinal CHS.     

The Target for Statins,HMG-CoA Reductase,Is Expressed in Ductal Carcinoma-In Situ and May Predict Patient Response to Radiotherapy

Background

Patients with ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) are currently not prescribed adjuvant systemic treatment after surgery and radiotherapy. Prediction of DCIS patients who would benefit from radiotherapy is warranted. Statins have been suggested to exert radio-sensitizing effects. The target for cholesterol-lowering statins is HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway. The aim of this study was to examine HMGCR expression in DCIS and study its treatment predictive value.

Methods

A population-based cohort including 458 women diagnosed with primary DCIS between 1986 and 2004 were followed until November 2011 to study long-term survival. Tumor tissue microarrays were constructed, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to detect cytoplasmic protein expression of HMGCR. The association between DCIS HMGCR expression and invasive breast cancer recurrence-free survival (RFS_inv) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier curves, log rank test, and Cox proportional hazard analysis.

Results

HMGCR was strongly expressed in 24 % of the assessed DCIS samples, moderately expressed in 46 %, and weakly expressed in 23 %; no expression was detected in 7 % of the samples. During the follow-up time (median 13.8 years), 61 patients were diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer recurrence, and 80 patients died. A crude analysis showed no survival benefit from radiotherapy. However, patients with strong HMGCR expression showed an improved RFS_inv (log rank, p = 0.03) and OS (log rank, p = 0.04) after radiotherapy. No statistically significant interaction was observed for HMGCR and radiotherapy (RFS_inv p = 0.69 and OS p = 0.29).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates HMGCR expression in DCIS and suggests HMGCR as a predictive marker of response to postoperative radiotherapy in DCIS, although the test for interaction was nonsignificant. Future DCIS studies addressing the potential of statin treatment targeting HMGCR are warranted.     

死亡教育对家居晚期癌症患者生活质量的影响

目的：通过死亡教育前后家居晚期癌症患者对死亡观的认识及行为变化，探讨死亡教育对其生活质量的影响。方法：2004-08/2005-03在广西医科大学第一附属医院宁养院接受宁养服务的113例家居晚期癌症患者。开展调查前统一对参与调查评估人员进行死亡教育计划培训。采用自行拟定的死亡观认识与行为问卷评估患者对死亡的认识、面临死亡的态度及行为，采用生活质量评估表评定患者的生活质量，主要包括8项内容。采用1-5级评分，得分越高，生活质量越好。于死亡教育前发放问卷及评估表。根据评估结果针对性发放死亡教育资料。引导、启发、解说典型事例等，每周服务（上门、电话、门诊）1次，1个月后再次发放问卷调查、评估。主要观察家居晚期癌症患者死亡教育前后死亡观的认识与行为及生活质量的变化。组间比较采用χ^2检验和t检验。结果：发放问卷113份，回收有效问卷100份，回收率为88．5％。①死亡教育前所有患者均存在不同程度的死亡观不良认识与行为，而进行教育后这些情况均得到显著的改善，比例明显下降（P〈0．001）。②死亡教育后，生活质量各项得分显著高于教育前，生活质量明显提高（P〈0．001-0．05）。结论：死亡教育可改善家居晚期癌症患者对死亡的不良认知及行为，促进患者的心理健康，提高其生活质量。     

胸主动脉夹层相关的危险因素认识现状

胸主动脉夹层是一种病情变化快的灾难性疾病,其特点是发病急、病情复杂、急诊诊断困难、进展迅速、误诊率高、病死率高、易引起医疗纠纷.即便如此,形成胸主动脉夹层详细的原因还不明确,许多危险因素与胸主动脉夹层的发生有关,包括高血压、性别(男性)、主动脉的正常老化、吸食毒品、动脉粥样硬化、遗传性疾病和炎性疾病等.     

Fish-oil emulsion (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) attenuates acute lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia–reperfusion through Adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase–sirtuin1 pathway

Background

Activated macrophage infiltration into the lungs is paramount in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by intestinal ischemia–reperfusion (I/R). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) is a potent activator of the Adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase–sirtuin1 (AMPK/SIRT1) pathway against macrophage inflammation. We aimed to evaluate whether ω-3 PUFAs may protect against ALI induced by intestinal I/R via the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway.

Methods

Ischemia in male Wistar rats was induced by superior mesenteric artery occlusion for 60 min and reperfusion for 240 min. One milliliter per day of fish-oil emulsion (FO emulsion, containing major ingredients as ω-3 PUFAs) or normal saline (control) was administered by intraperitoneal injection for three consecutive days to each animal. All animals were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion. Blood and tissue samples were collected for analysis.

Results

Intestinal I/R caused intestinal and lung injury, evidenced by severe lung tissue edema and macrophage infiltration. Pretreatment with FO emulsion improved the integrity of microscopic structures in the intestine and lungs. Intestinal I/R induced the expression of macrophage-derived mediators (macrophage migration inhibitory factor and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1), inflammatory factors (nuclear factor κB, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, and interleukin 1β), and proapoptosis factor p66shc. There was a decrease in the expression of AMPK, SIRT1, and claudin 5. FO emulsion significantly inhibited macrophage infiltration into the lungs, inflammatory factor expression, and p66shc phosphorylation. Importantly, FO emulsion restored AMPK, SIRT1, and claudin 5 in the lungs.

Conclusions

Pretreatment with ω-3 PUFAs effectively protects intestinal and lung injury induced by intestinal I/R, reduces macrophage infiltration, suppresses inflammation, inhibits lung apoptosis, and improves the lung endothelial barrier after intestinal I/R in a manner dependent on AMPK/SIRT1. Thus, there is a potential for developing AMPK/SIRT1 as a novel target for patients with intestinal I/R–induced ALI.