Longan flower proanthocyanidins induce apoptosis in HT-29 colorectal carcinoma spheroids.

Aim Of Study: Proanthocyanidin-rich longan flower extract (LFP) has been previously shown to inhibit the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar of two colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells in vitro. In this report, we further examined the effects of LFP in a CRC spheroid model.

Materials And Methods: A liquid-overlay assay employing HT-29 spheroids was used to evaluate the effects of LFP on cancer cell tumorigenesis, viability, and apoptosis.

Rapid and efficient purification of chrysophanol in Rheum Palmatum LINN by supercritical fluid extraction coupled with preparative liquid chromatography in tandem.

Chrysophanol has high pharmaceutical values. However, it was difficult to use the traditional extraction method to extract high-concentration chrysophanol. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to purify and separate chrysophanol in traditional herb, Rheum Palmatum LINN, by using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (P-HPLC) for rapid and large-scale isolation.

Prediction of outcome of patients with metastatic breast cancer: evaluation with prognostic factors and Nottingham prognostic index.

Goals Of Work: The purpose of this study is to analyze the survival rate of patients with metastatic breast cancer and to evaluate the outcome of these patients using prognostic factors and Nottingham prognostic index.

Materials And Methods: From February 1992 to August 2008, 135 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated at the Changhua Christian Hospital. In these patients, we evaluated the significance of the following factors in predicting the survival rate after the occurrence of metastasis: age, initial stage at primary diagnosis, histological grade, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor status, human epidermoid growth factor receptor 2 overexpression status, number of axillary lymph node metastasis, history of adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, disease-free interval, status of local recurrence, status of various sites of distant metastases, number of distant metastases, and Nottingham prognostic index.

Pressurized water extraction of polysaccharides as secondary metabolites from Lentinula edodes.

The suitability of pressurized water extraction (PWE) of crude polysaccharides as secondary metabolites from Lentinula edodes was investigated. A series of experiments were carried out to examine the effects of extraction times and pressures. The results indicated that the maximum recovery of polysaccharides was about 90% of the crude polysaccharides from mycelia pellets when the pressure was at 10.

Prognostic factors affecting the outcome of brain metastases from breast cancer.

Goals Of Work: The purpose of this study is to analyze the overall survival rate of patients with brain metastases from breast cancer and to determine prognostic factors affecting outcomes of these patients.

Patients And Methods: From July 1988 to December 2004, 48 female patients with brain metastases from breast cancer underwent full-dose whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). In these patients we evaluated the significance of the following factors in predicting the survival rate after WBRT: age, extracranial metastases, number of brain metastases, total dose of WBRT, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class.

Primary breast lymphoma: a pooled analysis of prognostic factors and survival in 93 cases.

Background: Primary breast lymphoma is a rare disease. The small number of patients and the paucity of data make large-series studies difficult. We conducted a pooled analysis to evaluate the treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with primary breast lymphoma.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma patients who had failed with or were unsuited for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the outcome of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, who had either failed with or were unsuited for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and to determine the prognostic outcome factors.

Methods: From September 1999 to March 2003, 44 patients with unresectable HCC underwent 3DCRT. Thirty-seven patients were male and seven female.

Prognostic factors affecting the outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: The aim of the study is to evaluate patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with multisegmental intensity-modulated radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and analyze patient, tumor and treatment characteristics, determining outcome.

Methods: From June 1999 through to April 2003, we treated in our institution 83 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 70 males and 13 females, their ages ranging from 25 to 85 years (median, 48 years). Nineteen patients had T1 tumors, 35 had T2 tumors, six had T3 tumors and 23 had T4 tumors.