A Prognostic Score for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma with Bone Metastasis: Development and Validation from Multicenter.

To establish a prognostic score based on clinical routine factors to stratify nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with bone metastasis into risk groups with different survival rates. Total 276 patients from multicenter were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used to confirm independent risk factors, which were checked for internal validity by bootstrapping method.

Overweight/obese status associates with favorable outcome in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a 10-year retrospective study.

Background: Although the prognostic impact of body mass index (BMI) in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) had been extensively studied, its effect among metastatic NPC patients remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic effect of BMI in patients with metastatic NPC.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 819 patients who were diagnosed with distant metastasis from NPC and received treatment between 1998 and 2007.

Subdivision of M category for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with synchronous metastasis: time to expand the M categorization system.

Introduction: The current metastatic category (M) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a "catch-all" classification, covering a heterogeneous group of tumors ranging from potentially curable to incurable. The aim of this study was to design an M categorization system that could be applied in planning the treatment of NPC with synchronous metastasis.

Methods: A total of 505 NPC patients diagnosed with synchronous metastasis at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between 2000 and 2009 were involved.

[Evaluation of the prognostic significance of refinement and stratification of distant metastasis status in 1016 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with different metastatic status, and to improve the NPC management by multi-level refinement and stratification of M1 stage distant metastases.

Methods: Clinicopathological data of 1016 NPC patients with distant metastases were retrospectively reviewed. The M1 stage distant metastases were subdivided into synchronous or metachronous metastases, metastatic sites (lung, bone, liver), number of metastatic organs (solitary, multiple) and number of metastases (solitary, multiple) subgroups to analyze the prognosis and survival of the patients.

Association between TYMS expression and efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: The predictive value of thymidylate synthase (TYMS) to sensitivity to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis of all relevant published data to assess the association of TYMS expression with the clinical outcomes of pemetrexed-based regimen in advanced NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: We conducted an electronic search using using PubMed, Embase, OVID and Cochrane Library databases and manual search.

[Clinicopathological features and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors].

Objective: To analyze the clinicopathologic characteristics of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm(GEP-NET) and explore the prognostic factors for patients with GEP-NET.

Methods: Retrospectively reviews were conducted for the charts of 68 patients diagnosed pathologically with GEP-NET and treated at Sichuan Cancer Hospital during January 2001 to June 2012. The information of prognostic factors was retrieved and analyzed.

Cytokine-induced killer cells in combination with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell transfusion in combination with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), compared to sequential therapy with TACE and RFA, for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively studied 2 groups of HCC patients: 85 patients in the TACE+RFA+CIK group were treated with adoptive autologous CIK cell transfusion in combination with minimally invasive therapy, 89 patients in the TACE+RFA group were treated with minimally invasive therapy alone. The overall response rate was 76.

[Value of CIK in the treatment of TACE combined with RFA for HCC in long-term survival and prognostic analysis].

Objective: To assess the long-term efficacy and investigate the prognostic factors of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) combined with the sequential transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Method: A total of 95 HCC patients with the informed consents received TACE combined with RFA, 48 cases of which accepted the CIK via intravenous drop infusion for more than 6 times (study group) while the other 47 cases were enrolled in control group. The following-up duration was more than 3 years.

Challenges in the modification of the M1 stage of the TNM staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A study of 1027 cases and review of the literature.

A series of modifications have been introduced to the TNM staging system over time for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), mainly focused on the T (primary tumor) and N (local node) components of the system. The M1 stage is a 'catch all' classification, covering a group of patients whose outlook ranges from potentially curable to incurable. Since the current M1 stage does not allow clinicians to stratify patients according to prognosis or guide therapeutic decision-making and allow comparison of results of radical and non-radical treatments, we aimed to subdivide the M1 stage according to a retrospective study of 1027 metastatic NPC patients and to review the relevant literature.

Efficacy of minimally invasive therapies on unresectable pancreatic cancer.

For patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer, current chemotherapies have negligible survival benefits. Thus, developing effective minimally invasive therapies is currently underway. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization plus radiofrequency ablation and/or 125I radioactive seed implantation on unresectable pancreatic cancer.

CT-guided radiofrequency ablation after with transarterial chemoembolization in treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with long overall survival improvement.

Purpose: To assess the time to disease progression (TTP), long-term survival benefit and safety of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with computed tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with transarterial chemoembolization chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board. We reviewed the records of patients with intermediate and advanced HCC treated with CT-guided RFA with TACE between January 2000 and December 2009.

[Comparison of safety and efficacy for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone and plus radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of single branch portal vein tumor thrombus of hepatocellular carcinoma and their prognosis factors].

Objective: To compare the transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) alone or plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of single branch portal vein tumor thrombus(PVTT)in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) so as to evaluate the safety, control rate, prognostic factors and overall survival.

Methods: From January 2004 to December 2007, 50 HCC patients (< 5 cm in diameter and 3 parenchymal lesions) with concurrent PVTT were enrolled and treated by TACE alone or TACE plus RFA randomly (TACE, n = 25; TACE-RFA, n = 25). In TACE group, the intra-hepatic lesions received TACE sequentially with RFA; in TACE-RFA group, PVTT and intra-hepatic lesions were treated with TACE sequentially with RFA separately.

Comparative survival analysis in patients with pulmonary metastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with radiofrequency ablation.

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate technical efficacy and the impact of CT-guided pulmonary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on survival in patients with pulmonary metastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials And Methods: Between 2000 and 2009, 480 patients were pathologically or clinically confirmed pulmonary metastases from NPC. And ten included patients of them had a total of 23 pulmonary metastases treated with percutaneous RFA under the real-time CT fluoroscopy.

[Comparative analysis of TACE alone or plus RFA in the treatment of 167 cases of intermediate and advanced staged primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and survival rate of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) alone or plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with intermediate or advanced stage primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 467 cases received RFA or TACE plus RFA. Among them, 167 cases with strict clinical procedure (TACE alone or plus RFA) and complete follow-up data were included.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation approach through the spleen: initial case report for pancreatic tail gastrinoma.

Gastrinoma has a low incidence, and the pancreas-originated gastrinoma is rare. Pancreatic gastrinoma patients with liver metastases have poor prognosis and short survival. Local treatment to reduce the tumor burden helps to improve symptoms and slows down tumor progression for patients with unresectable tumors.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein measurement in predicting clinical outcome related to autologous cytokine-induced killer cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergone minimally invasive therapy.

Background And Objective: In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving potentially curative minimally invasive therapy, autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells were used to reduce recurrence. In this study we observed the changes in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) after the treatment with CIK cells to explore if AFP could serve as a marker for predicting immunotherapeutic clinical outcome.

Methods: A total of 122 patients with HCC and elevated AFP (>25 ng/mL) received a curative treatment of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center.

[Discrimination of anticancer agent action loci at G(2) and M phases by flow cytometry and confocal microscopic imaging].

This study was purposed to evaluate a method to discriminate the action loci of anticancer agents in G(2) and M phases of cell cycle. The meta-amsacrine (m-AMSA) and vinblastine (VBL), already known as G(2) and M phase arrest agent respectively, were used to induce the arrest of MOLT-4 cells at G(2) and M phases, the change of DNA content was detected by flow cytometry, the morphology of arrested cells was observed by confocal microscopy so as to find the arrest efficacy difference of 2 anticancer agents. As a result, the flow cytometric detection showed that the arrested MOLT-4 cells displayed the raise of peaks in G(2) and M phases, but flow cytometric detection alone can not discriminate the difference between them.

[Cell cycle arrest at M phase induced by vinblastine in MOLT-4 cells].

This study was purposed to investigate the biological effect of vinblastine (VLS), usually known as inductor of mitotic arrest, on MOLT-4 of ALL cells and to evaluate its significance. The cell arrest in M phase and/or cell apoptosis were induced by treatment of MOLT-4 cells with 0.05 microg/ml VLS for 0 - 12 hours; the DNA histogram was detected by flow cytometry; the morphological changes of cells were observed by confocal microscopy; the cell cycle distribution, cell apoptosis and morphological changes of cells before and after arrest were analyzed by using arrest increasing rate (AIR), arrest efficiency (AE), apoptosis rate (AR) and morphologic parameters respectively.