A simplified prevention bundle with dual hand hygiene audit reduces early-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia in cardiovascular surgery units: An interrupted time-series analysis.

Background: To investigate the effect of a simplified prevention bundle with alcohol-based, dual hand hygiene (HH) audit on the incidence of early-onset ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Methods: This 3-year, quasi-experimental study with interrupted time-series analysis was conducted in two cardiovascular surgery intensive care units in a medical center. Unaware external HH audit (eHH) performed by non-unit-based observers was a routine task before and after bundle implementation.

Brain metastasis features and association with tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Aim: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are frequent in pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients. The association between tumor EGFR mutation and characteristics of brain metastasis (BM) is still unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients with and without BMs, and characteristics of BM to analyze the association between tumor EGFR mutation and characteristics of BM.

Spectrum of cancer risk among Taiwanese with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are liable to develop significant comorbidities, including lung cancer. Whether they are at a higher risk for cancer of other types remains debatable, especially for Asians. We studied the risk of incident cancer in COPD patients using a nationwide representative database, the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-conditioned Medium Suppressed Melanoma Tumorigenicity Through the Enhancement of Natural-Killer Cellular Immunity.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can secrete cytokines that are involved in T-cell development and affect cytotoxic activity. To assess the effect of iPSC-conditioned medium on tumorigenicity, we retrieved splenocytes from B6 mice and cocultured them with or without irradiated B16 melanoma cells, mouse interleukin-2 (mIL-2), or iPSC-conditioned medium. Splenocyte cytotoxicity assays against B16 melanoma cells [as cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity] and P815 cells [as natural killer (NK) activity] were performed.

Latent TB infection in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients - A multicenter prospective observational study.

Objectives: Lung cancer and tuberculosis (TB) share common risk factors and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Coexistence of lung cancer and TB were reported in previous studies, with uncertain pathogenesis. The association between lung cancer and latent TB infection (LTBI) remains to be explored.

Erlotinib Salvage Therapy in Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Patients With Disease Progression After Previous EGFR-TKI Treatment.

Background: Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with promising efficacy in treating pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Treatment choices are few when patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma have failed both EGFR-TKI and chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of erlotinib as salvage treatment for these nonresponsive patients.

Circulating free mitochondrial DNA concentration and its association with erlotinib treatment in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Changes in circulating free DNA concentrations have been correlated with chemotherapeutic effects in solid tumors. The present study was designed to determine and compare the changes in circulating free mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) concentrations prior to and following erlotinib treatment, as well as the potential prognostic value of plasma mtDNA. Patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung who were to receive erlotinib treatment were enrolled in the present study once informed consent had been obtained.

Erlotinib has better efficacy than gefitinib in adenocarcinoma patients without EGFR-activating mutations, but similar efficacy in patients with EGFR-activating mutations.

Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are an effective treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy of gefitinib and erlotinib in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, whose tumor EGFR mutation status was known. Pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients who began receiving gefitinib or erlotinib treatment from January 2005 to December 2010, and whose tumor EGFR mutation status had been determined, were included.

Plasma epidermal growth factor receptor mutation analysis and possible clinical applications in pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients treated with erlotinib.

Tumor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation analysis is significant for making treatment decisions for metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma. However, less than half of patients have adequate tumor samples for mutation analysis. Patients with adenocarcinoma of the lungs who were due to receive erlotinib treatment were included in the present study.

Association between tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutation and pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lungs.

Background: The possible association between pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer development has been studied for several decades. However, the association between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and pulmonary TB in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lungs is unknown.

Methods: We reviewed the data of our patients with adenocarcinoma of the lungs who had a clinical history of pulmonary TB or old TB lesions shown on chest computed tomography scan and evaluated the association between tumor EGFR mutation status and pulmonary TB.

Phase II randomized trial of erlotinib or vinorelbine in chemonaive, advanced, non-small cell lung cancer patients aged 70 years or older.

Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to compare the response rates of elderly, chemonaive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with daily oral erlotinib versus oral vinorelbine.

Methods: Chemonaive Taiwanese patients aged 70 years or older who had advanced NSCLC were randomized to receive either oral erlotinib 150 mg (E) daily or oral vinorelbine 60 mg/m (V) on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks.

Results: From February 2007 to July 2008, 116 patients were enrolled and 113 were included in the intent-to-treat population: 57 patients in the E group and 56 patients in the V group.

Third-line or fourth-line chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with relatively good performance status.

Background: Our aim here was to explore treatment efficacy of pemetrexed and docetaxel in non-small-cell lung cancer patients who had failed previous chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of our non-small-cell lung cancer patients who received third- or fourth-line chemotherapy with pemetrexed or docetaxel in our institution from January 2006 to December 2009.

Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients received treatment, including 85 patients with pemetrexed treatment and 38 patients with docetaxel treatment.

A phase II randomized trial of gefitinib alone or with tegafur/uracil treatment in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma who had failed previous chemotherapy.

Background: Tegafur/uracil (UFT) is suitable for metronomic chemotherapy because of its underlying antiangiogenesis mechanism. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of adding daily oral UFT to gefitinib treatment in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma who had failed previous chemotherapy.

Methods: Taiwanese patients who had adenocarcinoma of the lung and failed previous chemotherapy were randomized into gefitinib 250 mg daily alone (G) or plus daily oral UFT (GU).

Different efficacies of erlotinib and gefitinib in taiwanese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective multicenter study.

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used as effective first-line and salvage therapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in East Asia. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of gefitinib and erlotinib in Taiwanese patients with advanced NSCLC.

Methods: Clinical data of NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib or erlotinib from January 2004 to December 2008 were collected retrospectively.

Second-line therapy for elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer who failed previous chemotherapy is as effective as for younger patients.

Introduction: It was found that second-line or thereafter therapies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed previous chemotherapy yielded a modest survival benefit. However, whether elderly patients (> or =70 years) benefit and are as suitable for salvage therapy as nonelderly patients (<70 years) are unknown. Whether epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is more favorable than chemotherapeutic agents as a salvage therapy agent in elderly patients with NSCLC is also undetermined.