Efficacy, safety and cost of emicizumab prophylaxis in haemophilia A patients with inhibitors: A nationwide observational study in Taiwan.

Introduction: Emicizumab mimicking the cofactor function of activated factor VIII (FVIII) restores haemostasis.

Methods: This nationwide observational study aimed to retrospectively investigate efficacy, safety, and cost in 1 year before and up to 3 years after emicizumab prophylaxis for haemophilia A (HA) patients with FVIII inhibitors.

Results And Discussion: A total of 39 severe HA patients with a median age of 23.

Effectiveness of Image-Guided Radiotherapy in Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Survival for Localized Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis.

Purpose: Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is an advanced radiotherapy technique to improve the radiotherapy delivery. We aimed to compare the overall survival (OS) for localized breast cancer (LBC) patient treated with adjuvant conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) using IGRT vs those without IGRT via a population-based analysis.

Patients And Methods: Eligible LBC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2013 were identified via the Taiwan Cancer Registry.

Effectiveness of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: A Population-based Propensity Score-matched Analysis.

Background/aim: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (nCCRT) is the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (nCCRT). The aim of this study was to compare intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in nCCRT patients.

Patients And Methods: We identified LARC patients diagnosed from 2007 to 2015 through the Taiwan cancer registry (TCR) and we constructed a propensity score matched cohort to compare IMRT to 3DCRT after balancing observable potential confounders.

Risk of cancer among HIV-infected patients from a population-based nested case-control study: implications for cancer prevention.

Background: The burden of cancer is likely to increase among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population as it ages due to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of cancer in HIV-infected patients.

Methods: This study was a matched nested case-control study.

Thalidomide for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome in Taiwan: results of a phase II trial.

Background: Thalidomide inhibits angiogenesis and exerts complex immunomodulatory activities. This phase II study aimed to examine the efficacy of thalidomide in Taiwanese patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Patients And Methods: Sixty patients [intention to treat group (ITT)] with MDS were treated with thalidomide (100 mg/day, increased by 100 mg/day weekly to a maximum of 400 mg/day) for 12 weeks.

Efficacy and safety of tramadol/acetaminophen in the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.

Objective: We evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of tramadol 37.5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg combination tablet, for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.

Methods: This study was conducted at Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan from January 2006 to February 2007.

Photoelectrochemical properties of N/C-codoped TiO2 film electrodes prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering.

This paper aims to characterize the photoelectrochemical properties of the visible-light enabling titanium dioxide (TiO2) film electrodes prepared by codoping nitrogen (N) and a presputtered carbon film (C-film) onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates using a direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique. To improve its photoelectrochemical properties, different amount of C-doping sources, 2 h and 4 h C-film, are chose to prepare the N/C-codoped TiO2 film electrodes. Under visible-light (420 < lambda < 610 nm) illumination, a remarkable photocurrent density of 22 microA/cm2 is obtained for the N/C-TiO2 film electrode prepared with a 4 h C-film (NC(4)-T) at an applied potential of +1.

Superwarfarin intoxication: hematuria is a major clinical manifestation.

Since superwarfarin is popular and readily available in stores, it may cause intoxication or overexposure, which can result in coagulopathy or abnormal bleeding in humans and, thus, is an important public health problem. We report our clinical experience with superwarfarin intoxication. Nine patients, including eight patients who had histories of ingesting superwarfarin, were studied.

Phase II study of oxaliplatin in combination with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of biweekly oxaliplatin in combination with infusional 5-fluouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Fifty-five eligible patients with measurable or assessable M/AGC (median age 62 and 90% of patients presented with metastasis) received oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2) intravenous infusion for 2 h, followed by intravenous infusion of 5-FU (3000 mg/m2) and leucovorin (100 mg/m2) for 46 h every 14 days until the patient's disease was either in progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient's withdrawal or the investigators' decision to discontinue treatment. Of the 55 enrolled patients, 48 were evaluable for response.

High efficacy of erlotinib in Taiwanese NSCLC patients in an expanded access program study previously treated with chemotherapy.

Purpose: Erlotinib is the first epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) which has demonstrated a survival benefit in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. An open label phase II study was conducted in Taiwanese patients with NSCLC to evaluate its efficacy.

Methods: Patients with proven stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who had received at least one line of standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy were enrolled into this study.

Prognostic factors in extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas. A large retrospective study.

Background: Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers. The clinicopathological features of EPSCC remain poorly defined.

Patients And Methods: Patients with the clinicopathological features of EPSCC, treated at three major medical centers in Taiwan, were included.

Hyperhomocysteinemia, deep vein thrombosis and vitamin B12 deficiency in a metformin-treated diabetic patient.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may be induced by long-term use of metformin, which may in turn lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. Thus, hyperhomocysteinemia may increase the risk of vascular thrombosis in diabetic patients, when metformin is used and a homozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutation is present. We report a 65-year-old Taiwanese diabetic woman who was treated with metformin for 6 years and who had suffered from swelling of the left lower extremity for 3 months.

Expression of CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules are potential markers for better survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: B7 Costimulatory signal is essential to trigger T-cell activation upon the recognition of tumor antigens. This study examined the expression of B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86) costimulatory molecules along with HLA-DR and the presence of infiltrating lymphocytes and dendritic cells to assess their significance in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Expression of CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, S-100 protein and the presence of infiltrating lymphocytes and follicular dendritic reticulum cells were immunohistochemically examined on the paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from newly diagnosed NPC patients (n = 50).

Corticosteroid administration depresses circulating dendritic cells in ITP patients.

Idiopathic or immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet count resulting from antibody-mediated destruction of platelets. The production of these IgG anti-platelet autoantibodies is critically governed by T-lymphocytes which can be activated by antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells. We hypothesized that one of the mechanisms by which corticosteroid administration can suppress the immune system is to depress the number of circulating dendritic cells production in ITP patients.

Expression of c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

The expression of the c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and RT-PCR were employed to examine the protein and mRNA expression of c-kit protooncogene, respectively. IHC results demonstrated that 22 of 86 (25.

Successful treatment for multiple cerebral hemorrhage in a newly diagnosed patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by severe bleeding associated with coagulation abnormalities. High incidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in APL often causes early hemorrhagic death. We report a case of APL with massive cerebral hemorrhage and respiratory failure in a 24-year old woman.