Potential Efficacy of Allergen Removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes Extract to Maintain Progression-Free Survival of Patients With Advanced Hepatobiliary Cancer.

Hepatobiliary cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Most of the early-stage, surgically resectable cases show recurrence, and when they do, the prognosis is dismal with limited available treatment options. Here, we report three patients with relapsed hepatobiliary cancers who presented relatively long progression-free survival with the administration of a natural product, allergen removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extract.

Prognostic Significance of Host-related Biomarkers for Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Objective: This study identified host-related prognostic biomarkers for survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: This study was based on the retrospective review of the medical records of 135 patients with pathologically confirmed advanced NSCLC. The host-related biomarkers assessed in this study that reflected patient condition included hemoglobin (Hb) levels; platelet (PLT), neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts; and ferritin concentrations.

The Role of Heart Rate Variability in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Aim: Several recent studies have suggested that assessing heart rate variability (HRV) is an easy method for obtaining prognostic information on cancer patients; however, these studies had limitations such as uncontrolled confounders and small numbers in a heterogeneous group. The intention of our study was to explore and validate the role of HRV variables in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Method: A total of 167 patients who were eligible for HRV testing were consecutively enrolled from a regional hospital in South Korea.

The efficacy and safety of standardized allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua extract as maintenance therapy after first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Chemotherapy improves the survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but tumor progression is often inevitable. Strategies are needed to improve the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy. Over recent years, there has been increasing interest in the role of maintenance therapy after first-line chemotherapy.