Prognostic impact of vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression in resected gallbladder carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression and other confirmed prognostic factors in predicting clinical outcomes after the resection of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). Between January 1999 and January 2006, a total of 84 consecutive and non-selected patients who underwent resection for GBC were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 84 patients studied, 45 cases (53.

[Treatment of acute radiation pneumonia with Qingfei Huatan Quyu method].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of Qingfei Huatan Quyu method (QHQ, a Chinese medicinal therapy for clearing Fei-heat and dissolving phlegm-stasis) combined with hormone-antibiotic therapy (HAT) on radiation pneumonia (RP).

Methods: Eighty-one patients with RP were randomized into two groups, 41 patients in the control group and 40 in the treatment group were treated with HAT alone and HAT combined with QHQ respectively for 21 days. The severity of RP was evaluated before and after treatment according to the criteria of the radiation therapy oncology group.

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer.

Aim: To investigate the effect of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-DCRT) in combination with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent rectal cancer.

Methods: Forty-eight patients with unresectable recurrent rectal cancer were randomized and treated by 3-DCRT or 3-DCRT combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy between September 2001 and October 2003. For the patients without prior radiation history, the initial radiation was given to the whole pelvis by traditional methods with tumor dose of 40 Gy, followed by 3-DCRT for the recurrent lesions to the median total cumulative tumor dose of 60 Gy (range 56-66 Gy); for the post-radiation recurrent patients, 3-DCRT was directly given for the recurrent lesions to the median tumor dose of 40 Gy (36-46 Gy).

Pre-operative radiochemotherapy of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Aim: To evaluate results of pre-operative radiochemotherapy followed by surgery for 15 patients with locally advanced un-resectable rectal cancer.

Methods: 15 patients with advanced non-resectable rectal cancer were treated with pre-operative irriadiation of 40-46 Gy plus concomitant chemotherapy (5-FU+LV and 5'-DFuR) (RCS group). For comparison, 27 similar patients, treated by preoperative radiotherapy (40-50 Gy) plus surgery were served as control (RS group).