Pro Re Nata Prescription and Perception Difference between Doctors and Nurses.

Background: Pro re nata (PRN) prescription is a frequently used prescription method in hospitals. This study was conducted to investigate actual condition of PRN prescription and whether administration error occurred because of perception difference between doctors and nurses.

Methods: From May to July 2012, a survey was conducted among 746 doctors and nurses (88 doctors and 658 nurses) working at 5 hospitals located in Seoul, Gyeong-gi, and Gangwon Province.

Efficacy and safety of Rhus verniciflua stokes extracts in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Systemic treatments for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have modest survival benefits but high toxicity. Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), the lacquer tree, is an ancient traditional medicine being used for the treatment of cancer. We investigated the efficacy and safety of allergen-removed RVS extract (aRVS) for the prolongation of survival in NSCLC after the failure of first-line or second-line chemotherapy.

Bojungikki-tang for cancer-related fatigue: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

Background: Bojungikki-tang (Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang in Chinese or Hochu-ekki-to in Japanese) is a widely used herbal prescription in traditional medicine in China, Japan, and Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Bojungikki-tang for cancer-related fatigue.

Methods: A total of 40 patients with cancer-related fatigue were randomized into an experimental or a waiting list control group.

Shrinkage of gastric cancer in an elderly patient who received Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract.

Background: Many studies have suggested that the flavonoids from Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) are anticancer agents, but a few clinical studies have reported on this topic.

Patient And Method: We present here the case of a female patient (82 years old) with an adenocarcinoma of the stomach that was first diagnosed via an abdomen computed tomography (CT) scan and endoscopic biopsy. Any conventional therapy such as surgical resection was not performed because of her advanced age.

A case of recurred hepatocellular carcinoma refractory to doxorubicin after liver transplantation showing response to herbal medicine product, Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract.

There is no established protocol proven to be beneficial for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation. Only a few reports have shown direct treatment by surgery or ablation to be independent predictors of survival for localized recurrence. Moreover, the necessity of immunosuppression to prevent allograft rejection makes many physicians hesitate to administer systemic chemotherapy.

Impact of standardized Rhus verniciflua stokes extract as complementary therapy on metastatic colorectal cancer: a Korean single-center experience.

Background: To investigate the clinical feasibility of the standardized Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extract for the metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), experimentally proven to have anticancer activities.

Patients And Methods: From July 2006 to November 2007, patients with conventional chemotherapy refractory mCRC were checked. After fulfilling inclusion/exclusion criteria, 36 patients were eligible for the final analysis.

Fustin flavonoid attenuates beta-amyloid (1-42)-induced learning impairment.

Natural flavonoids ameliorate amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity. We examined whether the fustin flavonoid affects Abeta-induced learning impairment in mice. Repeated treatment with fustin significantly attenuated Abeta (1-42)-induced conditioned fear and passive avoidance behaviors.

Rhus verniciflua Stokes prevents cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species production in MDCK-I renal cells and intact mice.

Cisplatin-induced oxidative stress can cause liver and kidney damage, thus limiting therapeutic efficacy. Thus, in the present study, since Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) containing flavonoids has antioxidant effects, we investigated whether it can protect cisplatin-induced toxicity in vitro and in vivo, The in vitro effects of RVS on the cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were investigated using cisplatin-treated Madin-Darby Canine kidney (MDCK)-I renal cells. Its in vivo effects were also studied in BALB/c mice inoculated with CT-26 colon adenocarcinoma cells and treated with cisplatin with or without RVS.

Quinoline derivative KB3-1 potentiates paclitaxel induced cytotoxicity and cycle arrest via multidrug resistance reversal in MES-SA/DX5 cancer cells.

Aims: The resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a major problem for successful cancer treatment. Multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype is characterized by over-expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) on the cancer cell plasma membrane that extrudes drugs out of the cells. Therefore, novel MDR reversal agents are desirable for combination therapy to reduce MDR and enhance anti-tumor activity.

Antitumor therapeutic effects of Salmonella typhimurium containing Flt3 Ligand expression plasmids in melanoma-bearing mouse.

An attenuated strain of Salmonella typhimurium has been tested in animals and clinically as an anticancer agent due to its in vivo tumor-targeting and tumoricidal properties. We exploited a genetically-engineered S. typhimurium harboring Flt3 Ligand (Flt3L) expression vectors as a tumoricidal agent to enhance its therapeutic efficacy.