A prospective evaluation of staging and target volume definition of lymph nodes by 18FDG PET/CT in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of thoracic esophagus.

Purpose: To determine an optimal standardized uptake value (SUV) threshold for detecting lymph node (LN) metastases in esophageal cancer using (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computer tomography (18FDG PET/CT) and to define the resulting nodal target volume, using histopathology as a "gold standard."

Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical esophagectomy and three-field LN dissection after 18FDG PET/CT and CT scans were enrolled into this study. Locations of LN groups were recorded according to a uniform LN map.

A phase II trial of accelerated hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy (HypoRT) combined with sequential chemotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 34 patients with stage III NSCLC were enrolled. All patients received accelerated HypoRT (initially 50Gy/20 fractions, then a fraction dose of 3Gy) using three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), omitting elective nodal irradiation (ENI), to a total dose of 65-68Gy.

Plasma proteomic analysis may identify new markers for radiation-induced lung toxicity in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To study whether radiation induces differential changes in plasma proteomics in patients with and without radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) of Grade >/=2 (RILT2).

Methods And Materials: A total of 57 patients with NSCLC received radiation therapy (RT) were eligible. Twenty patients, 6 with RILT2 with tumor stage matched to 14 without RILT2, were enrolled for this analysis.

Radiation recall with vinorelbine and cisplatin.

Background: Radiation recall dermatitis (RRD) is an inflammatory skin reaction in a previously irradiated field in response to certain pharmacological agents. Little is known about the potential risk of RRD in response to the use of vinorelbine and cisplatin.

Case Report: Herein, we report a case of RRD following the combination treatment of vinorelbine and cisplatin in a lung cancer patient with lymph node metastasis.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a prospective phase I/II study.

Purpose: A prospective phase I-II study was conducted to determine the tolerance and local control rate of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-DCRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods And Materials: Thirty patients underwent 3-DCRT for thoracic esophageal SCC. PTV1 composed of a 1.

Prognostic predictors and long-term outcome of postoperative irradiation in thymoma: a study of 241 patients.

The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic predictors treated with postoperative irradiation in patients with thymoma. Two hundred forty-one patients with histologically confirmed thymoma were collected and retrospectively reviewed in this study. Fifty-four patients had stage I disease; 57, stage II; 120, stage III; 10, stage IV.

GTV spatial conformity between different delineation methods by 18FDG PET/CT and pathology in esophageal cancer.

Purpose: To find optimal threshold of length and GTV delineation for esophageal cancer using 18FDG PET/CT.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal carcinoma underwent surgery. For each patient, six GTVs were defined.

[Detection and prognostic significance of micrometastasis in peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated by chemo-radiation therapy].

Objective: To investigate the prognostic significance of micrometastasis (MM) in peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by chemo-radiation therapy.

Methods: Peripheral blood was taken from 67 NSCLC patients before and after definitive chemo-radiation therapy. CK19 mRNA of the peripheral blood was measured by nested RT-PCR and both their relationship with clinicopathological features and prognostic significance were further investigated.

[Effects of gene therapy with replication-defective adenovirus ericlosing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA on irradiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis: experiment with mice].

Objective: To investigate the effects of gene therapy with replication-defective adenovirus enclosing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA on irradiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods: The recombinant replication-defective adenovirus AD. Egr-Smad7 enclosing Egr-1 promoter and Smad7 cDNA was constructed.

CK19 mRNA expression measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated by chemo-radiation: an independent prognostic factor.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic significance of circulating cancer cells in peripheral blood (PB) of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by chemo-radiation with curative intent.

Methods: Cytokeratin-19 (CK19) mRNA was measured by nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in PB from 67 NSCLC patients before and after chemo-radiation. The measurements of CK19 mRNA were compared to the outcome of therapy to evaluate its significance of prognoses.

Prediction of radiation induced liver disease using artificial neural networks.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of predicting radiation induced liver disease (RILD) with an artificial neural network (ANN) model.

Methods And Materials: From August 2000 to November 2004, a total of 93 primary liver carcinoma (PLC) patients with single lesion and associated with hepatic cirrhosis of Child-Pugh grade A, were treated with hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT). Eight out of 93 patients were diagnosed RILD.

[Expression of exogenous Smad7 gene in lung: in vivo study with mice].

Objective: To investigate the regular pattern of expression, and expression localization in lung of Smad7 gene mediated by adenovirus and regulated by irradiation via early growth response (Egr) factor-1 promoter and the safe dose of the recombinant adenovirus.

Methods: The radio-inducible element of Egr-1 gene promoter and cDNA encoding Smad7 were enclosed into the replication-defective adenovirus, thus establishing the recombinant adenovirus AD.Egr-Smad7.

Radiation-induced liver disease in three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for primary liver carcinoma: the risk factors and hepatic radiation tolerance.

Purpose: To identify risk factors relevant to radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) and to determine the hepatic tolerance to radiation.

Methods And Materials: The data of 109 primary liver carcinomas (PLC) treated with hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) were analyzed. Seventeen patients were diagnosed with RILD and 13 of 17 died of it.

Prediction of radiation-induced liver disease by Lyman normal-tissue complication probability model in three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for primary liver carcinoma.

Purpose: To describe the probability of RILD by application of the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman normal-tissue complication (NTCP) model for primary liver carcinoma (PLC) treated with hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT).

Methods And Materials: A total of 109 PLC patients treated by 3D-CRT were followed for RILD. Of these patients, 93 were in liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh Grade A, and 16 were in Child-Pugh Grade B.

[Prognostic factor of primary liver cancer treated by hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy].

Objective: To evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of primary liver cancer (PLC) treated by hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and investigate the prognostic factors.

Methods: Between April 1999 and August 2003, 128 PLC patients received hypofractionated 3DCRT. According to UICC/AJCC staging system, there were 83 T3 patients, 45 T4, with none of them having lymph node metastasis.

Hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for primary liver carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the tolerance and efficacy of hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for technically unresectable or medically inoperable primary liver carcinoma (PLC).

Methods: Between April 1999 and August 2003, 128 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PLC received hypofractionated 3DCRT at Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University. Both hypofractionated 3DCRT and TACE were used to treat 48 of these 128 patients.

[Comparative study on prognostic factors in young and old lung cancer patients under chemo-radiotherapy].

Objective: To investigate the differences in prognostic factors between the young and old lung cancer patients treated by chemo-radiotherapy.

Methods: The clinical data were collected from 70 young patients (< 40 years old, the study group) and 82 randomly selected old patients (> or = 40 years old, the control group) treated by chemo-radiotherapy. Survival analysis was done by the Kaplan-Meier method, univariate analysis by Log rank test and multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard model, respectively.

Cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy combined with twice daily thoracic radiotherapy for limited small-cell lung cancer: a clinical phase II trial.

Purpose: To fit the situation of developing countries, where supportive care is not sufficient, a modified combined therapy of cisplatin/etoposide (EP) and hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy (HART) was conducted as a Phase II trial for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LSCLC) to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, and tolerance of the combined therapy and to observe its efficacy and patterns of failure.

Methods And Materials: Chemotherapy and radiation were sequentially administered in 1 to 3 cycles before and 3 to 5 cycles after HART. Chemotherapy contained cisplatin in doses of 25 to 30 mg/m(2) from Day 1 to Day 3 and etoposide in doses of 50 to 70 mg/m(2) from Day 1 to Day 3.

Radiotherapy and prognostic factors for thymoma: a retrospective study of 175 patients.

Purpose: To assess the factors that predict local control and survival in patients with thymoma treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and suggest strategies for optimizing adjuvant RT.

Methods And Materials: The study population comprised 47 patients with noninvasive thymoma and 128 patients with invasive thymoma. Treatment was surgery in 175 patients and radiotherapy in 169 patients; 25 patients also received adjuvant chemotherapy.

[Iressa for refractory non-small cell lung cancer: A preliminary report].

Background: To summarize the preliminary experience on Iressa for refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Fifty-five patients with NSCLC, who failed after surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or combination of the above modalities, were registered in this clinical trail. Prior to Iressa, 50 patients were in stage IV, and 5 in stage III.

[Treatment of 40 patients with primary tracheal carcinoma].

Objective: To study the efficacy of treatment in 40 patients with primary tracheal carcinoma.

Methods: From 1970 to 2001, 40 patients with primary tracheal carcinoma treated in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-eight were male and 12 were female with median age of 47 years.

[Study of prognostic factors in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer].

Objective: To analyze the prognostic factors in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Fifty-eight patients with stage I NSCLC treated from 1991 to 1995 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical features, histopathology and prognostic factors were analyzed by SPSS10.

Escalated hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a clinical phase II trial.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, toxicity and the efficacy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with escalated hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy (EHART) combined with chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: The EHART consisted of irradiation delivered twice per day with >6-h interval and five treatment days per week. In the first and second weeks, 1.

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for locoregionally recurrent lung carcinoma after external beam irradiation: a prospective phase I-II clinical trial.

Objectives: To observe in a clinical trial the feasibility, tolerance, and efficacy of reirradiation by three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for locoregionally recurrent lung carcinoma after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Materials And Methods: Between June 1999 and March 2001, 23 lung carcinoma patients with locoregional recurrence after EBRT were enrolled in this study. Of the 23 patients, 21 were men and 2 were women (median age 68 years, range 43-79).