Efficacy of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy With S-1 vs Radiotherapy Alone for Older Patients With Esophageal Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Phase 3 Clinical Trial.

Importance: Most older patients with esophageal cancer cannot complete the standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). An effective and tolerable chemoradiotherapy regimen for older patients is needed.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and toxic effects of CCRT with S-1 vs radiotherapy (RT) alone in older patients with esophageal cancer.

A phase I dose escalation study of S-1 with concurrent radiotherapy in elderly patients with esophageal cancer.

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CDDP) are often associated with significant incidence of toxic effects in elderly patients with esophageal cancer. This phase I trial was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of S-1, an oral 5-FU derivative, when given with radiotherapy in elderly patients.

Methods: Patients who were age of 70 years or older with histologically confirmed esophageal cancer, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0-2 were eligible for this study.

A phase II study of Endostatin in combination with paclitaxel, carboplatin, and radiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Endostatin inhibits the pro-angiogenic action of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in different human cancers. This study assessed the efficacy of endostatin combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Nineteen patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-l, and adequate organ function were treated with 60-66 Gy thoracic radiation therapy over 30-33 fractions concurrent with weekly 7.

Post-treatment serum lactic dehydrogenase as a predictive indicator for distant metastasis and survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To examine the function of serum lactic dehydrogenase (SLDH) level after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) as a predictive factor for and loco-regional relapse free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease free survival (DFS), and overall survival(OS) among patients with in-situ nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Results: Compared with the normal pt-SLDH group, elevated pt-SLDH demonstrated significant lower DMFS (46 versus 66 months, hazard ratio (HR) 4.07, 95% CI 2.

Concurrent radiotherapy with gefitinib in elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Preliminary results of a phase II study.

The survival rate associated with esophageal cancer is very poor due to diagnosis at advanced stages of disease and insensitivity to chemotherapy. This study investigated the efficacy of gefitinib combination with radiation in 20 elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who were not eligible for platinum-based chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression, and the amplified refractory mutation system was used to detect EGFR mutations.

Radiotherapy induced Lewis lung cancer cell apoptosis via inactivating β-catenin mediated by upregulated HOTAIR.

Objective: HOTAIR, a long intervening non-coding Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA, negatively regulates transcription on another chromosome and is reported to reprogram chromatin organization and promote tumor progression. Nevertheless, little is known about its roles in the development of radiation therapy of lung cancer. In this study, we established a xenografed model of Lewis lung carcinoma in C57BL/6 mice and investigated the possible involvement of HOTAIR in this radiotherapy.

Up-regulation of BRAF activated non-coding RNA is associated with radiation therapy for lung cancer.

Radiation therapy has become more effective in treating primary tumors, such as lung cancer. Recent evidence suggested that BRAF activated non-coding RNAs (BANCR) play a critical role in cellular processes and are found to be dysregulated in a variety of cancers. The clinical significance of BANCR in radiation therapy, and its molecular mechanisms controlling tumor growth are unclear.

FDG-PET/CT imaging for tumor staging and definition of tumor volumes in radiation treatment planning in non-small cell lung cancer.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has the potential to improve the staging and radiation treatment (RT) planning of various tumor sites. However, from a clinical standpoint, questions remain with regard to what extent PET/CT changes the target volume and whether PET/CT reduces interobserver variability in target volume delineation. The present study analyzed the use of FDG-PET/CT images for staging and evaluated the impact of FDG-PET/CT on the radiotherapy volume delineation compared with CT in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were candidates for radiotherapy.

Prognostic impact of postoperative radiation in patients undergoing radical esophagectomy for pathologic lymph node positive esophageal cancer.

Purpose: Though postoperative radiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is offered in selected cases, there is conflicting evidence as to whether it improves overall survival (OS). A retrospective investigation was performed to analyze the prognostic impact of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in a large cohort of patients.

Methods: From 2001 to 2009, 725 patients underwent radical esophagectomy (R0) with or without PORT were eligible for retrospective analysis.

The value of endoscopic ultrasonography in defining longitudinal gross target volumes for esophageal squamous carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the differences between endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-based longitudinal gross target volumes (GTV) (GTV(EUS)) and computed tomography (CT)-based longitudinal GTV (GTV(CT)) in diagnosing esophageal squamous carcinoma.

Methods: Thirty-six patients underwent EUS to define the superior and inferior extents of the tumor by using hemoclips. CT-planning scan was performed with the patient in the supine position during the treatment.

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy using pemetrexed and carboplatin for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): preliminary results of a phase II study.

Background: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment of unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the optimal chemotherapy regimen is still controversial. We have conducted a phase II clinical trial in a Chinese population to evaluate concomitant treatment using pemetrexed/carboplatin chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy followed by pemetrexed/carboplatin consolidation chemotherapy in these patients.

[Diagnosis and treatment of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus].

Objective: To investigate the histopathological features of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, and to explore the ways of its diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The clinical data and pathological features of 23 cases of esophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively.

Results: The tumors were mainly located at the middle third segment of the esophagus.