First-line erlotinib versus gemcitabine/cisplatin in patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: analyses from the phase III, randomized, open-label, ENSURE study.

Background: The phase III, randomized, open-label ENSURE study (NCT01342965) evaluated first-line erlotinib versus gemcitabine/cisplatin (GP) in patients from China, Malaysia and the Philippines with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Patients ≥18 years old with histologically/cytologically confirmed stage IIIB/IV EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2 were randomized 1:1 to receive erlotinib (oral; 150 mg once daily until progression/unacceptable toxicity) or GP [G 1250 mg/m(2) i.v.

BEYOND: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Phase III Study of First-Line Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Plus Bevacizumab or Placebo in Chinese Patients With Advanced or Recurrent Nonsquamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The phase III BEYOND trial was undertaken to confirm in a Chinese patient population the efficacy seen with first-line bevacizumab plus platinum doublet chemotherapy in globally conducted studies.

Patients And Methods: Patients age ≥ 18 years with locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomly assigned to receive carboplatin (area under the curve, 6) intravenously and paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) intravenously (CP) on day 1 of each 3-week cycle, for ≤ six cycles, plus placebo (Pl+CP) or bevacizumab (B+CP) 15 mg/kg intravenously, on day 1 of each cycle, until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or death. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary end points were objective response rate, overall survival, exploratory biomarkers, safety.

Six cases of severe acute pancreatitis complicated with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus enteritis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the clinical manifestations and possible mechanisms of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE)-induced severe enteritis and extraenteric disseminations.

Methods: In six patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) complicated with acute infectious diarrhea, VRE was confirmed by bacterial genotyping, minimum inhibitory concentration testing, and empiric linezolid treatment. Samples collected from stools and peripancreatic effusions were used to compare the genotypes of VRE by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing and to validate the suspected extraenteric disseminations caused by VRE.

Alcohol consumption and the neoplastic progression in Barrett's esophagus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: In the developed countries, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is increasing over recent decades. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to arrive at quantitative conclusions about the contribution of alcohol intakes and the progression of Barrett's esophagus.

Methods: A comprehensive, systematic bibliographic search of medical literature published up to Oct 2013 was conducted to identify relevant studies.

Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with intravertebral cleft.

Background: Intravertebral cleft is a structural change in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF), which is the manifestation of ischemic vertebral osteonecrosis complicated with fracture nonunion and pseudoarthrosis and appears in the late stage of OVCF. Despite numerous studies on OVCF, few aim to evaluate the clinicoradiological characteristics and clinical significance of intravertebral cleft in OVCF. This study investigates clinicoradiological characteristics of intravertebral cleft in OVCF and the effect on the efficacy of percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty (PKP).

Polymorphisms of the HTR3B gene are associated with post-surgery emesis in a Chinese Han population.

What Is Known And Objectives: The serotoninergic receptor 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 3 (HTR3) is instrumental in the regulation of nausea and emesis (vomiting).This study investigated whether common genomic variations of the A and B subunits of HTR3 (HTR3A, HTR3B) are associated with the incidence of post-operative vomiting in a Chinese Han population.

Methods: Two hundred and thirty-one female Chinese Han patients undergoing gynaecological surgery with standardized general anaesthesia were recruited for the study.

How to diagnose and manage patients with Barrett's esophagus in China.

In order to prevent the development of Barrett's esophagus (BE)-related esophageal cancer in China and facilitate the communication of research results among different centers, we propose using standardized diagnostic criteria and taking a conservative approach to diagnose and manage BE patients. BE patients without dysplasia need to be treated medically. For low-grade dysplasia, an annual endoscopy with biopsies is recommended, along with medical therapy.

[Transperitoneal laparoscopic modified lymph node dissection for clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell testicular carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and short-term clinical effect of transperitoneal laparoscopic modified retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (LmRPLND) in the management of clinical Stage I nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors.

Methods: From October 2004 to July 2006, 7 patients aged 26-36 (mean 30) years underwent LmRPLND with modified unilateral template dissection for clinical Stage I nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors, which were 3.0 cm x 2.