Short-and long-term outcomes following laparoscopic vs open surgery for pathological T4 colorectal cancer: 10 years of experience in a single center

AIM To evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes following laparoscopic vs open surgery for pathological T4(pT 4) colorectal cancer.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the short-and long-term outcomes of proven p T4 colorectal cancer patients who underwent complete resection by laparoscopic or open surgery from 2006 to 2015 at Guangdong General Hospital.RESULTS A total of 211 p T4 colorectal cancer patients were included in this analysis, including 101 cases in thelaparoscopy(LAP) group and 110 cases in the open surgery(OPEN) group [including 15(12.9%) cases of conversion to open surgery]. Clinical information(age, gender, body mass index, comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, etc.) did not differ between the two groups. In terms of blood loss, postoperative complications and rate of recovery, the LAP group performed significantly more favorably(P < 0.05). With regard to p T4 a/b and combined organ resection, there were significantly more cases in the OPEN group(P < 0.05). The 3-and 5-year overall survival rates were 74.9% and 60.5%, respectively, for the LAP group and 62.4% and 46.5%, respectively, for the OPEN group(P = 0.060). The 3-and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 68.0% and 57.3%, respectively, for the LAP group and 55.8% and 39.8%, respectively, for the OPEN group(P = 0.053). Multivariate analysis showed that ⅢB/ⅢC stage, lymph node status, and CA19-9 were significant predictors of overall survival. PT4 a/b, ⅢC stage, histological subtypes, CA19-9, and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent factors affecting disease-free survival.CONCLUSION Laparoscopy is safely used in the treatment of p T4 colorectal cancer while offering advantages of minimal invasiveness and faster recovery. Laparoscopy is able to achieve good oncologic outcomes similar to those of open surgery. We recommend that laparoscopy be carried out in experienced centers. It is still required to screen the appropriate cases for laparoscopic surgery, optimize the preoperative diagnosis process, and reduce the conversion rate. Multi-center, prospective, and large-sample studies are required to assess these issues.

Efficacy and safety of Phillyrin(KD-1)capsule in the treatment of moderate COVID-19:protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Objective Phillyrin(KD-1)is a traditional Chinese monomer and the main active component in Lianhua Qingwen.At present,sufficient studies have confirmed that KD-1 has significant anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and antiinflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo.However,evidence-based studies to evaluate its therapeutic effect on COVID-19 are lacking.Therefore,we designed a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KD-1 in the treatment of moderate COVID-19 infection.Methods This is a multicenter,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled clinical trial.A total of 120 participants will be recruited and randomized to receive KD-1 capsule or placebo treatment for 14 days,50 mg per capsule,four capsules each time,three times a day.If the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results are negative twice within 14 days,the KD-1 capsule will be stopped the following day.Symptoms,patient compliance,and adverse reactions will be recorded,and nucleic acid testing will be conducted daily.Primary and secondary outcomes,as well as safety indicators,will be used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the KD-1 capsule in the treatment of COVID-19.Discussion Herein,we describe the first clinical trial in China to treat COVID-19 using a traditional Chinese medicine monomer.A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled clinical trial is the best way to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KD-1 against moderate COVID-19 infection.If a good clinical benefit is observed,this represents the first step toward the use of KD-1 capsules to treat COVID-19.This clinical trial can serve as a model for other evidence-based research of traditional herbal medicines.Trial registration This study is registered at chinadrugtrials.org.cn,with registration number:CTR20211800.

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for patient with a history of open cholecystectomy and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by coinfection of avian influenza A (H7N9) and Epstein-Barr virus

To the Editor:Most patients infected with avian influenza A (H7N9) rapidly develop progressive pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a heterogeneous disorder that is refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation. Most H7N9 patients also have underlying disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart diseases, and are more susceptible to coinfections. For these patients with such serious complications, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support can be adopted as a feasible life-saving therapy Here, we present our successful experience with ECMO utilized in a patient with ARDS and also with H 7N9 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.

High-throughput sequencing for confirmation of suspected 2019-nCoV infection identified by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction

To the Editor:Identifying the pathogen from clinical samples is crucial for the diagnosis of a newly emergent infectious disease,such as 2019 novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV).which has posed great threats to global public health.[1]In some cases,despite the positive epidemiological,clinical,and radiographic evidence,coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)diagnosis can still be restricted by inconclusive polymerase chain reaction(PCR)results.[2]For samples of suspicious patients,where the fluorescence quantitative PCR(FQ-PCR)results in a few respiratory tract specimens were inconclusive,high-throughput sequencing(HTS)can be an effective confirmation method.Here,we report our experience of applying HTS to confirm a suspected 2019-nCoV infection.

Descent Equations Starting from High Rank Chern-Simons

In this paper a set of generalized descent equations are proposed. The solutions to those descent equations labeled by r for any r(r ≥ 2, r ∈ N) are forms of degrees varying from 0 to(2r-1). And the case of r = 2 is mainly discussed.