Late effects of the treatment of childhood cancer

Excellent progress has been made in the last few decades in the cure rates of pediatric malignancies,with more than 80%of children with cancer who have access to contemporary treatment being cured.However,the therapies responsible for this survival can also produce adverse physical and psychological long-term outcomes,referred to as late effects,which appear months to years after the completion of cancer treatment.Research has shown that 60%to 90%of childhood cancer survivors(CCSs)develop one or more chronic health conditions,and 20%to 80%of survivors experience severe or life-threatening complications during adulthood.Therefore,understanding the late side effects of such treatments is important to improve the health and quality of life of the growing population of CCSs.

Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy: electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy and new technologies

Epilepsy is a severe,relapsing,and multifactorial neurological disorder.Studies regarding the accurate diagnosis,prognosis,and in-depth pathogenesis are crucial for the precise and effective treatment of epilepsy.The pathogenesis of epilepsy is complex and involves alterations in variables such as gene expression,protein expression,ion channel activity,energy metabolites,and gut microbiota composition.Satisfactory results are lacking for conventional treatments for epilepsy.Surgical resection of lesions,drug therapy,and non-drug interventions are mainly used in clinical practice to treat pain associated with epilepsy.Non-pharmacological treatments,such as a ketogenic diet,gene therapy for nerve regeneration,and neural regulation,are currently areas of research focus.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis,diagnostic methods,and treatments of epilepsy.It also elaborates on the theoretical basis,treatment modes,and effects of invasive nerve stimulation in neurotherapy,including percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation,deep brain electrical stimulation,repetitive nerve electrical stimulation,in addition to non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation.Numerous studies have shown that electromagnetic stimulation-mediated neuromodulation therapy can markedly improve neurological function and reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.Additionally,many new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy are being explored.However,current research is mainly focused on analyzing patients’clinical manifestations and exploring relevant diagnostic and treatment methods to study the pathogenesis at a molecular level,which has led to a lack of consensus regarding the mechanisms related to the disease.

Controversies around the treatment of peritoneal metastases of colorectal cancer

In this editorial we examine the article by Wu et al published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.Surgical resection for peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer(CRC)has been gradually accepted in the medical oncology community.A randomized trial(PRODIGE 7)on cytoreductive surgery(CRS)with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy(HIPEC)failed to prove any benefit of oxaliplatin in the overall survival of patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal origin.Nevertheless,isolated systemic chemotherapy for CRC stage IV has demonstrated a reduced response in peritoneal metastases than that obtained in other metastatic sites such as the liver.Another tool is required in those patients to achieve more local control of the disease.Surgical groups in peritoneal surgery continue to use HIPEC in their procedures,using other agents than oxaliplatin for peritoneal cavity infusion,such as mitomycin C.These patients present with complex surgical issues to manage,and consequently a large burden of complications has to be anticipated.Therefore,identifying patients who will benefit from CRS with or without HIPEC would be of great interest.

Advancing treatment strategies:Insights from network meta-analysis of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

This study examines the pivotal findings of the network meta-analysis of Zhou et al,which evaluated the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and combination therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).This meta-analysis suggests that therapeutic combinations have greater efficacy than do standard treatments.The article highlights the key insights that have the potential to shift current clinical practice and enhance outcomes for patients with advanced HCC.Additionally,this article discusses further research that can be conducted to optimize these treatments and achieve personalized care for patients with HCC.

Efficacy,safety and treatment satisfaction of transition to a regimen of insulin degludec/aspart:A pilot study

BACKGROUND There is a lack of clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of transitioning from a thrice-daily pre-mixed insulin or basal-prandial regimen to insulin degludec/aspart(IDegAsp)therapy,with insufficient data from the Chinese population.AIM To demonstrate the efficacy,safety,and treatment satisfaction associated with the transition to IDegAsp in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS In this 12-week open-label,non-randomized,single-center,pilot study,patients with T2DM receiving thrice-daily insulin or intensive insulin treatment were transitioned to twice-daily injections of insulin IDegAsp.Insulin doses,hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)levels,fasting blood glucose(FBG),hypoglycemic events,a Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire,and other parameters were assessed at baseline and 12-weeks.RESULTS This study included 21 participants.A marked enhancement was observed in the FBG level(P=0.02),daily total insulin dose(P=0.03),and overall diabetes treatment satisfaction(P<0.01)in the participants who switched to IDegAsp.There was a decrease in HbA1c levels(7.6±1.1 vs 7.4±0.9,P=0.31)and the frequency of hypoglycemic events of those who switched to IDegAsp decreased,however,there was no statistically significant difference.CONCLUSION The present findings suggest that treatment with IDegAsp enhances clinical outcomes,particularly FBG levels,daily cumulative insulin dose,and overall satisfaction with diabetes treatment.

The emerging role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles to ameliorate hippocampal NLRP3 inflammation induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescence

Our previous studies have reported that activation of the NLRP3(NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3)-inflammasome complex in ethanol-treated astrocytes and chronic alcohol-fed mice could be associated with neuroinflammation and brain damage.Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles(MSC-EVs)have been shown to restore the neuroinflammatory response,along with myelin and synaptic structural alterations in the prefrontal cortex,and alleviate cognitive and memory dysfunctions induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice.Considering the therapeutic role of the molecules contained in mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles,the present study analyzed whether the administration of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles isolated from adipose tissue,which inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome,was capable of reducing hippocampal neuroinflammation in adolescent mice treated with binge drinking.We demonstrated that the administration of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles ameliorated the activation of the hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome complex and other NLRs inflammasomes(e.g.,pyrin domain-containing 1,caspase recruitment domain-containing 4,and absent in melanoma 2,as well as the alterations in inflammatory genes(interleukin-1β,interleukin-18,inducible nitric oxide synthase,nuclear factor-kappa B,monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,and C–X3–C motif chemokine ligand 1)and miRNAs(miR-21a-5p,miR-146a-5p,and miR-141-5p)induced by binge-like ethanol treatment in adolescent mice.Bioinformatic analysis further revealed the involvement of miR-21a-5p and miR-146a-5p with inflammatory target genes and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways.Taken together,these findings provide novel evidence of the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived EVs to ameliorate the hippocampal neuroinflammatory response associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by binge drinking in adolescence.

Variations in quantifying patient reported outcome measures to estimate treatment effect

In the practice of healthcare,patient-reported outcomes(PROs)and PRO measures(PROMs)are used as an attempt to observe the changes in complex clinical situations.They guide us in making decisions based on the evidence regarding patient care by recording the change in outcomes for a particular treatment to a given condition and finally to understand whether a patient will benefit from a particular treatment and to quantify the treatment effect.For any PROM to be usable in health care,we need it to be reliable,encapsulating the points of interest with the potential to detect any real change.Using structured outcome measures routinely in clinical practice helps the physician to understand the functional limitation of a patient that would otherwise not be clear in an office interview,and this allows the physician and patient to have a meaningful conver-sation as well as a customized plan for each patient.Having mentioned the rationale and the benefits of PROMs,understanding the quantification process is crucial before embarking on management decisions.A better interpretation of change needs to identify the treatment effect based on clinical relevance for a given condition.There are a multiple set of measurement indices to serve this effect and most of them are used interchangeably without clear demarcation on their differences.This article details the various quantification metrics used to evaluate the treatment effect using PROMs,their limitations and the scope of usage and implementation in clinical practice.

Long-term outcomes of a phase Ⅱ randomized controlled trial comparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy with or without weekly cisplatin for the treatment of locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background:Salvage treatment for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) is complicated and relatively limited.Radiotherapy,combined with effective concomitant chemotherapy,may improve clinical treatment outcomes.We conducted a phase Ⅱ randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concomitant weekly cisplatin on locally recurrent NPC.Methods:Between April 2002 and January 2008,69 patients diagnosed with non-metastatic locally recurrent NPC were randomly assigned to either concomitant chemoradiotherapy group(n = 34) or radiotherapy alone group(n = 35).All patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy.The radiotherapy dose for both groups was 60 Gy in 27 fractions for 37 days(range 23-53 days).The concomitant chemotherapy schedule was cisplatin 30 mg/m^2 by intravenous infusion weekly during radiotherapy.Results:The median follow-up period of all patients was 35 months(range 2-112 months).Between concomitant chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy groups,there was only significant difference in the 3-year and 5-year overall survival(OS) rates(68.7%vs.42.2%,P = 0.016 and 41.8%vs.27.5%,P = 0.049,respectively).Subgroup analysis showed that concomitant chemoradiotherapy significantly improved the 5-year OS rate especially for patients in stage rT3-4(33.0%vs.13.2%,P = 0.009),stages Ⅲ-Ⅳ(34.3%vs.13.2%,P = 0.006),recurrence interval >30 months(49.0%vs.20.6%,P = 0.017),and tumor volume >26 cm^3(37.6%vs.0%,P = 0.006).Conclusion:Compared with radiotherapy alone,concomitant chemoradiotherapy can improve OS of the patients with locally recurrent NPC,especially those with advanced T category(rT3-4) and stage(lll-IV) diseases,recurrence intervals >30 months,and tumor volume >26 cm^3.

The involvement of XPC protein in the cisplatin DNA damaging treatment-mediated cellular response

Recognition of DNA damage is a critical step for DNA damage-mediated cellular response. XPC is an important DNA damage recognition protein involved in nucleotide excision repair (NER). We have studied the XPC protein in cisplatin DNA damaging treatment-mediated cellular response. Comparison of the microarray data from both normal and XPCdefective human fibroblasts identified 861 XPC-responsive genes in the cisplatin treatment (with minimum fold change≥1.5).The cell cycle and cell proliferation-related genes are the most affected genes by the XPC defect in the treatment. Many other cellular function genes, especially the DNA repair and signal transduction-related genes, were also affected by the XPC defect in the treatment. To validate the microarray data, the transcription levels of some microarray-identified genes were also determined by an RT-PCR based real time PCR assay. The real time PCR results are consistent with the microarray data for most of the tested genes, indicating the reliability of the microarray data. To further validate the microarray data, the cisplatin treatment-mediated caspase-3 activation was also determined. The Western blot hybridization results indicate that the XPC defect greatly attenuates the cisplatin treatment-mediated Caspase-3 activation. We elucidated the role of p53 protein in the XPC protein DNA damage recognition-mediated signaling process. The XPC defect reduces the cisplatin treatment-mediated p53 response. These results suggest that the XPC protein plays an important role in the cisplatin treatment-mediated cellular response. It may also suggest a possible mechanism of cancer cell drug resistance.

Successful treatment of multiple lung metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma by combined chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin and tegafur/uracil

We report the successful treatment of multiple lung metastases after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with combined docetaxel, cisplatin (CDDP), and enteric-coated tegafur/uracil (UFT-E). A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with multiple lung metastases of HCC 7 mo after partial hepatectomy for HCC. Oral UFT-E was given daily and docetaxel and CDDP were given intra-arterially (administered just before the bronchial arteries) every 2 wk via a subcutaneous injection port. One month after starting chemotherapy, levels of tumor marker, protein induced by vitamin K absence(PIVKA--), decreased rapidly,and after a further month, chest X-ray and computed tomography revealed the complete disappearance of multiple liver metastases. Two years after the combined chemotherapy, HCC recurred in the liver and was treated but no pulmonary recurrence occurred. In the absence of a standardized highly effective therapy, this combined chemotherapy with docetaxel, CDDP and UFT-E may be an attractive option for multiple lung metastases of HCC.

Clinical study of paclitaxel plus cisplatin in the treatment of recurrent cervical cancer

Objective: To observe the efficacy and toxicities of paclitaxel plus cisplatin in the treatment of recurrent cervical cancer. Methods: Twenty-three patients with a diagnosis of recurrent cervical cancer were eligible. Three-weekly chemo- therapy regimen consisted of paclitaxel 135–150 mg/m2 infusion for 3 h on day 1, cisplatin 25 mg/m2 infusion on day 1 to 3. All patients received at least two cycles treatment. Results: The response rates was 47.8%, including CR 2 cases (8.7%), PR 9 cases (39.1%). The major toxicity included neutropenia, nausea vomiting, arthralgia, myalgia and alopecia. Conclusion: Paclitaxel combined with cisplatin is an effective therapy with acceptable adverse reactions for recurrent cervical cancer.

Combination Treatment with BEC and Cisplatin Synergistically Augments Anticancer Activity and Results in Increased Absolute Survival

Plant-derived BEC with its main component solamargine possesses anticancer activities via its effect on a variety of biological pathways in a wide range of human cancer cells. High cure rates with BEC therapy have been obtained in animals with deadly cancers, and, in humans with terminal cancers promising results have been reported. At a clinical level, optimal concentrations of BEC have been established in a topical cream formulation Curaderm, for effective removal of skin cancers, but optimal concentrations of BEC have not been reported for other cancers. The objective of this study was to determine whether combination therapy of Cisplatin with BEC would result in synergism using cure rates as end points. BEC on its own cures Sarcoma 180 in mice, whereas, Cisplatin on its own has no effect on Sarcoma 180 activity. A combination of BEC and Cisplatin shows synergism, resulting in higher cure rates than BEC and Cisplatin at comparable individual concentrations.

Nephroprotective Effect of <i>Nigella Sativa</i>and <i>Matricaria Chamomilla</i>in Cisplatin Induced Renal Injury—Supportive Treatments in Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity

Nigella sativa and Matricaria chamomilla are extensively consumed as tea or tonic. Despite their widespread use as a home remedy, relatively few trials evaluated their benefits in nephroprotection. Hence, this study evaluates the nephroprotective effects of supportive treatments (N. sativa, M. chamomilla and vitamin E) in cisplatin nephrotoxicity rat model. Eighty rats divided into 10 groups, of 8 animals each. The first group (G1) injected with saline intra-pretoneal (i.p). G2 injected with 5 mg/kg cisplatin i.p on zero day of experiment and repeated 4 times, with 5 days free interval. G3-G10 received daily supportive treatments, started 5 days before the experiment (–5day). Concomitantly G4, G6, G8 and G10 injected with 5 mg/kg cisplatin i.p like G2. On day sixteen, animal scarified, serum and/or kidney tissue were used to determine kidney function tests (serum urea, creatinine, NAG, β-gal), oxidative stress indices (NO, LPO), antioxidant activities (SOD), sulphur compounds (GGT, GSH, total thiols ), apoptotic indices (cathepsin D, DNA fragmentation), two minerals (Ca2+ and zn2+). Cisplatin caused marked elevation in serum GGT that reduced signifi-cantly in group received M. chamomilla with cisplatin (P < 0.001). There is a correlation between GGT and NAG in cisplatin group (r = 0.731 p < 0.05) that may suggest one of possible mechanisms of renal injury by cisplatin. M. chamomilla followed by N. sativa and vitamin E improved the biochemical and pathological renal injury, as determined by increasing the body weight, normalizing the kidney functions, decreasing the oxidative stress markers, improving the apoptotic markers, minimizing the pathological changes. Hence, N. sativa and M. chamomilla will be a promising nephroprotective agents for reducing cisplatin nephrotoxicity, most probably, by antioxidants effects and inhibition GGT production, respectively.

Comparison of intra-pleural injection efficacy between Endostar and Bevacizumab combined with pemetrexed/cisplatin for the treatment of malignant pleural effusion in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-/anaplastic lymphoma kinase-lung adenocarci

Objective To compare intra-pleural injection efficacy and safety between Endostar and bevacizumab combined with pemetrexed/cisplatin for the treatment of malignant pleural effusion in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)-/anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)-lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Sixty-four pCVatients with EGFR-/ALK-lung adenocarcinoma with malignant pleural effusion(MPE) were admitted to the authors' hospital between January 2016 and June 2017. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: Endostar combined with pemetrexed/cisplatin(Endostar group); and bevacizumab plus pemetrexed/cisplatin(Bevacizumab group). They underwent thoracic puncture and catheterization, and MPE was drained as much as possible. Both groups were treated with pemetrexed 500 mg/m^2, intravenous drip(d1), cisplatin 37.5 mg/m^2 per time, intra-pleural injection(d1, d3). Patients in the Endostar group were treated with Endostar 30 mg per time, intra-pleural injection(d1, 3), and patients in the Bevacizumab group were treated with bevacizumab 5 mg/kg per time, intra-pleural injection(d1). Only one cycle of treatment was applied. MPE was extracted before treatment and on day 7 after treatment. The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) were determined using ELISA. Efficacy and side effects were evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(RECIST) version 1.1, and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(CTCAE) version 3.0 criteria. Results The objective response rates in the Endostar and Bevacizumab groups were 50.0% and 56.3%, respectively; there was no statistical difference between the groups(P > 0.05). After one cycle of treatment, the mean VEGF levels in MPE in both groups decreased significantly, and there was no significant difference in the degree of decline between the two groups(P > 0.05). In both groups, pre-treatment VEGF levels for patients achieving complete response were significantly higher than those for patients achieving stable disease + progressive disease(P < 0.05). No specific side effects were recorded. Conclusion Endostar and Bevacizumab demonstrated similar efficacy in controlling MPE in patients with EGFR-/ALK-lung adenocarcinoma through an anti-angiogenesis pathway, with tolerable side effects. The levels of VEGF in MPE could predict the efficacy of intra-pleural injection of anti-angiogenesis drugs.

Comparison of efficacy and toxicity between gemcitabine plus cisplatin and plus carboplatin in first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective: To compare the efficacy and toxicity between gemcitabine plus cisplatin and plus carboplatin in first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 iv, d1, 8; cisplatin 75 mg/m2 iv, d1, or 25 mg/m2 iv, d1-3; carboplatin AUC = 5 iv, d1; repeated every 21 days. Results: All 76 cases were available for objective response. Gemcitabine + cisplatin (GCis) group: among 33 cases, CR 1 case, PR 13 cases, MR 3 cases, SD 7 cases, PD 9 cases, response rate, disease control rate, time to progress (TTP), median survival time (MST) and 1-, 2-year survival rates were 42.42% (14/33), 72.73% (24/33), 5 months, 14 months and 66.67% (22/33), 12.12% (4/33), respectively; Gemcitabine + carboplatin (GCarb) group: among 43 cases, PR 13 cases, MR 11 cases, SD 7 cases, PD 12 cases, the results while comparing with those of GCis group were 30.23% (13/43), 72.09% (31/43), 4 months, 11 months and 48.84% (21/43), 2.33% (1/43), respectively. Among them, only MST between the two groups had significant statistic difference (χ2 = 2.45, P = 0.017). Mild to modest myelo-suppression as well as nausea and vomiting were observed. Conclusion: Both GCis and GCarb regimens had active and well-tolerated toxicity for advanced NSCLC. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy yields a substantial effective advantage over carboplatin-based regimens. Therefore, carboplatin and cisplatin are not equal-active and that cisplatin-based doublet regimens should remain the standard first-line therapy for patients with advanced NSCLC with good performance status.

Combination treatment of inflammatory bowel disease:Present status and future perspectives

The treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),especially those with severe or refractory disease,represents an important challenge for the clinical gastroenterologist.It seems to be no exaggeration to say that in these patients,not only the scientific background of the gastroenterologist is tested,but also the abundance of“gifts”that he should possess(insight,intuition,determ-ination,ability to take initiative,etc.)for the successful outcome of the treatment.In daily clinical practice,depending on the severity of the attack,IBD is treated with one or a combination of two or more pharmaceutical agents.These combin-ations include not only the first-line drugs(e.g.,mesalazine,corticosteroids,antibiotics,etc)but also second-and third-line drugs(immunosuppressants and biologic agents).It is a fact that despite the significant therapeutic advances there is still a significant percentage of patients who do not satisfactorily respond to the treatment applied.Therefore,a part of these patients are going to surgery.In recent years,several small-size clinical studies,reviews,and case reports have been published combining not only biological agents with other drugs(e.g.,immunosuppressants or corticosteroids)but also the combination of two biologi-cal agents simultaneously,especially in severe cases.In our opinion,it is at least a strange(and largely unexplained)fact that we often use combinations of drugs in a given patient although studies comparing the simultaneous administration of two or more drugs with monotherapy are very few.As mentioned above,there is a timid tendency in the literature to combine two biological agents in severe cases unresponsive to the applied treatment or patients with severe extraintestinal manifestations.The appropriate dosage,the duration of the administration,the suitable timing for checking the clinical and laboratory outcome,as well as the treatment side-effects,should be the subject of intense clinical research shortly.In this editorial,we attempt to summarize the existing data regarding the already applied combination therapies and to humbly formulate thoughts and suggestions for the future application of the combination treatment of biological agents in a well-defined category of patients.We suggest that the application of biomarkers and artificial intelligence could help in establishing new forms of treatment using the available modern drugs in patients with IBD resistant to treatment.

Working toward an integrated plasticity/network framework for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to inform tailored treatments

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques(NIBS),including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) and transcranial electric stim ulation(tES),are increasingly being adopted clinically for treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders,albeit with varying success.The rationale behind the use of NIBS has historically been that stim ulation techniques modulate neuronal activity in the targeted region and consequently induce plasticity which can lead to therapeutic outcomes.

Granisetron Transdermal Patch for Treatment of Nausea in Patients Undergoing Cisplatin Based Chemotherapy for Cervical Cancer

Objective: The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in newly diagnosed cervical cancer patients receiving cisplatin and radiation treatment;and to determine if the granisetron transdermal patch (Sancuso?) would be appropriate to recommend as part of standard antiemetic regimen for the cisplatin radiation chemotherapy order set. Methods: This is a retrospective case-controlled study of cervical cancer patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy with radiation (cisXRT);comparing patients receiving the granisetron transdermal patch to matched patients receiving oral 5HT3 blockers. All patients prescribed cisXRT between September 15th 2008 and November 30, 2011 were identified using pharmacy dispensing records. Patients were included if they received at least a partial dose of cisXRT and Sancuso? patch as standard antiemetic prophylaxis prior to cisXRT for cervical cancer treatment. Exclusion criteria included concomitant investigational agents, biotherapy and/or chemotherapy agents;prior chemotherapy;or incomplete or restricted medical records. Patients will be matched based on age. Patients were matched 3:1 (oral:patch). A total of 404 patients that received and completed cisXRT were identified utilizing an existing de-identified database from previous study were reviewed to evaluate parameters of interest. Results: A total of 285 patients’ medication records were reviewed for Sancuso? use, and 47 were identified. Of these 47 charts only five patient cases met eligibility criteria to be included in the study. All five patients that received the granisetron patch had at least three known risk factors for nausea. The nausea/vomiting in these patients did not worsen after receiving the Sancuso? patch, and four out of five had subjective improvement. CINV was unrelated to changes in laboratory values or incidence of other toxicity and was not dose-related. Conclusions: While no definitive conclusions could be drawn from this retrospective analysis, the limited data suggests that patients’ nausea and vomiting did not worsen after receiving the Sancuso? patch, and four out of five patients had subjective improvement. The challenges met and limitations identified justify the need for a prospective study that is now underway to control other contributing variables and evaluate overall efficacy of the granisetron patch for controlling CINV in patients receiving cisplatin plus radiation.

Practical Use of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Combination Therapy as First-Line Treatment for Japanese Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer

Gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy (GC) is accepted as a standard treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). However, little information is available regarding such treatment in the clinical practice setting in Japan. We retrospectively examined the clinical data of patients with unresectable or recurrent BTC who received GC as first-line treatment. The regimen consisted of cisplatin (25 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 of repeated 3-week cycles. Twenty patients were analyzed. A total of 148 cycles of GC was administered, with a median of 8 and a range of 1 to 18 cycles. Treatment delay and dose reduction were noted in 35 (24%) and 41 (28%) of the 148 cycles, respectively. The major adverse events of grade 3 or 4 included neutropenia (50%), leukopenia (45%), anemia (30%), and thrombocytopenia (15%). Nonhematologic toxicities included nausea (10%), appetite loss (10%), and fatigue (10%). Median progression-free and overall survival times were 6.9 and 12.3 months, respectively. Gallbladder cancer showed a significantly higher response rate than did other types of BTC (chi-squaretest, P = 0.002). GC was thus effective and well tolerated as first-line chemotherapy for Japanese patients with advanced BTC in the clinical practice setting.

Influence of heat treatment on microstructure,mechanical and corrosion behavior of WE43 alloy fabricated by laser-beam powder bed fusion

Magnesium(Mg)alloys are considered to be a new generation of revolutionary medical metals.Laser-beam powder bed fusion(PBF-LB)is suitable for fabricating metal implants withpersonalized and complicated structures.However,the as-built part usually exhibits undesirable microstructure and unsatisfactory performance.In this work,WE43 parts were firstly fabricated by PBF-LB and then subjected to heat treatment.Although a high densification rate of 99.91%was achieved using suitable processes,the as-built parts exhibited anisotropic and layeredmicrostructure with heterogeneously precipitated Nd-rich intermetallic.After heat treatment,fine and nano-scaled Mg24Y5particles were precipitated.Meanwhile,theα-Mg grainsunderwent recrystallization and turned coarsened slightly,which effectively weakened thetexture intensity and reduced the anisotropy.As a consequence,the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were significantly improved to(250.2±3.5)MPa and(312±3.7)MPa,respectively,while the elongation was still maintained at a high level of 15.2%.Furthermore,the homogenized microstructure reduced the tendency of localized corrosion and favoredthe development of uniform passivation film.Thus,the degradation rate of WE43 parts was decreased by an order of magnitude.Besides,in-vitro cell experiments proved their favorable biocompatibility.