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Background. Serous psammocarcinoma of the ovary is a rare and infrequently described variant of ovarian cancer, characterized histologically by the pervasive presence of psammoma bodies. The risk of recurrent disease following surgical resection is low. Case history. A 70-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency room after falling at home. CT evaluation revealed a pelvic mass and free fluid in the abdomen and pelvis. Her serum CA-125 level was greatly elevated. The patient underwent an abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Histologic examination revealed serous psammocarcinoma of the ovary. Conclusion. Psammocarcinoma is a rare form of ovarian cancer associated with a favorable prognosis. However, the rare incidence of this disease and inconsistent biological behavior can confound the diagnosis for the treating physician.

Thalidomide-based multidisciplinary treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma:A retrospective analysis

AIM： To evaluate the efficacy of thalidomide in com- bination with other therapies to treat patients with ad- vanced hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with HCC who were treated with thalido- mide for at least two months. The medical records of patients with HCC who were treated at our institution between April 2003 and March 2008 were reviewed. Image studies performed before and after treatment, tumor response, overall survival, and the decrease in o-fetoprotein （AFP） levels were evaluated. RESULTS： A total of 53 patients with HCC received either 100 or 200 mg/d of thalidomide. The patient population consisted of 9 women and 44 men with a median age of 61 years. Thirty patients （56.6%） were classified as Child-Pugh A, and 12 patients （22.6%） were classified as Child-Pugh B. Twenty-six patients had portal vein thrombosis （49.1%）, and 25 patients had extrahepatic metastasis （47.1%）. The median duration of thalidomide treatment was 6.0 mo. Six of the 53 patients achieved a confirmed response （11.3%）, one achieved a complete response （1.9%） and 5 achieved a partial response （9.4%）. The disease control rate （CR ＋ PR ＋ SD） was 28.3% （95% CI： 17.8-42.4）, and the median overall survival rate was 10.5 too. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 45% and 20%, respectively. Only one complete response patient showed an im- proved overall survival rate of 66.8 mo. Sixteen patients （30.2%） showed more than a 50% decrease in their serum AFP levels from baseline, indicating a better re- sponse rate （31.3%）, disease control rate （43.8%）, and overall survival time （20.7 mo）. The therapy was well tolerated, and no significant toxicities were observed. CONCLUSION： Thalidomide was found to be safe for advanced HCC patients, demonstrating anti-tumor ac- tivity including response, survival, and AFP decreases of greater than 50% from baseline.

A Randomised Controlled PhaseⅡTrial of the Combination of XELOX with Thalidomide for the First-line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of XELOX regimen （oxaliplatin plus capecitabine） with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer （MCRC）. Methods All of the 89 patients with MCRC who fulfilled eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to treatment group （n=44） and control group （n=45）. The treatment group received a combination of XELOX with thalidomide and the control group received XELOX alone. Each patient received at least 2 cycles of treatment （1 cycle=21 d）. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival （PFS） and the secondary endpoints were objective response rate （ORR） as well as disease control rate （DCR）. Drug safety and quality of life were also assessed. Results The median PFS of the treatment and control groups were 5.6 and 5.2 months, respectively. The difference did not have a statistical significance （P=0.307）. The ORRs of the two groups also had no statistical difference （34.1% vs. 26.7%, P=0.446）. The addition of thalidomide to XELOX significantly improved the DCR （63.6% vs. 42.2%, P=0.043）. Among 24 patients with hepatic metastasis in the treatment group, 2 patients satisfied the surgical criteria after treatment but none of 23 patients in the control group did. Grade 3 or 4 constipation in patients treated with thalidomide was significantly increased （20.5% vs. 4.4%, P=0.022） but didn＇t result in treatment interruption. The rate of lethargy was increased but the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance （13,6% vs. 4.4%, P=0.130）. The quality of life had no statistical difference between the two groups. Conclusions The combination of XELOX with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of MCRC was well tolerated. Statistically significant improvement was achieved for time DCR but not for PFS.

Effect of etoposide plus thalidomide as maintenance therapy on progression-free survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etoposide plus thalidomide as maintenance therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC） without disease progression after first-line chemotherapy.Methods After four to six cycles of platinum-based first-line therapy, 64 elderly patients with advanced NSCLC without disease progression who were treated in the General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region（China） from 2014 to 2016 were enrolled in this study. According to the different maintenance treatment methods, patients were divided as having received etoposide plus thalidomide therapy（treatment group, n = 32） and best supportive care（control group, n = 32）. Disease control and progression-free survival（PFS） were compared between the two groups. Results The recent curative effect objective response rates of the treatment group and the control group were 31.3% and 3.1%, respectively, and the disease control rates were 71.9% and 31.3%, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves of the two groups were significantly different（χ2 = 26.532, P = 0.001）. The median PFS for the treatment group and control group was 6.0 months [95% confidence interval（CI） = 4.3–7.9 months] and 3.2 months（95% CI = 2.6–3.8 months）, respectively. The side effects in the treatment group included hematologic abnormalities, gastrointestinal toxicity, and impaired liver function, which were relieved after symptomatic support therapy and drug withdrawal.Conclusion Etoposide plus thalidomide as maintenance therapy is associated with a significantly longer PFS with tolerable toxicity for elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.AcknowledgementThe authors would like to thank Liu Zhongzheng for his technical assistance.

Effects of lobaplatin and oxaliplatin on biological behavior of colorectal carcinoma cell line

Objective： The aim of the study was to observe the effects of Iobaplatin and oxaliplatin on biological behavior of colorectal carcinoma cell line. Methods： The human colorectal carcinoma cell line LoVo and HR-8348 were used in the present study, and different concentrations of Iobaplatin and oxaliplatin served as inhibitors. The invasion and metastasis potential were evaluated with Transwell chamber, and cell inhibition ratio was measured with MTT assay. Results： Lobaplatin and oxaliplatin could significantly decrease the abilities of invasion and metastasis of LoVo and HR-8348 as compared with the control group （P 〈 0.01）, but no difference between Iobaplatin and oxaliplatin groups was observed （P 〉 0.05）. No difference was found in the cell inhibition ratio between the Iobaplatin and oxaliplatin groups （P 〉 0.05）. Lobaplatin could inhibit colorectal carcinoma cells that oxaliplatin couldn＇t do. Conclusion： Lobaplatin is a new antitumor platinum drug and can inhibit colorectal carcinoma cells. Moreover, Iobaplatin could also inhibit colorectal carcinoma cells which are resistant to oxaliplatin.

Oxaliplatin-induced severe anaphylactic reactions in metastatic colorectal cancer: Case series analysis

AIM: To investigate oxaliplatin-induced severe anaphylactic reactions (SAR) in metastatic colorectal cancer in a retrospective case series analysis and to conduct a systemic literature review. METHODS: During a 6-year period from 2006 to 2011 at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, a total of 412 patients exposed to oxaliplatin-related chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant Englishlanguage studies regarding life-threatening SAR following oxaliplatin were also reviewed in MEDLINE and PubMed search. RESULTS: Eight patients (1.9%, 8 of 412 cases) were identified. Seven patients were successful resuscitated without any sequelae and one patient expired. We changed the chemotherapy regimen in five patients and rechallenged oxaliplatin use in patient 3. Twenty-three relevant English-language studies with 66 patients were reported. Patients received a median of 10 cycles of oxaliplatin (range, 2 to 29). Most common symptoms were respiratory distress (60%), fever (55%), and hypotension (54%). Three fatal events were reported (4.5%). Eleven patients (16%) of the 66 cases were rechallenged by oxaliplatin. CONCLUSION: SAR must be considered in patients receiving oxaliplatin-related chemotherapy, especially in heavily pretreated patients. Further studies on the mechanism, predictors, preventive methods and management of oxaliplatin-related SAR are recommended.

Paclitaxel based vs oxaliplatin based regimens for advanced gastric cancer

AIM:To compare the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel combined with fluorouracil plus cisplatin(PCF),and oxaliplatin combined with fluorouracil plus leucovorin(FOLFOX-4) regimens for advanced gastric cancer(AGC).METHODS:Ninety-four patients with AGC were randomly assigned to receive paclitaxel(50 mg/m2 iv) on days 1,8 and 15,cisplatin(20 mg/m2 iv) and ? uorouracil(750 mg/m2 iv) on days 1-5,or oxaliplatin(85 mg/m2 iv) and leucovorin(200 mg/m2 iv) on day 1,followed by bolus fluorouracil(400 mg/m2 iv) and fluorouracil(600 mg/m2 iv) on days 1 and 2.The primary end point was the 1-year survival time.RESULTS:The overall response rate(ORR) of the pa-tients was 48.0% and 45.5% to PCF and FOLFOX-4,respectively.The disease control rate(DCR) of PCF and FOLFOX-4 was 82.0% and 81.8%,respectively.The median survival times(MSTs) of the patients were 10.8 and 9.9 mo,respectively,after treatment with PCF and FOLFOX-4.The 1-year survival rate of the patients was 36.0% and 34.1%,respectively,after treatment with PCF and FOLFOX-4.No significant difference was observed in ORR,DCR,MST or 1-year survival rate between the two groups.The most common adverse events were anemia,nausea and vomiting,and grade 3/4 alopecia in PCF treatment group,and anemia,grade 1/2 neurotoxic effect and grade 3/4 neutropenia in FOLFOX-4 treatment group.CONCLUSION:Patients with AGC have a similar response rate to PCF and FOLFOX-4 regimens with a similar survival rate.The PCF and FOLFOX-4 regimens are efficacious and tolerable as a promising therapy for AGC.

Thermotherapy enhances oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma cells

AIM： To observe the synergistic effects of hyperthermia in oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human colon adenocarcinoma Lovo cells.

Gemcitabine and oxaliplatin combination chemotherapy in 30 patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the activity and safety of combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin (GEMOX regimen) in patients of advanced pancreatic carcinoma. Methods: 30 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled into this study. All patients received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2, given by 30-minute intravenous infusion, on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle. Oxaliplatin 100 mg/m2 was administered as a 2 h infusion on day 1 of each 21 day. Clinical outcomes for patients treated with two cycles of chemotherapy were evaluated according to WHO criteria. Results: All 30 patients were eligible for effectiveness and safety analysis. Objective response rate was approximately 20.0%. Clinical benefit response (CBR) was a composite of assessment of pain, performance status and body weight. The pain relief rate, improve-ment rate of performance status and body weight were 53.3%, 46.7% and 36.7%, respectively. The main adverse effects were bone marrow depression, peripheral nerve toxicity and gastrointestinal reaction. There was no treatment-related death during the chemotherapy. Conclusion: The high response rate with low toxicity observed in this study suggests that GEMOX regimen may be an effective alternative curative treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma and can be used more extensively in clinical practice.

Suppression of colorectal cancer metastasis by nigericin through inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition

AIM: To evaluate the effect of nigericin on colorectal cancer and to explore its possible mechanism. METHODS: The human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines HT29 and SW480 were treated with nigericin or oxaliplatin under the conditions specified. Cell viability assay and invasion and metastasis assay were performed to evaluate the effect of nigericin on CRC cells. Sphereforming assay and soft agar colony-forming assay were implemented to assess the action of nigericin on the cancer stem cell properties of CRC cells undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). RESULTS: Compared with oxaliplatin, nigericin showed more toxicity for the HT29 cell line (IC50, 12.92 ± 0.25 μmol vs 37.68 ± 0.34 μmol). A similar result was also obtained with the SW116 cell line (IC50, 15.86 ± 0.18 μmol vs 41.02 ± 0.23 μmol). A Boyden chamber assay indicated that a significant decrease in the number of HT29 cells migrating through polyvinylidene fluoride membrane was observed in the nigericin-treated group, relative to the vehicle-treated group [11 ± 2 cells per high-power field (HPF) vs 19.33 ± 1.52 cells per HPF, P < 0.05]. Compared to the control group, the numbers of HT29 cells invading through the Matrigel-coated membrane also decreased in the nigericin-treated group (6.66 ± 1.52 cells per HPF vs 14.66 ± 1.52 cells per HPF, P < 0.05). Nigericin also reduced the proportion of CD133+ cells from 83.57% to 63.93%, relative to the control group (P < 0.05). Nigericin decreased the number of spheres relative to the control group (0.14 ± 0.01 vs 0.35 ± 0.01, P < 0.05), while oxaliplatin increased the number of spheres relative to the control group (0.75 ± 0.02 vs 0.35 ± 0.01; P < 0.05). Nigericin also showed a decreased ability to form colonies under anchorage-independent conditions in a standard soft agar assay after 14 d in culture, relative to the control group (1.66 ± 0.57 vs 7 ± 1.15, P < 0.05), whereas the colony numbers were higher in the oxaliplatin group relative to the vehicle-treated controls (14.33 ± 0.57 vs 7 ± 1.15, P < 0.05). We further detected the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin in cells treated with nigericin and oxaliplatin. The results showed that HT29 cells treated with nigericin induced an increase in E-cadherin expression and a decrease in the vimentin expression relative to vehicle controls. In contrast, oxaliplatin downregulated the expression of E-cadherin and upregulated the expression of vimentin in HT29 cells relative to vehicle controls. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that nigericin could partly reverse the EMT process during cell invasion and metastasis.

LY294002 potentiates the anti-cancer effect of oxaliplatin for gastric cancer via death receptor pathway

AIM:To examine the effects of combined treatment of oxaliplatin and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibitor,2-(4-morpholinyl) -8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one(LY294002) for gastric cancer. METHODS:Cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.Apoptotic cells were detected by flow cytometric analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay.Western blotting and immuno-precipitation were used to examine protein expression and recruitment,respectively.Nuclear factorκB(NFκB) binding activities were investigated using electrophoretic mobility shift assay.Nude mice were used to investigate tumor growth. RESULTS:Treatment with combined oxaliplatin and LY294002 resulted in increased cell growth inhibi-tion and cell apoptosis in vitro,and increased tumor growth inhibition and cell death in the tumor mass in vivo.In MKN45 and AGS cells,oxaliplatin treatment promoted both protein kinase B(Akt) and NFκB activation,while pretreatment with LY294002 significantly attenuated oxaliplatin-induced Akt activity and NFκB binding.LY294002 promoted oxaliplatin-induced Fas ligand(FasL) expression,Fas-associated death domain protein recruitment,caspase-8,Bid,and caspase-3 activation,and the short form of cellular caspase-8/FLICEinhibitory protein(c-FLIPS) inhibition.In vivo,LY294002 inhibited oxaliplatin-induced activation of Akt and NFκB,and increased oxaliplatin-induced expression of FasL,inhibition of c-FLIPS,and activation of caspase-8,Bid,and caspase-3. CONCLUSION:Combination of oxaliplatin and LY294002 was therapeutically promising for gastric cancer treatment.The enhanced sensitivity of the combined treatment was associated with the activation of the death receptor pathway.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression as a predictor of outcome in colorectal carcinoma

AIM:To correlate cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)expression profile with clinical and pathological variables to assess their prognostic/predictive value in colorectal carcinoma(CRC).METHODS:Archival tumor samples were analyzed using immunohistochemistry for COX-2 expression in 94 patients with CRC.Patients were diagnosed and treatedat the Departments of Surgery and Oncology,King Abdulaziz University Hospital,Saudi Arabia.RESULTS:Fifty-six percent of the tumors showed positive cytoplasmic COX-2 expression,whereas 44%of cases were completely COX-2-negative.There were no significant correlations between COX-2 expression and sex,age,grade or tumor location.However,COX-2 expression revealed a significant correlation with tumor stage(P=0.01)and distant metastasis(P=0.02),and a borderline association with lymph node involvement(P =0.07).Tumors with high COX-2 expression showed a higher recurrence rate than tumors with no expression(P<0.009).In univariate Kaplan-Meier survival analysis,there was a significant(P=0.026)difference in disease-free survival between COX-2-positive and negative tumors in favor of the latter.COX-2 expression did not significantly predict disease-specific survival,which was much shorter for COX-2-positive tumors.In multivariate(COX)models,COX-2 did not appear among the independent predictors of disease-free survival or disease-specific survival.CONCLUSION:COX-2 expression seems to provide useful prognostic information in CRC,while predicting the patients at high risk for recurrent disease.

ERCC1 Asn118Asn polymorphism as predictor for cancer response to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer

Objective： To assess whether the polymorphism of ERCC1 Asn118Asn （C → T） had effects on cancer response to chemotherapy and outcome in Chinese patients treated with oxaliplatin as first-line chemotherapy regimen for advanced colorectal cancer. Methods： ERCC1 Asn 118Asn polymorphism was analyzed in 99 patients with stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ advanced colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy, For all of the patients, ERCC1 Asnl18Asn genotype was analyzed for associations with treatment response and time to disease progress （TTP）. Results： The allele frequencies of the ERCC1 gene codon 118 were C/C 50.51% （50/99）, C/T 41.41% （41/99）, T/T 8.08% （8/99）, respectively. Patients with C/C genotype showed higher response rate than those with C/T ＋ T/T （OR = 3.764, 95% CI： 1.310-10.813）. The median TTP of all patients was 7 months （95% CI： 5.569--8.431）. Patients with C/C genotype showed a median TTP of 10 months （95% CI： 8.924-11.076）, which was longer than 5 months （95% CI： 4.424-5.576） in patients with C/T ＋ T/T genotypes. Conclusion： Our results showed a link between ERCC1 Asn118Asn genetic polymorphism and cancer response to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy and time to disease progress in Chinese patients with advanced colorectal cancer. ERCC1 Asn 118Asn genotyping may be of predictive benefit in selecting treatment regimen for advanced colorectal cancer.

Biological effect of NK4 gene mediated by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium on hepatocellular carcinoma cell HepG2

Objective： The aim of the study was to construct a stable strain of recombined attenuated Salmonella typhimurium expressing NK4 gene, and observe the effect of the strain on the metastatic potentiality of HepG2 cells. Methods： The NK4 cDNA was isolated from PCAGGS/hNK4 plasmid by PCR, and subcloned into eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA4. The recombinant plasmid was electro-transferred into attenuated Salmonella typhimurium Ty21a to obtain the recombinant strain encoding NK4 gene （TPN）. Simultaneously, the recombinant attenuated Salmonella typhimurium carrying GFP gene （TPG） was also constructed. After the TPG and TPN were transferred into HepG2 cells, the transfection rate and the expression level of NK4 protein were detected by flow cytometry and ELISA, and the effects of expression product on the proliferation and migration of HepG2 and angiogenesis were observed. Results： The TPN and TPG were successfully constructed. Fortyeight hours after transfection with TPG, the infection rate was 82.58% ± 1.74%, and the expression level of NK4 protein in supernatant was （181.5 ± 11.7） ng/6 × 10^5 cells. The supematant had obviously depressant effect on the proliferative activity of HepG2 cells （P 〈 0.05）, and could obviously restrain the hepatocyte growth factor-mediated migration of tumor cells （P 〈 0.01）. The inhibitory effect of the expression product on the tumor angiopoiesis was obviously observed （P 〈 0.05）, without a dosage-effect relation. Conclusion： The TPN could effectively transfer tumor cells in vitro and express interest NK4 protein. The expression product could effectively inhibit the proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the tumor angiopoiesis.

Oxaliplatin combined with S-1 capsule in the treatment of 62 cases with advanced gastric cancer

Objective： The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of DeFazio （S-l） combined with oxaliplatin against unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric cancer. Methods： Oxaliplatin was given intravenously at 130 mg/m2 for 2 h on dl and S-1 was administered bid. at 80 mg/m2/day on d1-14 followed by a 7-day rest during the 3-week schedule. Results： All 62 patients were assessed for efficacy and adverse events. The response and disease control rates were 47.3% and 80.8%, respectively. The median time to progression was 7.8 months, and the median overall survival was 11.6 months. The grade 3/4 adverse events were hematological toxicities, including neutropenia （11.3%）, thrombocytopenia （9.7%） and gastrointestinal reactions （6.5%）. Conclusion： The SOX regimen （oxaliplatin, 130 mg/m2 d l; S-1, 80 mg/m2/day, bid. d1-14, q3w） provide a favorable efficacy and safety profile in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Effects of docetaxel,oxaliplatin and their combination on HeLa strain of cervical cancer

Objective:To study the inhibitory effect of docetaxel(DOC),oxaliplatin(OXA) and their combination on proliferation of cervical cancer line HeLa.Methods:Cell morphological changes were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope,cell inhibition rates in different groups were examined by MTT,and cell cycle and apoptosis rates were determined by flow cytometry(FCM).Results:DOC and OXA inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cell line HeLa in a dose-dependent,and combination of the two drugs had an enhanced inhibitory effect;the apoptosis rate was also significantly increased when the two drugs were used in combination.Conclusion:DOC and OXA can synergistically inhibit the proliferation of cervical cancer cell line HeLa,which indicates that combination of the two drugs might has a promising future for clinical treatment of cervical cancer.

A Randomized Clinical Study on Combination of Concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy and Thalidomide for Middle-Late Esophageal Cancer

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the response rate and tolerance of patients with middle-late esophageal carcinoma, who were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy （CCRT） plus thalidomide.METHODS Sixty-five eligible patients with local middle-late esophageal carcinoma were randomly assigned to the treatment group （TG） and the control group （CG）. The 33 patients from the TG were treated with CCRT plus thalidomide （a 60-70 Gy of radiation dose, and 5-FU plus cisplatin; oral administration of thalidomide at a dose of 100 mg/d on the first week and 200 mg/d on the second. Both were taken with water, at bedtime until completion of the radiotherapy. In the CG, 32 patients received CCRT only. The clinical effects and tolerance to the CCRT between the 2 groups were compared.RESULTS The response rates of the therapeutic combination in the TG and CG were 87.9% and 68.7%, respectively. There were no statistical differences in comparing the response rates between the 2 groups （P 〉 0.05）; the local control rates in the TG and CG were 93% and 91%, respectively, and there were no statistical differences between the 2 groups （P 〉 0.05）; the 1-year survival rates of the patients in the TG and CG were 74.0% and 63.0%, respectively, without statistical differences between the 2 groups （P 〉 0.05）. The improvement rates of KPS scoring in the TG and CG were 57.6% and 31.3%, respectively. There were significant differences in comparing the improvement rates between the 2 groups （P 〈 0.05）. The incidence rates of nausea and vomiting were lower in the TG compared to the CG, with a statistical significance between the 2 groups （P 〈 0.05）. However, the incidence rates of constipation, lethargy and fatigue were higher in the TG than in CG, showing a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION CCRT combined with thalidomide in treating esophageal carcinoma may improve the quality of life of the patients, the treatment may also raise patients＇ compliance to chemoradiotherapy, and possibly increase their long-term survival rate. Further studies related to this topic are needed.

The short-time effects of chemotherapy with combinations of hydroxycamptothecine and oxaliplatin in treatment of advanced colorectal cancer

Objective： Although 5-fluarouracil-based chemotherapy has become a standard regimen for treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, the efficacy, as second line therapy, is not high. It is necessary to find a new regimen as a substitute for these patients. The study was to evaluate the short-time effects and toxicity of combination of HCPT plus L-OHP regimen in treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Methods： Forty-seven patients with pathological evidence of advanced colorectal cancer were enrolled and were treated with HCPT plus L-OHP regimen for 86 cycles. All patients were treated with L-OHP 130 mg/m^2 day 1 and HCPT 6 mg/m^2day 1-4, the chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks as a cycle. The Short-time efficats and side effects were evaluated after 2 cycles for each patient. Results： 38 cases can be evaluated to short-time effects and achieved the overall response rate （CR＋PR） was 36.8%. KPS improved in 20 cases （52.6%）. In the total 86 cycles, the leucopenia occurred in 59 cycles （68.6%）,18 cycles （30.5%） in grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ and the diarrhea occurred in 48 cycles （55.8%）, 18 cycles （37.5%） in grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ. Conclusion： A satisfied response rate was obtained in advanced colorectal cancer patients treated by HCPT plus L-OHP regimen, especially who were the failure of first-line chemotherapy with 5-FU. The limited-dose toxicity was leucopenia and diarrhea.

ERCC1 expression is a predictor of survival in gastric cancer patients treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the excision repair cross-complementing(ERCC1) expression on survival in advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent surgical resection and treated with oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:Sixty-three patients who underwent surgical resection for cure and treated with oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy were included in this study.The expressions of ERCC1 of gastric cancer were examined by immunohistochemistry and the patients were categorized into ERCC1-(+) and ERCC1-(-) groups.The relation between ERCC1 expression and survival of patients was examined.Results:Of the 63 eligible patients,36 patients(57.1%) had tumor with a positive expression of ERCC1 and the remaining 27 patients had tumor with a negative ERCC1 expression.Expression differences of ERCC1 didn't correlated with age(P = 0.827),gender(P = 0.12),differentiation(P = 0.113),histological type(P = 0.942),site of tumor(P = 0.221),size of tumor(P = 0.608),stage(P = 0.815) and lymphatic invasion(P = 0.165).Overall survival(OS) was significantly longer in patients without ERCC1 expression,when compared to patients with ERCC1 expression(P = 0.023).Multivariate analysis revealed that ERCC1 expression significantly impacted on OS(HR:4.049;P = 0.000).Conclusion:We concluded that resected and treated with oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy gastric cancer patients without ERCC1 expression have a better survival when compared to patients with ERCC1 expression.ERCC1 expression will hopefully provide a rational basis for improving adjuvant chemotherapeutic strategies for gastric cancer patients.ERCC1,itself,may be a prognostic factor for gastric cancer.

Clinical Study of Combining Chemotherapy of Oxaliplatin or 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin with Hydroxycamptothecine for Advanced Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE To estimate effects, survival rate after the short-time efficacy, side the treatment of combining chemotherapy of oxaliplatin or 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin with hydroxycamptothecine （HCPT） for the patients with advanced colorectal cancer. METHODS From January 2002 to November 2005, 59 patients with advanced colorectal cancer confirmed by pathology were enrolled into this study in the department of medical oncology, in the Sixth People＇s Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai. Patients＇ characteristics in two groups were similarly confirmed by statistic. All 37 patients in OH group received oxalip21atin （130 mg/m^2 d1） plus hydroxycamptothecine （6 mg/m d1-4）, and all 22 patients in the HLF group received hydroxycamptothecine （6 mg/m^2 d1-4） plus leucovorin （300 mg d1-5） and 5-fluorouracil （0.375 g/m^2 d1-5）. The regimens in both groups were 21-day cycle that was repeated three weeks. The side effects were evaluated. The efficacy was estimated after two cycles of chemotherapy for each patient. RESULTS The efficacy of the treatment in the OH group with 37 patients and in the HLF group with 22 patients was estimated. The overall response rate （CR ＋ PR） was 32.4% in the OH group and 22.7% in the HLF group. There was no complete response （CR） and there was no statistical significantly difference （%2= 0.876, P = 0.704） in two groups. The 1-year survival rate was 30.98% in the OH group and 15.02% in the HLF group, and it had no significant difference between the two groups. The median PSF and OS were 5.83 months and 11.17 months in the OH group vs. 7.40 months and 10.48 months in the HLF group, and it had no significant differences between the two groups （P 〉 0.05）. The major side effects of grade III and IV in the two groups were myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reactions. The statistically significant difference in side effects appeared in leukopenia （χ^2= 17.173, P = 0.001）, nausea/vomiting （χ^2= 6.426, P = 0.039）, diarrhea （χ^2= 16.245, P = 0.000） and peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSION The efficacy was almost equal between the OH and the HLF groups, and the two regimens can be used as the second-line treatments for the patients with colorectal cancer. Leucopenia, nausea, diarrhea and peripheral neuropathy appeared more in OH group, and anemia and thrombocytopenia were almost equal between the OH and the HLF groups.