Returning from the afterlife?Sotorasib treatment for advanced KRAS mutant lung cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is increasing in incidence worldwide,and targeted therapies are developing at a rapid pace.Furthermore,the KRAS specific gene is strongly associated with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have tested positive for the KRAS G12C mutation and have progressed after at least one systemic treatment are treated with sotorasib.CASE SUMMARY In this study,we report on an advanced NSCLC with a KRAS G12C mutation.The histological diagnosis indicates stage IVB left lung adenocarcinoma with pelvic and bone metastases,identified as cT4N2bM1c.Using circulating tumor DNA analysis,it was possible to determine the mutation abundance of the KRAS gene exon 2,c.34G>Tp.G12C,which was 32.3%.The patient was advised to take sotorasib as part of their treatment.The imaging data were compared before and after treatment.Furthermore,clinical reassessments and regular serial blood testing were conducted.We found that the patient’s clinical symptoms significantly improved after receiving sotorasib medication,and there were no notable side effects,such as liver toxicity,during the treatment.CONCLUSION Sotorasib has shown promising clinical efficacy in patients with the KRAS G12c mutation and has no apparent toxic side effects.

Analysis of the Status Quo and Influencing Factors of Advanced Lung Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life

Objective:To investigate the quality of life and related influencing factors of patients with advanced lung cancer.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 51 patients with advanced lung cancer who were hospitalized in the Department of Oncology from January 2023 to December 2023,and the influencing factors of patients’quality of life were analyzed.Results:Among the five functional scales(physical,role,cognitive,emotional,and social functioning)of the QLQ-C30 scale,the social and emotional function scores were the lowest,respectively 16.7(IQR:0,33.3)points,and 16.7(IQR:8.3,25),and among the three symptom scales(fatigue,pain,nausea and vomiting),the fatigue symptom score was the highest:77.7(IQR:66.7,88.9)points.The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that the anxiety score of patients with advanced lung cancer was positively correlated with depression score(P<0.01),while the quality of life of patients with advanced lung cancer was not correlated with anxiety and depression score(P>0.1).The self-care ability,the nature of the disease,and whether the patient was treated for chemotherapy were the independent influencing factors of the patient’s quality of life,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).Conclusion:Patients with advanced lung cancer have different degrees of anxiety and depression,and their quality of life is affected by many factors,which are mainly related to the patient’s self-care ability,the nature of the disease,and whether they received chemotherapy.

Analysis of the Efficacy,Progression-Free Survival,and Safety of Anlotinib in Advanced Lung Cancer Treatment

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy,progression-free survival,and safety of anlotinib in the treatment of advanced lung cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from 60 patients with advanced lung cancer treated with anlotinib from May 2019 to May 2021.This analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the clinical efficacy,progression-free survival,and adverse reactions of anlotinib.Results:The median progression-free survival(PFS)for the 60 patients was 5.79 months,with an overall response rate(ORR)of 21%and a disease control rate(DCR)of 90%.In the first-line group,the median PFS was 6.20 months,ORR was 76.92%,and DCR was 84.61%.The second-line group showed a median PFS of 6.30 months,ORR of 28.57%,and DCR of 90.48%.In the third-line group,the median PFS was 5.34 months,ORR was 19.23%,and DCR was 92.30%.The single-agent group exhibited a median PFS of 5.09 months,ORR of 23.33%,and DCR of 76.67%.In the combination group,the median PFS was 6.53 months,ORR was 46.67%,and DCR was 100%.The combination group demonstrated a significantly higher medication effect than the single-drug group,and adverse drug reactions were mostly grade 1-2.Conclusion:Anlotinib exhibits a better disease control rate and survival benefit in the treatment of advanced lung cancer.The combination effect is superior to monotherapy,with relatively controllable adverse effects.

Enhancing Early Detection of Lung Cancer through Advanced Image Processing Techniques and Deep Learning Architectures for CT Scans

Lung cancer remains a major concern in modern oncology due to its high mortality rates and multifaceted origins,including hereditary factors and various clinical changes.It stands as the deadliest type of cancer and a significant cause of cancer-related deaths globally.Early diagnosis enables healthcare providers to administer appropriate treatment measures promptly and accurately,leading to improved prognosis and higher survival rates.The significant increase in both the incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer,particularly its ranking as the second most prevalent cancer among women worldwide,underscores the need for comprehensive research into efficient screening methods.Advances in diagnostic techniques,particularly the use of computed tomography(CT)scans,have revolutionized the identification of lung cancer.CT scans are renowned for their ability to provide high-resolution images and are particularly effective in detecting small,calcified areas,crucial for identifying earlystage lung cancer.Consequently,there is growing interest in enhancing computer-aided detection(CAD)systems.These algorithms assist radiologists by reducing false-positive interpretations and improving the accuracy of early cancer diagnosis.This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of CAD systems through various methods.Initially,the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization(CLAHE)algorithm is employed to preprocess CT scan images,thereby improving their visual quality.Further refinement is achieved by integrating different optimization strategies with the CLAHE method.The CutMix data augmentation technique is applied to boost the performance of the proposed model.A comparative analysis is conducted using deep learning architectures such as InceptionV3,ResNet101,Xception,and EfficientNet.The study evaluates the performance of these architectures in image classification tasks,both with and without the implementation of the CLAHE algorithm.The empirical findings of the study demonstrate a significant reduction in the false positive rate(FPR)and an overall enhancement in diagnostic accuracy.This research not only contributes to the field of medical imaging but also holds significant implications for the early detection and treatment of lung cancer,ultimately aiming to reduce its mortality rates.

Efficacy and safety of dacomitinib as first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor 21L858R mutation:A multicenter,case-series study in China

Objective:To provide real-world evidence for the application of first-line dacomitinib treatment for epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)21L858R mutant non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients in China and to explore the factors influencing the efficacy and safety.Methods:A longitudinal,consecutive case-series,multicenter study with mixed prospective and retrospective data was conducted.The primary endpoint was progression-free survival(PFS),and the secondary endpoints included duration of treatment(DOT),overall survival(OS),objective response rate(ORR),disease control rate(DCR)and safety.Results:A total of 155 EGFR 21L858R mutant patients treated with first-line dacomitinib were included.The median follow-up time for these patients was 20.4 months.Among 134 patients with evaluable lesions,the ORR was 70.9%and the DCR was 96.3%.The median PFS was 16.3[95%confidence interval(95%CI),13.7−18.9]months.Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that the baseline brain metastasis(BM)status[with vs.without BM:hazard ratio(HR),1.331;95%CI,0.720−2.458;P=0.361]and initial doses(45 mg vs.30 mg:HR,0.837;95%CI,0.427−1.641;P=0.604)did not significantly affect the median PFS.The median DOT was 21.0(95%CI,17.5−24.6)months and the median OS was not reached.Genetic tests were performed in 64 patients after progression,among whom 29(45.3%)patients developed the EGFR 20T790M mutation.In addition,among the 46 patients who discontinued dacomitinib treatment after progression,31(67.4%)patients received subsequent third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.The most common grade 3−4 adverse events were rash(10.4%),diarrhea(9.1%),stomatitis(7.1%)and paronychia(4.5%).The incidence of grade 3−4 rash was significantly higher in the 45 mg group than that in the 30 mg group(21.9%vs.7.5%,P=0.042).Conclusions:First-line dacomitinib treatment demonstrated promising efficacy and tolerable adverse events among EGFR 21L858R mutant NSCLC patients in China.

Pang Fuwan Uses Yao Medicine to Observe the Therapeutic Effects on the Physical and Mental Symptoms of Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective: Investigate the efficacy and safety of Yao Medicine in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and explore the best therapeutic measure for clinical benefit. Methods: From July 2020 to July 2022, 84 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma were selected and randomly divided into the Observation Group and control group, and the control group was treated with routine Western medicine, with 42 cases in each group. The activity of daily living (ADL) was assessed before and after treatment, meanwhile, the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety SAS (SAS) were used to assess the improvement of a bad mood, and quality of life SF-36 was used to assess the quality of life, to judge the efficacy and safety. Results: The effective rate of observation group was 91.67%. The effective rate of the control group was 76.19%. The effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P 0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05), and after treatment, the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life in the two groups were compared with those in the control group (P > 0.05), the scores of VAS, SDS and SAS decreased significantly, while ESCV, angle of straight leg elevation, ADL, physiological score, emotional score, social score and health status score increased significantly, the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion: Yao Medicine can improve the psychosomatic symptoms of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma better, with better efficacy and higher safety.

First-line immunotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer:current progress and future prospects

Global Cancer Statistics 2022 reported the prevalence and high mortality rate of lung cancer.Notably,non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)accounts for the majority of the histologic types1.Precision therapy for lung cancer has progressed rapidly and immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)have become a leading research topic.Indeed,ICI therapy has been shown to improve the prognosis of lung cancer patients.

Effect of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy on Diverse Organ Lesions in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Objective The combination of stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT)and immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)is actively being explored in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients.However,little is known about the optimal fractionation and radiotherapy target lesions in this scenario.This study investigated the effect of SBRT on diverse organ lesions and radiotherapy dose fractionation regimens on the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs.Methods The medical records of advanced NSCLC patients consecutively treated with ICIs and SBRT were retrospectively reviewed at our institution from Dec.2015 to Sep.2021.Patients were grouped according to radiation sites.Progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)were recorded using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared between different treatment groups using the log-rank(Mantel-Cox)test.Results A total of 124 advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs combined with SBRT were identified in this study.Radiation sites included lung lesions(lung group,n=43),bone metastases(bone group,n=24),and brain metastases(brain group,n=57).Compared with the brain group,the mean PFS(mPFS)in the lung group was significantly prolonged by 13.3 months(8.5 months vs.21.8 months,HR=0.51,95%CI:0.28–0.92,P=0.0195),and that in the bone group prolonged by 9.5 months with a 43%reduction in the risk of disease progression(8.5 months vs.18.0 months,HR=0.57,95%CI:0.29–1.13,P=0.1095).The mPFS in the lung group was prolonged by 3.8 months as compared with that in the bone group.The mean OS(mOS)in the lung and bone groups was longer than that of the brain group,and the risk of death decreased by up to 60%in the lung and bone groups as compared with that of the brain group.When SBRT was concurrently given with ICIs,the mPFS in the lung and brain groups were significantly longer than that of the bone group(29.6 months vs.16.5 months vs.12.1 months).When SBRT with 8–12 Gy per fraction was combined with ICIs,the mPFS in the lung group was significantly prolonged as compared with that of the bone and brain groups(25.4 months vs.15.2 months vs.12.0 months).Among patients receiving SBRT on lung lesions and brain metastases,the mPFS in the concurrent group was longer than that of the SBRT→ICIs group(29.6 months vs.11.4 months,P=0.0003 and 12.1 months vs.8.9 months,P=0.2559).Among patients receiving SBRT with<8 Gy and 8–12 Gy per fraction,the mPFS in the concurrent group was also longer than that of the SBRT→ICIs group(20.1 months vs.5.3 months,P=0.0033 and 24.0 months vs.13.4 months,P=0.1311).The disease control rates of the lung,bone,and brain groups were 90.7%,83.3%,and 70.1%,respectively.Conclusion The study demonstrated that the addition of SBRT on lung lesions versus bone and brain metastases to ICIs improved the prognosis in advanced NSCLC patients.This improvement was related to the sequence of radiotherapy combined with ICIs and the radiotherapy fractionation regimens.Dose fractionation regimens of 8–12 Gy per fraction and lung lesions as radiotherapy targets might be the appropriate choice for advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs combined with SBRT.

Chemotherapy-free radiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors:a new regimen for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer?

Maintenance immunotherapy after concurrent chemoradiotherapy remains the standard therapeutic approach in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer(LA-NSCLC).The efficacy of pembrolizumab without chemotherapy in stage IV NSCLC has incited interest in similar approaches for LA-NSCLC.Several recent investigations involving the synergistic potential of immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy(i RT)have generated encouraging results.This review discusses the existing studies and prospective directions of chemotherapy-free i RT strategies in unresectable LA-NSCLC.Although the initial findings of chemotherapy-free i RT strategies have shown promising efficacy,we must consider the methodologic limitations of current studies and the myriad of challenges that accompany the implementation of chemotherapy-free i RT.These challenges include determining the optimal dose and fractionation,precise target volume delineation,and identification of additional suitable patient cohorts.Furthermore,the feasibility of chemotherapy-free i RT as a novel treatment modality for select patients with LA-NSCLC is contingent upon validation through randomized phase III trials.

The prognostic value of radiomics based on ^(18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of radiomics features based on ^(18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging for advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)treated with chemotherapy.Methods:A sample of 146 NSCLC patients stagedⅢor stageⅣwere included in this retrospective study who received ^(18)F-FDG PET/CT before treatment.All patients were treated with standardized chemotherapy after PET/CT examination and were divided into training group and validation group in an 8:2 ratio randomly.Radiomics features were extracted.In the training group,the minimum absolute contraction and selection operator(LASSO)algorithm and Cox risk proportional regression model were used to screen radiomics and clinical prognostic factors of progression-free survival(PFS).The radiomic model,clinical model and complex model were established respectively.The corresponding scores were calculated,then verified in the validation group.Results:The LASSO algorithm finally screened four radiomics features.ROC results showed that in the training group,the AUC of PFS predicted by the radiomics model was 0.746,and that in the verification group was 0.622.COX multivariate analysis finally included three clinical features related to PFS in NSCLC patients,namely pathological type,clinical stage and MTV30.The AUC for predicting PFS by clinical model,radiomics model and composite model were 0.746,0.753 and 0.716,respectively.The radiomics model had the highest diagnostic efficacy,and its sensitivity and specificity were 0.663 and 0.833,respectively.Delong test verified that there was no statistical difference in the predictive efficacy between the radiomics model and the composite model(Z=1.777,P=0.076)and the clinical imaging model(Z=0.323,P=0.747).Conclusion:The radiomics model based on PET/CT has a good predictive value for the prognosis of advanced NSCLC treated with chemotherapy,but it needs further validation before it can be widely used in clinical practice.

Nab-paclitaxel(abraxane)-based chemotherapy to treat elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer:a single center,randomized and open-label clinical trial

Background： The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of abraxane-based chemotherapy with/without nedaplatin in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Materials and methods： From October 2009 to January 2013, 48 elderly patients （≥65 years） with NSCLC were investigated in this clinical trial. The patients were randomized and equally allocated into arms A and AP- （A） abraxane （130 mg/m2, days 1, 8）; （B） abraxane ＋ nedaplatin （20 mg/m2 days 1-3, q3w）. The parameters of objective response rate （ORR）, disease control rate （DCR）, progression-free survival （PFS）, overall survival （OS） and side effects were evaluated between two arms. Results： Over 80% of the patients completed four cycles of chemotherapy. The total ORR was 21.3 %, DCR was 55.3%, PFS 4.5 months and OS 12.6 months. No significant difference was found between arms A and AP in terms of ORR （16.7% vs. 26.1%, P=0.665） or DCR （55.3% vs. 56.5%, P=0.871）. The median PFS in arm A was 3.3 months [25-75% confidence interval （CI）： 3.1-7.2] and 5.5 months （25-75% CI： 3.2-7.0） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.640）. The median OS in arm A was 12.6 months （25-75% CI： 5.7-26.2） and 15.1 months （25-75% CI： 6.4-35.3） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.770）. The side effects were mainly grade 1-2. The incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities was 29.1% in arm A and 62.5% in arm AP with a statistical significance （P=0.020）. Conclusions： Compared with combined therapy, abraxane alone chemotherapy was beneficial for elderly NSCLC patients with better tolerability and less adverse events, whereas did not significantly differ in terms of ORR, DCR, PFS or OS.

Efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective： To observe the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel （ABP） monotherapy in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： We retrospectively analyzed the short-term efficacy and toxicities of ABP monotherapy in treating 21 patients who had previously undergone multiple cycles of therapy for their advanced NSCLC in our hospital since 2010. The treatment-related survival was also analyzed. Results： Of these 21 patients, the best overall response was partial response （PR） in 6 patients （28.6%）, stable disease （SD） in I0 patients （47.6%）, and progressive disease （PD） in 5 patients （23.8%）. The overall response rate （ORR） was 28.6% and the disease control rate （DCR） （PR ＋ SD） was 76.2%. The median progression-flee survival （PFS） was 4.0 months （95% CI, 5.0-7.0 months）. The main grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia （11.1%）, peripheral nerve toxicity （5.6%）, muscle and joint aches （5.6%）, and fatigue （5.6%）. Conclusions： The ABP monotherapy can achieve good objective response in advanced NSCLC patients who have previously received multiple cycles of treatment and be well tolerated.

Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer： a meta-analysis

Objective： To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin（GP） in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： we performed a systematicsearch in the electronic databases such as Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, Chinese Journal Full-text Database,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Full-text Database andWanfang Database up to 30 January 2017. Randomized controlled trials （RCT） of Shenqi Fuzheng Injectioncombined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC were searched, and all the RCTs wereconducted on methodological quality assessment. Data extraction and data analysis were according to standards ofCochrane systematic review. Results： Eight trials were included including a total of 701 patients. Meta-analysisresults： Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy could significantly improve the functionalstatus of patients with NSCLC （OR = 3.44, 95% CI [2.26, 5.25], P 〈 0.0001） and clinical treatment efficacy （OR =（OR = 0.31, 95%CI [0.20, 0.47], P 〈 0.0001. The rate of leukopenia （OR = .31, 95%CI [0.20,0.47], P 〈 0.0001）,thrombocytopenia （OR = 0.58, 95%CI [0.37, 0.91], P = 0.020）, hemoglobin decline （（OR = 0.31, 95%CI [0.16,0.59], P = 0.0004） and incidence of gastrointestinal reactions （OR = 0.58,P 〈 0.05） could be reduced. Conclusion：Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC obtainedsignificantly clinical efficacy. The quality of the literature incorporated is low, the conclusion requires high-qualityresearch to further prove.

Clinical analysis of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in 83 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LANSCLC). Methods:83 cases of patients who have been diagnosed for locally advanced NSCLC by determined cytology or pathology were divided into two groups randomly, 42 patients in NP group and 41 patients in EP group. All patients accepted thoracic three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and concurrent either NP chemotherapy in NP group or EP chemotherapy in EP group. 3D-CRT were started on day 1 in the first cycle of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy were carried out for 4 cycles, every cycle was 21 days. Thoracic radiotherapy adopted conventional fractionated irradiation with 15 MeV-X ray, a total dose of 60 Gy. Results: In 83 patients were evaluable, there were 5 cases complete regression to be observed, 29 cases had partial regression (PR), 7 cases with stable disease (SD) and 1 case with progression disease (PD) in NP group. CR 3 cases, PR 27 cases, SD 9 cases and PD 2 cases in EP group. The overall response rate (RR) both NP group and EP group were 80.9%, 73.2%, respectively (P = 0.785).1-, 2-, 3-year survival rate were 90.5%, 69.0%, 28.6% and 82.9%, 51.2%, 21.9%, respectively (P = 0.393). The incidence of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in NP group was higher than that in the EP group (P < 0.05). Conclusion:CCRT in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, 3D-CRT with concurrent NP or EP chemotherapy. 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival (OS) and average survival time (AST) were not statistically differences, a higher incidence of toxicities were observed in NP group but can be tolerable.

Efficacy and safety of S-1 maintenance therapy in advanced nonsmall- cell lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND Previous reports have demonstrated that S-1 has remarkable effects in the maintenance treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC),and has less toxic and side effects than conventional drugs.AIM To investigate the efficacy and safety of S-1 maintenance therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC.METHODS Ninety-four patients with NSCLC admitted to our hospital from September 2015 to April 2018 were included in the study and divided into the S-1 group(47 cases)and the gemcitabine group(47 cases)by random digital table method.The S-1 group was treated with S-1,while the gemcitabine group received gemcitabine treatment.The clinical efficacy and quality of life of the patients after treatment in the two groups were evaluated.RESULTS There was no significant difference in the total effectiveness rate between the two groups(P=0.519).The quality-of-life scores indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of four dimensions of the GQOLI-74 questionnaire(P=0.518,0.094,0.338,0.418).The incidence of nausea and vomiting,granulocytopenia and diarrhea in the S-1 group was significantly lower than that in the gemcitabine group(P=0.001,0.001 and 0.001,respectively).There was no significant difference in the incidence of thrombocytopenia(P=0.366),the progression-free survival(P=0.064),and the survival between the two groups(P=0.050).CONCLUSION S-1 maintenance therapy shows a significant therapeutic effect in patients with advanced NSCLC.It has the same clinical efficacy as gemcitabine,but with less toxic and side effects than conventional 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.

Intraoperative permanent implantation of radioactive I-125 seed for local advanced non small lung cancer

Objective： To study the clinical efficacy and methods of permanent implantation of radioactive I-125 seed in surgery for local advanced non small lung cancer （LANSCLC）. Methods： From Apr. 2004 to Apr. 2006, the I-125 seeds were implanted into 30 patients with LANSCLC in surgery. The numbers of seeds were 10-40. The chemotherapy was performed in 10 to 14 days after operation. Results： There was no operative death, and the distribution of seeds and complications were reviewed by CT and X-ray after treatment. The distribution of seeds was satisfactory in all patients. The complete response rate （CR） was 56.6% and the part response （PR） was 26.6%. The overall response rate was 83.3% after 4-24 months of surgery. There was no one occurred radiation pneumonia. Prospective efficacy await further follow-up. Conclusion： Permanent implantation of 1-125 seed in surgery for LANSCLC, is a safe and effective method with mild complications.

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.

CLINICAL STUDY IN ACCELERATED HYPERFRACTIONATED IRRADIATION IN THE TREATMENT OF LOCAL ADVANCED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Objective To evaluate the effect of accelerated hyperfractionated irradiation (AHFJ) and conventional fractionated irradiation (CFI) for local advanced non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The patients of AI-IFJ group were irradiated to large-field target volume by a daily fraction of 2Gy, and small-field target volume by a daily fraction of 1Gy with more than 6h interval. The total dose of large-field target volume was SOGy/25Fx/SW and of small-field target volume was 7SGy/SOFx/5W. The patients in CFI group were irradiated by a daily fraction of 2Gy to the total dose of 66Gy/33Fx/6. 6W. After 3 months of radiotherapy, the tumor response rates of complete recovery (CR), partial recovery (PR), and no change (NC) and 1- and 2- year survival rate in the two groups were observed. Results The tumor response rates of CR,PR,NC in AHFI group and CFI group were 22.9%(8/35), 60.0%(21/35), 17.1%(6/35) and 11.4% (4/35), 51.4% (18/35), 37.2% (13/35) respectively (P>0. 05). All patients were followed up 2 years or more. The 1- and 2- year survival rates in AHFI group and CFI group were 62.9% (22/35), 31 .4% (11/35) and 42.9% (15/35) , 17.1% (6/35) respectively (P< 0.05). The incidences of esophagitis and pneumonitis in AHFI group and CFI group were 34.3% (12/35), 22. 9% (8/35) and 40.0% (14/35), 17.1% (6/35)(P>0. 05). Conclusion In comparison with CFI, AHFI may increase 1- and 2- year sur-vival rate after treatment of local advanced non-small cell lung cancer, while the radio-reactions, either early or late, did not increase significantly.

EFFECT OF NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY USING PACLITAXEL COMBINED WITH CARBOPLATIN ON ADVANCED NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Objeetive： To assess the therapeutic effectiveness of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy using a combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin on local advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： Twenty-five patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin for 2 to 4 cycles before undergoing tumor resection and then postoperative chemotherapy/radiotherapy therapy for 2 to 4 cycles. Results： Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the most prominent side-effect was bone marrow restraint. The overall response rate of preoperative chemotherapy was 56%. The mean survival time was 26.5 months, with 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates of 55%, 25%, and 16%, respectively. All NSCLC patients survived the perioperative period. Conclusion： Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy combining paclitaxel and carboplatin produced minimal side-effect while increasing the probability that advanced NSCLC patients would be able to undergo surgery thus improving their prognosis.