Present situation and prospect of immunotherapy for unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer during peri-radiotherapy

Four major studies(Checkmate577,Keynote-590,Checkmate649 and Attraction-4)of locally advanced esophageal cancer published in 2020 have established the importance of immunotherapy,represented by anti-programmed death protein(PD)-1 in postoperative adjuvant treatment and advanced first-line treatment of locally advanced or advanced esophageal cancer and esophagogastric junction cancer,from the aspects of proof of concept,long-term survival,overall survival rate and progression-free survival.For unresectable or inoperable nonmetastatic esophageal cancer,concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the standard treatment recommended by various guidelines.Because its curative effect is still not ideal,it is necessary to explore radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the future,and it is considered to be promising to combine them with immunotherapeutic drugs such as anti-PD-1.This paper mainly discusses how to combine radical concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy with immunotherapy for unresectable local advanced esophageal cancer.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer

AIM： To evaluate the dosimetry, efficacy and toxicity of intensity-modulated radiation therapy （IMRT） and concurrent chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer. METHODS： A retrospective study was performed on 7 patients who were definitively treated with IMRT and concurrent chemotherapy. Patients who did not receive IMRT radiation and concurrent chemotherapy were not included in this analysis. IMRT plans were evaluated to assess the tumor coverage and normal tissue avoidance. Treatment response was evaluated and toxicities were assessed. RESULTS： Five- to nine-beam IMRT were used to deliver a total dose of 59.4-66 Gy （median： 64.8 Gy） to the primary tumor with 6-MV photons. The minimum dose received by the planning tumor volume （PTV） of the gross tumor volume boost was 91.2%-98.2% of the prescription dose （standard deviation [SD]： 3.7%-5.7%）. The minimum dose received by the PTV Of the clinical tumor volume was 93.8%-104.8% （SD： 4.3%-11.1%） of the prescribed dose. With a median follow-up of 15 rno （range： 3-21 too）, all 6 evaluable patients achieved complete response. Of them, 2 developed local recurrences and 2 had distant metastases, 3 survived with no evidence of disease. After treatment, 2 patients developed esophageal stricture requiring frequent dilation and 1 patient developed tracheal-esophageal fistula. CONCLUSION： Concurrent IMRT and chemotherapy resulted in an excellent early response in patients with locally advanced cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer. However, local and distant recurrence and toxicity remain to be a problem. Innovative approaches are needed to improve the outcome.

Multimodality approach for locally advanced esophageal cancer

Carcinoma of the esophagus is an aggressive and lethal malignancy with an increasing incidence worldwide.Incidence rates vary internationally,with the highest rates found in Southern and Eastern Africa and Eastern Asia,and the lowest in Western and Middle Africa and Central America.Patients with locally advanced disease face a poor prognosis,with 5-year survival rates ranging from 15%-34%.Recent clinical trials have evaluated different strategies for management of locoregional cancer;however,because of stage migration and changes in disease epidemiology,applying these trials to clinical practice has become a daunting task.We searched Medline and conference abstracts for randomized studies published in the last 3 decades.We restricted our search to articles published in English.Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection is an accepted standard of care in the United States.Esophagectomy remains an essential component of treatment and can lead to improved overall survival,especially when performed at high volume institutions.The role of adjuvant chemotherapy following curative resection is still unclear.External beam radiation therapy alone is considered palliative and is typically reserved for patients with a poor performance status.

Preoperative therapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy associated with dismal treatment outcomes. Presence of two distinct histopathological types distinguishes it from other gastrointestinal tract malignancies. Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment in locally advanced esophageal cancer(T2 or greater or node positive); however, a high rate of disease recurrence(systemic and loco-regional) and poor survival justifies a continued search for optimal therapy. Various combinations of multimodality treatment(preoperative/perioperative, or postoperative; radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy) are being explored to lower disease recurrence and improve survival. Preoperative therapy followed by surgery is presently considered the standard of care in resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer as postoperative treatment may not be feasible for all the patients due to the morbidity of esophagectomy and prolonged recovery time limiting the tolerance of patient. There are wide variations in the preoperative therapy practiced across the centres depending upon the institutional practices, availability of facilities and personal experiences. There is paucity of literature to standardize the preoperative therapy. Broadly, chemoradiotherapy is the preferred neo-adjuvant modality in western countries whereas chemotherapy alone is considered optimal in the far East. The present review highlights the significant studies to assist in opting for the best evidence based preoperative therapy(radiotherapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Neoadjuvant treatment for advanced esophageal cancer: response assessment before surgery and how to predict response to chemoradiation before starting treatment

Patients with advanced esophageal cancer（T3-4, N） have a poor prognosis. Chemoradiation or chemotherapy before esophagectomy with adequate lymphadenectomy is the standard treatment for patients with resectable advanced esophageal carcinoma. However, only patients with major histopathologic response（regression to less than 10% of the primary tumor） after preoperative treatment will have a prognostic benefit of preoperative chemoradiation. Using current therapy regimens about 40% to 50% of the patients show major histopathological response. The remaining cohort does not benefit from this neoadjuvant approach but might benefit from earlier surgical resection. Therefore, it is an aim to develop tools for response prediction before starting the treatment and for early response assessment identifying responders. The current review discusses the different imaging techniques and the most recent studies about molecular markers for early response prediction. The results show that [^18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography（FDGPET） has a good sensitivity but the specificity is not robust enough for routine clinical use. Newer positron emission tomography detector technology, the combination of FDG-PET with computed tomography, additional evaluation criteria and standardization of evaluation may improve the predictive value. There exist a great number of retrospective studies using molecular markers for prediction of response. Until now the clinical use is missing. But the results of first prospective studies are promising. A future perspective may be the combination of imaging technics and special molecular markers for individualized therapy. Another aspect is the response assessment after finishing neoadjuvant treatment protocol. The different clinical methods are discussed. The results show that until now no non-invasive method is valid enough to assess complete histopathological response.

Endoscopic stenting and concurrent chemoradiotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer:A case-control study

AIM:To evaluate the role of endoscopic stenting with or without concurrent 3-dimensional conformal chemoradiotherapy (3D-CRT) in patients with inoperable esophageal cancer.METHODS:Advanced esophageal cancer patients indicated for esophagectomy received esophageal stents.A part of patients completed 3D-CRT after stenting.Efficacy was assessed by endoscopy and computed tomographic scan before and 4 wk after completion of the treatment.The median survival,3D-CRT toxicity and complications were compared between 3D-CRT and control groups.RESULTS:From 1999 to 2008,99 consecutive patients with T3/T4 disease and unsuitable for esophagectomy were placed with esophageal stents.Sixty-seven patients received 3D-CRT,while 36 patients treated withendoscopic stents alone were recruited as controls.After 3D-CRT treatment,the median tumor volume of 3D-CRT patients were reduced significantly from 43.7 ± 10.2 cm 3 to 28.8 ± 8.5 cm 3 (P < 0.05).The complete and partial response rate was 85.1%,and no response was 14.9%.After 3D-CRT,the incidence rate of T2 and T3 disease evident on CT scan increased to 78.4% while T4 decreased from 66.7% to 21.6% (P < 0.05).3DCRT Karnofsky Performance Status improved in 3D-CRT patients compared with the control group (P=0.031).3D-CRT patients had a longer survival than the control group (251.7 d vs 91.1 d,P < 0.05).And the median half-year survival rate in 3D-CRT group (91%) was higher than in the control group (50%,P < 0.05).The most common toxicity was leukocytopenia in the 3D-CRT group (46.7% vs 18.8%,P=0.008).The control group had a higher rate of restenosis than the 3D-CRT group (81.3% vs 9.0%,P < 0.05).The rate of nephrotoxicity was increased in 3D-CRT as compared with the control group (31.3% vs 15.6%,P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:3D-CRT can improve dysphagia in patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma.3D-CRT combined with stenting results in better survival as compared with endoscopic stents used alone.

Randomized trial of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin combined with concurrent 3DCRT in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer

Abstract Objective： This randomized controlled clinical study was to assess and compare the efficacy and safety of two chemoradiotherapy regimens [cisplatin ＋ 5-fluorouracil ＋ 3 dimensional conformal radiation therapy （3DCRT） and cisplatin ＋ weekly docetaxel ＋ 3DCRT] in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods： A total of seventy-four patients with clinical stages liB to IIIB esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. Chemotherapy for PF group comprised 5-fluorouracil at days 1-5 （250 mg/m2/d） and cisplatin （20 mg/m2） at days 1-3 of every 28-day cycle; full treatment course included 2 cycles. Chemotherapy for DP group comprised docetaxel （20 mg/m2） and cisplatin （20 mg/m2） at days 1,8, 15, 22, 29, and 36. Both groups treated with concurrent 60 Gy 3DCRT at 200 cGy/d. Results： Seventy-four patients were enrolled and 71 completed the planned treatment, with a follow-up rate of 95.94%. Short-term curative effect was not statistically significant between the two groups （P = 0.471）. The 2-year survival rates were 65.7% and 61.1%, respectively （P = 0.806）, 5 years survival rates were 34.29% and 27.78%, respectively （P = 0.221）, and there was no significant difference by Fisher test （P = 0.734）. As common side effects, incidence rates of radioactive esophagitis and hematological toxicity were lower in DP group. Conclusion： For locally advanced esophageal cancer patients, current chemoradiotherapy with chemo- therapy regimen of weekly docetaxel plus cisplatin has equal curative effect with 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin, but well-tolerated by reducing side effects such as radioactive esophagitis and bone marrow suppression.

Long-term efficacy and predictors of pembrolizumab-based regimens in patients with advanced esophageal cancer in the real world

BACKGROUND Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy has been proven effective as firstline therapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.Few trials have assessed the safety and efficacy of this treatment in patients with locally advanced disease.AIM To analyze long-term outcomes of pembrolizumab in locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)in the real world.METHODS Patients with advanced ESCC admitted to our center from October 2019 to October 2021 were enrolled in this study.Clinical staging of the patients was based on the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system.The patients received different treatments based on clinical stage.In brief,patients with locally advanced and resectable ESCC received neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery.For those who were not candidates for resection,radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus pembrolizumab was more preferable.Patients with metastatic ESCC or who were unsuitable for radiotherapy underwent chemotherapy in combination with pembrolizumab.Long-term survival outcomes such as overall survival(OS),progression-free survival,disease-free survival,long-term adverse effects(AEs),immune maintenance therapy and predictors of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)efficacy were evaluated.RESULTS A total of 55 patients with advanced ESCC were enrolled in this retrospective,observational study.The median age was 61 years(range 44-74),with 47.3%(26/55)of the patients in stage IV and 45.5%of the patients had the tumor(25/55)located in the middle third of the esophagus.The median OS in all patients was not reached.The 12-mo OS rate among all patients was 78.8%and the 18-mo OS rate was 72.7%.9 patients died due to tumor progression and 7 patients died due to treatment-related complications.The therapeutic effect evaluated at the interim evaluation was significantly reflected in the long-term outcome.Patients with complete response or partial response in all patients(P=0.005)and in the chemoradiotherapy plus pembrolizumab group(P=0.007)obtained a better prognosis than non-responders.A total of 20 patients(20/55,36%)received immune maintenance therapy.Baseline peripheral blood biomarkers of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio,platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio,and neutrophil-to-(leukocyte-neutrophil)ratio did not predict the efficacy of ICIs.CONCLUSION Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy resulted in favorable long-term survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ESCC,with safe and manageable long-term AEs.

A clinical study of combination of radiotherapy and IP regimen in the treatment of patients with local advanced esophageal cancer

Objective： The aim of this study was to study the clinical efficacy and toxicity of combination of the radiotherapy and IP regimen for patients with local advanced esophageal cancer. Methods： Sixty-eight cases of local advanced esophageal cancer were randomized into two groups, simple irradiation group （control group, n = 33） receiving conventional radiotherepy to a total of 60 Gy, combined group （research group, n = 35） which received the same radiotherapy as simple irradiation group ptus chemotherapy with IP regimen, patients in research group were treated with infusion of Irinotecan 65 mg/m^2 and DDP 30 mg/m^2 on days 1 and 8. Twenty-one days was a cycle and 4 cycles were given. Results： The remission rate, one and two year disease-free survival rate in research group were significant higher than it in control group. But the incidence of nausea, vomiting, myelosuppression and diarrhea was higher in research group. Conclusion： The efficacy of concomitant radiotherapy and IP regimen for local advanced esophageal cancer is obviously and it can improve the survival rate of patients, which worthy of clinical application.

Epinephrine use during chemotherapy to treat severe tracheal stenosis secondary to advanced esophageal cancer:A case report and review of the literature

Dyspnea from tracheal stenosis due to compression by a tumor is an emergency that complicates therapy in oncology.We report a case of advanced esophageal cancer in a 56-year-old male who developed severe dyspnea due to airway compression by mediastinal lymph node enlargement.We used epinephrine by subcutaneous injection and aerosol inhalation to temporarily relieve dyspnea while the patient received bevacizumab and chemotherapy.The dyspnea had subsided considerably after 5 days,and the mediastinal lymph nodes were significantly reduced after 2 cycles of chemotherapy.However,the patient died of massive tracheal hemorrhage 2 months later.

Therapeutic Effect of the Combination of Xiaoaiping Injection and Chemotherapy on Advanced Esophageal Cancer and Coagulation Function

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of the combination of Xiaoaiping injection and chemotherapy on advanced esophageal cancer and coagulation function.Methods 100 patients with advanced esophageal carcer were randomly divided into control group and observation group,and each group had 50 cases.The control group was treated with TP chemotherapy,and the observation group,on the basis of the control group’s treatment,was treated with the Xiaoaiping injection,and treatment effects,Karnofsky,adverse drug reactions and INR changes before and after the treatment of the two groups were observed.Results After 2 periods of treatment,the local control rate of solid tumor,Karnofsky score,and stability in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05);and the plasma prothrombin time(PT),activated partial coagulation activity time(APTT)and thrombin time(TT)were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group(p<0.05),and Fibrinogen(FIB)was significantly higher than the control group(p<0.05);and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(p>0.05).Conclusion:The therapeutic effect of the combination of Xiaoaiping Injection and chemotherapy on advanced esophageal cancer is obvious,and it can effectively improve the coagulation function,improve the quality of life,and be safe and reliable,so it's worth popularizing and application.

Effects of Xiaocangping tablets combined with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin on immunity, tumor markers, angiogenesis and related factors in patients with advanced esophageal cancer

Objective:To explore the effects of Xiaocangping tablets combined with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin on immunity, tumor markers, angiogenesis and related factors in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.Methods:86 patients with advanced esophageal cancer admitted to our hospital from March 2014 to February 2017 were randomly divided into control group (43 cases) and observation group (43 cases). All the subjects were treated with 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin, and the observation group was treated with Xiaocangping tablets on this basis. The changes of immune function, tumor markers, angiogenesis and related factors in the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:After treatment, the levels of CD4+, CD4+/CD8 + in both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), while the levels of CD8+ were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), the levels of CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the levels of CD8+ in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05);the levels of CA125, CEA and CA19-9 in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the levels of CA125, CEA and CA19-9 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05);the levels of VEGF, TGF-β1, MMP-9, NGAL in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the levels of VEGF, TGF-β1, MMP-9, NGAL in the observation group were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05).Conclusions:Chemotherapy combined with fluorouracil + cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer can effectively improve the immune function of patients, reduce the level of tumor markers, inhibit the proliferation of tumor blood vessels, and have significant anti-cancer effects, which is of positive significance for controlling the development of patients' conditions.

Effect of kanglaite injection and docetaxel in treating advanced stage esophageal cancer on tumor markers, angiogenesis and immune function in elderly patients

Objective:To investigate the effect of Kanglaite injection combined with docetaxel in advanced esophageal cancer on tumor markers, angiogenesis and immune function in elderly patients.Method:A total of 130 patients with advanced esophageal cancer admitted in our hospital from October 2014 to July 2017were selected and divided into two groups according to the time of admission, 65 cases in each group, set as observation group and control group, all patients were treated with conventional radiotherapy (cisplatin combined with 5-fluorouracil), the observation group was given Kanglaite injection combined with docetaxel on the basis of this, while the control group only was given docetaxel treatment, the treatment period was 6 weeks, tumor markers, VEGF and immune function of both group after treatment were compared.Result: After treatment, the levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, the difference was statistically significant;VEGF level in the observation group after treatment was lower than the control group, the difference was statistically significant;After treatment, the levels of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, while the levels of CD8+ in the observation group was lower than those in the control group, the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion: Kanglaite injection combined with docetaxel in the treatment of elderly patients with advanced esophageal cancer is better, effectively reducing the level of tumor markers and vascular endothelial growth factor, improve immune function, it isworthy of clinical application.

Evaluation of the tumor load and adverse reactions of nedaplatin combined with paclitaxel liposome and with paclitaxel treatment of advanced esophageal cancer

Objective:To evaluate the tumor load and adverse reactions of nedaplatin combined with paclitaxel liposome and with paclitaxel treatment of advanced esophageal cancer.Methods:A total of 68 patients with advanced esophageal cancer who were treated in our hospital between August 2013 and March 2016 were collected and divided into the paclitaxel liposome group (n=34) who received nedaplatin combined with paclitaxel liposome therapy and the paclitaxel group (n=34) who received nedaplatin combined with paclitaxel therapy according to the double-blind randomized control method, and both therapies lasted for 8 weeks. Before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment, RIA method was used to determine serum esophageal cancer-related tumor marker levels, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine serum angiogenesis index levels, and flow cytometry was used to measure cellular immunity indexes.Results: Before treatment, the differences in serum tumor marker and angiogenesis index levels as well as cellular immune function indexes were not statistically significant between the two groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, serum tumor markers CY211, CEA, SCC, CA724 and CA125 levels of observation group were lower than those of control group, angiogenesis indexes HIF-α, VEGF and MMP-9 levels were lower than those of control group, and peripheral blood cellular immunity indexes CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ levels were higher than those of control group while CD8+ level was lower than that of control group. Conclusion: Nedaplatin combined with paclitaxel liposome can more effectively reduce the tumor load, causes less adverse effects, and has good curative effect and security.

Identification and management of severe multiple radiationinduced heart disease:case reports from locally advanced esophageal cancer patient

Esophageal cancer(EC)is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide.It is a highly malignant tumor with a high local recurrence and distant metastasis.Notably,about half of the world’s EC patients occur in China.Smoking,drinking liquor alcohol and eating hot food are the top three risk factors for EC in China.[1]Radiation therapy(RT)plays a pivotal role in the treatment of locally advanced EC patients,and radiation-induced heart diseases(RIHD)has become a clinically concerned problem,which may involve any structure of heart,including coronary heart disease(CHD),atrial fibrillation(AF),valvular heart disease(VHD),pericardial effusion(PE),heart failure(HF),thromboembolic disease(TED)and atrioventricular block(AVB)。

Induction chemotherapy with albumin-bound paclitaxel plus lobaplatin followed by concurrent radiochemotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND Albumin-bound paclitaxel(ABP)has been used as second-and higher-line treatments for advanced esophageal cancer,and its efficacy and safety have been well demonstrated.Lobaplatin(LBP)is a third-generation platinum antitumor agent;compared with the first two generations of platinum agents,it has lower toxicity and has been approved for the treatment of breast cancer,small cell lung cancer,and chronic granulocytic leukemia.However,its role in the treatment of esophageal cancer warrants further investigations.AIM To investigate the efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy with ABP plus LBP followed by concurrent radiochemotherapy(RCT)for locally advanced esophageal cancer.METHODS Patients with pathologically confirmed advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)at our hospital were enrolled in this study.All patients were treated with two cycles of induction chemotherapy with ABP plus LBP followed by concurrent RCT:ABP 250 mg/m^(2),ivgtt,30 min,d1,every 3 wk;and LBP,30 mg/m^(2),ivgtt,2 h,d1,every 3 wk.A total of four cycles were scheduled.The dose of the concurrent radiotherapy was 56-60 Gy/28-30 fractions,1.8-2.0 Gy/fraction,and 5 fractions/wk.RESULTS A total of 29 patients were included,and 26 of them completed the treatment protocol.After the induction chemotherapy,the objective response rate(ORR)was 61.54%,the disease control rate(DCR)was 88.46%,and the progressive disease(PD)rate was 11.54%;after the concurrent RCT,the ORR was 76.92%,the DCR was 88.46%,and the PD rate was 11.54%.The median progression-free survival was 11.1 mo and the median overall survival was 15.83 mo.Cox multivariate analysis revealed that two cycles of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent RCT significantly reduced the risk of PD compared with two cycles of chemotherapy alone(P=0.0024).Non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable,and the only grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity was radiation-induced esophagitis(13.79%).The main hematologic toxicity was neutropenia,and no grade 4 adverse event occurred.CONCLUSION Induction chemotherapy with ABP plus LBP followed by concurrent RCT is effective in patients with locally advanced ESCC,with mild adverse effects.Thus,this protocol is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Application of an Advanced Image-Based Virtual Monoenergetic Reconstruction of Dual Source Dual-Energy CT Data at Low keV Increases Image Quality for Esophageal Cancer Patients Imaging

Purpose: To explore the significance of dual-source computed tomography (DECT) virtual monoenergetic reconstructions technology in improving the imaging quality of esophageal cancer patients. Materials and methods: 68 patients with clinically suspected esophageal cancer (all confirmed by pathology) were collected. Routine plain scan was performed with SIEMENS Force dual-energy CT and then dual-phase scans were performed. The venous phase images were respectively subjected to traditional virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono_E) and new generation virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono+). Mono_E 55 keV and Mono+ 55 keV virtual single-energy images were obtained respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of normal esophageal tissue and esophageal cancer lesions, noise and contrast noise ratio (CNR tumor) of normal esophageal tissue and esophageal cancer lesions were compared among 100 kV images, Mono_E images and Mono+ images. At the same time, two imaging physicians read the films and scored the images of each group by using a 5-point scoring method. Results: Mono+ 55 keV images, SNR, SNRtumor, noise and CNRtumor were statistically different from those of 100 kV images and Mono_E images (P < 0.05). And Mono+ 55 keV images also had the highest subjective score, with statistical significance (P 55 keV images had the best quality. Conclusion: The new generation of virtual monoenergetic reconstructions post-processing (Mono+) could reduce image noise and improve the contrast between esophageal cancer lesions and normal esophageal tissues, which was of great significance to improve the imaging quality of esophageal cancer patients and improve the early detection rate of esophageal cancer.

Effects of Shenqi Xiangyi granules in advanced gastric cancer chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Owing to the absence of specific symptoms in early-stage gastric cancer,most patients are diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages.As a result,treatment often shifts from surgery to other therapies,with chemotherapy and targeted therapies being the primary options for advanced gastric cancer treatment.A total of 116 patients with advanced gastric cancer,admitted from January 2021 to December 2023,were selected and divided into two groups of 58 each using the random number table method.The control group received FOLFOX4 chemothe-rapy(oxaliplatin+calcium+folinate+5-fluorouracil)combined with intravenous sindilizumab.The observation group received the same treatment as the control group,supplemented by oral administration of Senqi Shiyiwei granules.Both groups underwent treatment cycles of 3 weeks,with a minimum of two cycles.The therapeutic efficacy,immune mechanisms,and treatment-related toxicity and side effects were compared between the groups.The objective remission rate in the observation group(55.17%)was higher than that of the control group(36.21%)(P<0.05).After two treatment cycle,CD3+,CD4+,and CD4+/CD8+levels were higher in the observation group compared to the control group,while CD8+,regulatory T cells,and natural killer cells were lower(P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of leukopenia,nausea,and vomiting was lower in observed group(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in the incidence of other adverse reactions(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Adjuvant therapy with Shenqixian granules may enhance the efficacy of simudizumab combined with FOLFOX4 chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer and the immune function by increasing immune cell counts,making it a valuable option in clinical treatment.

Effects of oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil on serum tumor markers, VEGF, CRP and matrix metalloproteinases in patients with advanced esophageal cancer

Objective: To investigate the effects of oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil on serum tumor markers, VEGF, CRP and matrix metalloproteinases in patients with advanced esophageal cancer. Methods: From March 2012 to March 2017 a total of 248 patients with advanced esophageal cancer were selected as the study subjects. According to random data table, they were divided into control group (n=123) and observation group (n=125) according to random data table. The control group was treated with cisplatin combined with fluorouracil, leucovorin chemotherapy, and patients in the observation group received oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil chemotherapy, all patients were treated for 2 cycles. The changes of serum tumor markers, VEGF, CRP and matrix metalloproteinase levels in the two groups before and after treatment was compared. Results: Before treatment, there was no significant difference of the levels of serum CA125, CA19-9, CEA, VEGF, CRP, MMP-2 and MMP-9 between the control group and the observation group. Compared with the group before treatment, the levels of CA125, CA19-9, CEA, VEGF, CRP, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the two groups were significantly lower. After treatment, the level of CA125, CA19-9, CEA, VEGF, CRP, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the observation group was significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion:Oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil chemotherapy can effectively reduce the levels of serum tumor markers, VEGF, CRP and matrix metalloproteinase in patients with advanced esophageal cancer, it has important clinical value.

Application of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in curative surgery for esophageal cancer:A metaanalysis

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of neoadjuvant therapy in esophageal cancer(EC)treatment is still a subject of debate.AIM To compare the clinical efficacy and toxic side effects between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT)and neoadjuvant chemotherapy(nCT)for locally advanced EC(LAEC).METHODS A comprehensive search was conducted using multiple databases,including PubMed,EMBASE,MEDLINE,Science Direct,The Cochrane Library,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang Database,Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database,and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database Article.Studies up to December 2022 comparing nCRT and nCT in patients with EC were selected.RESULTS The analysis revealed significant differences between nCRT and nCT in terms of disease-free survival.The results indicated that nCRT provided better outcomes in terms of the 3-year overall survival rate(OSR)[odds ratio(OR)=0.95],complete response rate(OR=3.15),and R0 clearance rate(CR)(OR=2.25).However,nCT demonstrated a better 5-year OSR(OR=1.02)than nCRT.Moreover,when compared to nCRT,nCT showed reduced risks of cardiac complications(OR=1.15)and pulmonary complications(OR=1.30).CONCLUSION Overall,both nCRT and nCT were effective in terms of survival outcomes for LAEC.However,nCT exhibited better performance in terms of postoperative complications.