Objective To approach the therapeutic effects and complication of hyperfractionated radio-therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods From January 2000 to November 2002,283 patients with na-sopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with hyperfraetionated radiotherapy. For hyperfractionated radiotherapy,γ-ray from 60Co was performed and two fractions of 1.2 Gy were given daily,with an interval of≥6 h,5 days per week to a median dose of 72 Gy for nasopharynx and 68.4 Gy for neck. For some patients, carboplatin or cispla-tin and 5-fluorouracil were transfused. Results The incidence rate of≥3 grade acute mueositis was 12. 4%.The complete remission rate after treatment was 93.6%. The 1,2 and 5 year survival rate was 93.6% ,82. 7%and 60. 1% respectively. Conclusion patients treated with hyperfractionated radiotherapy have good tolerance and therapeutic effect. It provids a treatment means for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. But it must be validated by the large-scale clinical trials.

Objective To explore the relationship of the methylation levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 (TIMP-3) gene promoter CpG islands with the invasiveness and prognosis in cardia carcinoma. Methods The tumors tissues were collected from 65 patients with cardia carcinoma. The methylation levels of the promoter of TIMP-3 gene were detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), the mRNA expression levels of TIMP-3 gene were detected by RT-PCR. The relationship of TIMP-3 gene ectopic methylation with invasiveness and prognosis of the cardia carcinoma patients was analyzed. Results The positive expression rates of TIMP-3 mRNA in gastric cancer and normal gastric tissues were 53.8 % (35/65) and 96.9 % (63/65), respectively. The difference was not statistically significant(Fisher exact test, P=0.912). The positive rate of TIMP-3 mRNA was negatively correlated with the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis [mucosa and muscular vs. serosa and mucosa outside of the serosa and muscula: 83.3 % (10/12) vs. 45.3 % (24/53); with lymph node metastasis vs. without lymph node metastasis: 73.9 % (17/23) vs. 40.5 %(17/42)] (both P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between TIMP-3 gene promoter methylation and TIMP-3 mRNA expression (r=-0.276, P=0.026). The size of tumor and TIMP-3 gene promoter methylation were both the independent influencial factors of prognosis in cardia carcinoma (both P<0.05). Conclusion The methylation of promoter region in CpG islands plays an important role in the invasion and metastasis of cardia carcinoma, and it can be used as an independent predictor of biological behavior and prognosis.

Objective To explore the relations among the promoter methylation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) gene and its protein expression, and the clinicopathological features in the gastric cardia carcinoma. Methods The tumor tissues and the adjacent normal mucosal tissues were collected from 65 patients with cardia carcinoma. The promoter methylation levels and the protein expression of TIMP-3 gene were detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and immunohistochemistry respectively. Results The TIMP-3 methylation rates was 78.5 % (51/65) in the tumor tissues and 13.8 % (9/65) in the incisal edge of normal tissues, the methylation rates of TIMP-3 had positive correlation with the size of tumor, invasion depth, lymphatic metastasis and the stage of tumor. The protein expression of TIMP-3 was 26.2 %(17/65) in the tumor tissues and 95.4 % (62/65) in the incisal edge of normal tissues (P = 0.016), the protein expression of TIMP-3 was negatively correlated with the size of tumor, invasion depth, lymphatic metastasis and the stage of tumor. Conclusion The methylation of promoter region in CpG islands is a main mechanism of reduced and loss expression of TIMP-3 gene, which may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of cardia carcinoma.