Objective To analyze the treatment results of intracavitary hyperfractionated brachytherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to determine the optimal dose of external radiation. Methods From February 1996 to June 1998, 128 patients with T1 2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with external radiotherapy followed by intracavitary brachytherapy. The majority of them had residual tumor less than 10 mm after external radiotherapy. The external radiation doses were divided into 3 groups: 56 Gy, 60 Gy and 66 Gy. Brachytherapy was delivered with 2.5 3.0 Gy per fraction, 2 fractions a day with an interval of 6 hours. The total doses ranged from 12 to 24 Gy with a median of 18 Gy. Results The disease free survival rates at 3 and 4 years for all patients were 84.2% and 74.9%, respectively. The corresponding local relapse free survival rates were 97.1% and 92.7%, respectively. The 3 year disease free survival rates and local relapse free survival rates were 83.6% and 100% for 56 Gy group, 88.4% and 90.9% for 60 Gy group, and 84.6% and 93.3% for 66 Gy group, respectively,all with differences in significant. Radiation complications were rare. Conclusions We suggest that patients with residual tumor less than 10 mm after external radiotherapy should receive intracavitary brachytherapy as a boost. The dose of external radiotherapy for T1 2 stage NPC can be decreased to 56 Gy.

Objective To study the results of external beam radiotherapy plus 192 Ir hyperfractionated high dose rate interstitial brachytherapy (HHDR-IBT) for cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Methods Fourty-eight patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx were treated by external beam radiotherapy (T 1,T 2 30～50 Gy,T 3,T 4 50～60 Gy) followed by 192 Ir HHDR-IBT delivering 15～35 Gy (30～35 Gy for T 1,T 2 and 15～30 Gy for T 3,T 4 in 250～350 cGy per fraction,two fractions per day). Over 3～5 days. Results The complete response rates at 3 months were T 1100% (5/5),T 2 85%(23/27),T 3 46%(6/13),T 4 0%(0/3) and the partial reponse rates:T 2 15% (4/27), T 3 54%(7/13), T 4 100%(3/3). The 3-year survival and disease-free survival rates were 79.4% and 55.8%,respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that TNM stage and pathalogic type were prognostic factors.Conclusions Carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx treated with external beam radiotherapy combined with 192 Ir hyperfractionated high dose rate interstitial brachytherapy ia able to give a good local control for T 1,T 2 lesions with good functional preservation. For T 3,T 4 lesions,this method is able to offer a high palliation.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the outcomes and toxicities of elderly nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with conventional radiotherapy alone.MethodsFrom January 1995 to December 1998,95 newly diagnosed nasopharyngeai carcinoma with age ≥65 years treated in our hospital.The clinical data were analyzed retrospectively.Kaplan-Meier method was used for analysis of local-regional control survival and distant metastasis-free survival. The Logrank test was used for univariate prognostic analysis and Cox regression was used for multivariable prognostic analysis.ResultsThe follow-up rate was 98％.The 3-,5- and 8-year local-regional control (LRC) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 89％,87％,84％ and 85％,79％,79％,respectively. The most common acute toxicities were grade1-2 leukopenia (36％),skin reaction (64％) and mucositis (66％).The most frequent late toxicities were hearing impairment (8％),trismus ( 10％ ) and radiation-induced cranial neuropathy (5％).In univariate analysis,interruption of radiotherapy ( χ2 =7.45,P =0.006 ) and regional neck lymph nodes response (χ2 =4.17,P=0.041 ) was the prognostic factors for LRC,T stage (χ2 =4.16,P=0.032),N stage ( χ2 =4.66,P =0.031 ) and interruption of radiotherapy ( χ2 =9.42,P =0.002 ) was the prognostic factors for DMFS. In multivariable analysis,interruption of radiotherapy and the regional neck lymph nodes response were the prognostic factors for LRC (χ2=6.19,P=0.013 and χ2=12.16,P=0.002;respectively),N stage and radiotherapy interruption were prognostic factors for DMFS.(χ2=15.06,P =0.000 and χ2 =21.62,P =0.000 ; respectively ).ConclusionsConventional radiotherapy alone for elder NPC can produce satisfactory results with acceptable treatment-relative toxicities.Our experience showed that the early N stage,without radiotherapy interruption and good regional lymph nodes response had a good longterm prognosis.

Objective To study the outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by late-course 3-dimentional conformal radiotherapy(3DCRT). Methods 37 primary nasopharyngeal carcinomas were involved into the CRT group. A total dose of 70 Gy to 74 Gy was delivered by using the conventional method (36 Gy) and late-course 3DCRT technique (34 ~ 38 Gy). This group was matched with a same number of patients who were treated with conventional method alone (Routing group). The treatment results and acute toxicity between the two groups were analyzed. Results The complete response (CR) rate of primary tumor was achieved 100 % in CRT group and 86 % in routing group, respectively. The CRT group had severe mucositis and peripheral neuropathy, but the difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference in the overall survival between the two groups. Conclusion Late-course 3DCRT is an effective method in the treatment of primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective To understand the subjective perception and influential factors of critical care training in rescue nurses. Methods The same self-designed questionnaire with a total of 49 closing entries were used before and after training course to investigate the ability of critical care and prevention ability of infectious diseases in rescue nurses. Results The ability of emergency response nursing improved remarkably after rescue nurse training (t=-7.071--3.693,P<0.01). But there were several weaknesses still in existence including specialty knowledge, first aid techniques, and clinical application of biochemical indicators, psychological trauma assessment, epidemics and ECG recognition, critical
thinking, the differences were statistically significant (t=-6.736--3.286,P<0.01). Conclusions Rescue nurses training can improve the ability to take care of critical illness under emergency situations, which can ease the insufficiency of human resource for short-term.

Objective To analyze the regions of abdominal lymph node metastasis in recurrent thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( TE-SCC) after radical surgery, and to guide the design of target volume in postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods Patients with TE-SCC who were admitted to our hospital from February 2005 to April 2013 were enrolled as subjects. All patients were diagnosed with abdominal lymph node metastasis by imaging after R0 radical surgery. The exact regions of abdominal lymph node metastasis were classified according to the 7th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer ( AJCC) TNM staging system for gastric cancer, and then retrospectively analyzed. The difference of two group was analyzed by χ2 test. Results Among the 1593 eligible patients, 148( 9. 3%) were diagnosed with abdominal lymph node metastasis after surgery. In the 148 patients, the abdominal lymph node metastasis rates in the upper, middle, and lower thoracic esophagus were 2. 3%, 7. 8%, and 26. 6%, respectively ( P=0. 000);the incidence rates of pathological stages T1/2 and T3/4 were 8. 7% and 9. 5%, respectively ( P=0. 601);the incidence rates of 0-2 and ≥3 metastatic lymph nodes in postoperative pathological examination were 4. 8%and 20. 1%, respectively (P=0. 000). The abdominal lymph node metastasis rate was the highest in the para-aortic lymph node ( 16a2) , followed by para-aortic lymph node ( 16a1) and the lymph nodes around the celiac trunk, posterior area of the pancreatic head, and common hepatic artery ( 64. 9%, 41. 2%, 37. 8%, 32. 4%, and 20. 9%) , yielding an overall metastasis rate of 91. 9%. Conclusions The major regions of abdominal lymph node metastasis in esophageal carcinoma after radical surgery include para-aortic lymph nodes ( 16a2 and 16a1) and the lymph nodes around the celiac trunk, posterior area of the pancreatic head, and common hepatic artery. These regions are the abdominal target volumes of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy.

Objective To evaluate the potential influencing factors associated with pathologic complete response ( pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer ( LARC) . Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data 265 patients with stageⅡandⅢ( the 7th version of AJCC) rectal cancer admitted to our hospital from 2011 to 2013. All patients underwent neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy ( CCRT ) followed by surgery with/or without induction chemotherapy during the interval between the complete of CCRT and surgery. The predictors associated with pCR were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. With the use of the independent predictive variables for pCR from multivariate analysis, a clinical risk score model was established according to the following criteria:no?risk group (0 factor);low?risk group (1 factor);high?risk group ( 2 factors) . Results Among these 265 patients, 50( 18. 9%) achieved pCR. The univariate analysis showed that carcinoembryonic antigen ( CEA) level before CCRT ( P=0. 017) , T stage before CCRT ( P=0. 001), interval between complete of CCRT and surgery (P=0. 000), and the maximum tumor thickness before CCRT ( P=0. 040) were significantly associated with pCR. The multivariate analysis showed that pre?CCRT CEA level ( P=0. 021 or 0. 446) and interval between the complete of CCRT and surgery ( P=0. 000 or 3. 774) were significant predictors of pCR. When stratifying for smoking status, only low pre?CCRT CEA level was significantly associated with pCR in the non?smoking patients ( P=0. 044) . For the prediction of pCR by the clinical risk score model, the sensitivity was 0. 805, the specificity was 0. 460, the area under the receiver operating curve was 0. 690 ( 95% CI= 0. 613?0. 767 ) , the positive predictive value was 35 . 4 9%, the negative predictive value was 8 6 . 5%, and the predictive accuracy was 7 3 . 9%. Conclusions For locally advanced rectal cancer, pCR can be achieved in some patients after neoadjuvant therapy. Low pre?CCRT CEA level and long interval time between CCRT and surgery are independent factors associated with pCR, and only low pre?CCRT CEA level is an associated factor in the group of nonsmokers. The clinical risk score model based on pre?CCRT CEA level>5 ng/ml and time interval from CCRT completion to surgery≤8 weeks can be used to predict pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for LARC.

Objective To explore the clinical and imaging factors influencing the patients' prognosis after preoperative radiotherapy for local advanced rectal cancer.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 106 locally advanced rectal cancer patients from June 2004 to September 2015 in our institution.All patients underwent preoperative radiotherapy.According to the Mandard score,patients were divided into 5 groups (TRG1-5).All patients were divided into two groups according to the TRG,which including good responder (TRG1 + 2) and poor responder (TRG3 + 4 + 5) groups.All of the tumor ADC values of post-RT were measured by Diffusion-weighted MRI technology,and the relationship between tumor ADC values of post-RT and TRG was analyzed.Results In univariate analysis,age,chemotherapy,pT,pN,differentiation degree,vascular invasion and TRG were significantly associated with overall survival (x2 =3.945-8.110,P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate analysis indicated that differentiation degree and TRG were the independent prognostic factors for OS (x2 =5.221,6.563,P ＜ 0.05).No significant difference was found between long-course and short-course radiotherapy group (P ＞ 0.05) in OS.The good responder group had a favorable survival in 5-year OS compared to the poor responder group (x2 =8.110,P ＜ 0.05).Preoperative radiotherapy,preoperative chemotherapy,pathological type,differentiation degree and gross type,vascular tumor thrombus and tumor ADC values of post-RT were significantly associated with TRG (x2 =4.189-18.139,P ＜ 0.05).The best critical point of tumor ADC values of post-RT was 1.7 x 10-3 mm2/s by using ROC curve.The accuracy of tumor ADC values of post-RT in predicting TRG1 + 2 was 70％.Conclusions The TRG can predict the efficacy of preoperative radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer based on the Mandard score.There was no significant difference in OS between long-course radiotherapy group and short-course radiotherapy group.The tumor ADC values of post-RT might become a potential factor to predict TRG in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative radiotherapy.

Objective To investigate the effect of silencing Annexin A2 gene expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) on the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells CNE-2 (R743).Methods siRNA targeting the Annexin A2 gene was chemically synthesized and transfected into R743 cells by HiPerFect.The mRNA and protein levels of Annexin A2 before and after transfection were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.The change in radiosensitivity of R743 cells was analyzed by colonyforming assay.Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis after X-ray irradiation were analyzed using flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay,respectively.Results The results from RT-PCR and Western blot showed that the expression of Annexin A2 was down-regulated after transfection.The colony-forming assay indicated that the D0,Dq,and SF2 in transfected cells were significantly lower than those in untransfected cells with radiation alone and in cells transfected with control siRNA.The sensitization enhancement ratios (D0 ratios) of transfected cells relative to untransfected and control siRNA transfected cells were 1.30 and 1.27,respectively.After X-ray irradiation,the proportion of cells in G2/M phase was significantly higher in the transfected cells thin in untransfected and control siRNA transfected cells (32.46％ vs.9.17％ and 9.42％,respectively;P =0.000 and 0.000).The apoptosis rate was also significantly higher in the transfected cells than in the untransfected and control siRNA transfected cells (35.20％ vs.10.87％ and 11.33％,respectively;P=0.000 and 0.000).Conclusions Silencing Annexin A2 gene expression by siRNA can increase the radiosensitivity of R743 cells,which may be associated with DNA damage repair and change in cell cycle distribution.

Objective To investigate change of the volume and the epicenter of target volume under different scan speed of the three-dimensional (3D) simulation computed tomography (CT) and determine the scan speed which close to ITV.Methods A dynamic phantom-QUASAR,with a 3 cm × 3 cm × 3 cm target cubic simulating respiratory motion was used.The phantom was set with three different amplitudes and breathing frequencies under different scan speed.The dynamic phantom was also scanned using simulation 4DCT as ITV was the standard.The length of the phantom was 12 cm,the scan time were 6.6 s,12.8 s,31.7 s.The volume and epicenter of the target identified from 3DCT images were calculated and compared to 4DCT images.The number of times of target length (30 ± 2) mm/total scan times was used to assese the accuracy.Results The total accuracy was 6.8％.For different scan speed,the accuracy were 13％,4％ and 2％,respectively.The length of the epicenter of the target volume was (318.9 ±0.37) mm,(683.2 ±0.44) mm,(682.9 ± 0.66) mm under the 0.5 cm,1.0 cm and 2.0 cm,respectively.When the scan time was 31.7 s,the volume of the target from the 3DCT were close to ITV-10 mm,the frequency were 50％,78％,56％ for three different amplitude.Conclusions This study shows that the images from the 3D simulation CT were the partial image of the breathing cycle,and the epicenters were diversed with the breathing amplitude and scan speed.The accuracy rate of the 3DCT reflects the real target is low.In addition,the epicenter of the target changed randomly.