Gemcitabine is a new active drug in the treatment of advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is validated that the response rate of the single agent gemcitabine was consistently above 20%, median survival was 34 weeks and it could improve the disease related symptoms with well toleranced toxicities by many clinical studies. This report reviews the clinical studies of gemcitabine in the patients with advanced NSCLC.

Purpose:To study the clinical features of meningeal metastasis (MM) and investigate its diagnosis and treatments and prognosis. Methods:The clinical materials of 22 patients with MM were retrospectively analyzed. Results:Of all the 22 patients,MM was diagnosed by CT/MRI scan in 20 patients and by cytological analysis of CSF in 6 patients,the patients received therapies including systemic chemotherapy,intrathecal chemotherapy and radiotherapy,and also 1 patient without therapy.Median survival was 3 months (range 1 week-15 months). Conclusions:MM,with a poor prognosis,is one of the most serious complication of cancer. At present,all the therapies are palliative.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of rhG-CSF(recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor) in chemotherapy induced neuteropenia.Methods: 63 cases with malignacies confirmed by pathology or cytology were enrolled. All patients were divided into group AN or BA at randomly self-control cross-over test.At the time of 48 hours after chemotherapy,rhG-CSF was given at a dose of 5 g.kg-1 .d-1 for 7 to 14 days in group A. In group B, the patients received chemotherapy alone without rhG-CSF as control.Bolld routine examination was taken every other day from the start of chemother- apy.The change of absolute neutrophil and neukocyte counts were observed.Results:In the trial group,neutrophil count in- creased rapidly with the first peak after 48 born of rhG-CSF injection. The second peak occurred on the tenth day. In the control group,the absolute neuterophil and leukocyte counts decreased gradually,lower than that of the trial group all the time.There is a significant difference between the trial and control groups (P

Purpose:The phase I study was conducted to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and toxicity of weekly administered docetaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ). The other objective was to measure the pharmacokinetic/dynamics (PK/PD).Methods:In the dose escalation study, 15 patients with unresectable and metastatic untreated NSCLC with performance status(0-1) were enrolled. Escalating doses of D 25 mg/m 2 (30 mg/m 2, 35 mg/m 2, 40 mg/m 2) on day 1, 8, 15 were given as a 30 min iv infusions and C 75 mg/m 2 30 min iv infusion after D on day 1 and the cycle was repeated every 4 weeks. Blood samples were drawn on day 1 and 15 in the first cycle to measure the PK. Dose limiting toxicity(DLT) was based on Cycle 1 and defined as any Grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity not declining to Grade 2 or less within 4 days or any Grade 4 toxicity. Results:Chemotherapy was repeated for at least two cyc1es every 28 days. All patients were assessable for toxicities. Although grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred, there were no significant modifications of chemotherapy schedule. One patient developed an infection (DLT). Non-hematological toxicities, including nausea/vomiting, a1opecia, fluid intension and asthenia were tolerable. Based on these data, the MTD has not yet reached up to dose level of docetaxel of 40mg/m 2 weekly given in combination with cisplatin 75mg/m 2 every 4 weeks at the fixed dose. The exposure to docetaxel after Ⅳ administration on day 1 in combination with cisplatin and on day 15 without cisplatin , increased proportional to the dose for the range 25 to 40 mg/m 2, as measured by Cmax and AUC. No statistically significant difference between clearance values was shown for the 4 dose levels. The pharmacokinetics of docetaxel was not influenced by the coadministration of cisplatin on day 1 as compared to day 15, as the CmaxN, AUCN and CL were not statistically significantly different on both days. Fourteen patients were eva1uab1e for response, five cases achieved partial response, and thus the overall response was 35.7%. 1, 2, and 3 year survivals were 73%, 27%, and 20%, respectively. Weekly administration of docetaxel at 35mg/m 2 (days 1, 8, l5) combined with cisplatin 75mg/m 2 (day 1) is recommended for phase Ⅱ studies. Conclusions:Using the weekly schedule, toxicity was mainly manifested by non-hematologic profile and was well tolerated. A phase Ⅱ study is currently ongoing with docetaxel 35mg/m 2 as the suggested dosage.

Purpose:To study the efficacy and safety of docetaxel administrated weekly plus cisplatin in the treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods:Thirty-six patients with stage ⅢB,stage Ⅳ not treated previously by chemotherapy,or recurrenct after operation NSCLC received intravenous infusions of docetaxel at 35mg/m 2 three consecutive weeks,followed by a week of rest;and intravenous infusions of cisplatin at 75 mg/m 2 every four weeks. Results:There were 12 partial responses for an objective response rate of 33 %. The median survival was 11.5 months (range 4-27 months),and the 1-year survival was 50%. Hematologic toxicities,which were mild,included grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ neutropenia in 22%. The common nonhematologic toxicities included grade 2-3 nausea and vomiting (39%) and grade 2-3 asthenia (36%). Conclusions:Consecutive weekly administrations of docetaxel for 3 weeks plus cisplatin produce minimal myelosuppression and shows activity in the treatment of patients without previous chemtherapy with advanced NSCLC.

Objective To investigate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),its receptor KDR and angiogenesis in relation to progression of colorectal carcinoma (CC). Methods KDR,VEGF protein expression and microvessel density (MVD) in 102 cases of human CC were examined by immunohistochemical staining. MVD,KDR and VEGF expression were analysed with their relation to histological grade,depth of invasion,Dukes stage,lymph node metastasis,liver metastasis and prognosis of CC. Results MVD was significantly higher in KDR and VEGF-positive CC than in KDR and VEGF-negative CC ( P

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical feature peripheral neuropathy and vasculopathy after acrylamide toxication. Methods2 young male patients with peripheral neuropathy who had exposed to acrylamide for job more than one year were reported.ResultsNeuroelectrophysiological examination showed marked abnormalities in both peripheral and central nerve conduction in both patients. Sural nerve biopsies revealed axonal degeneration, Wallerian degeneration and giant axon with accumulated neurofilaments. Additonally, vasculopathies including prominant thickness of arterial intesma and basal membrane of capillary as well as apoptosis of vascular pericyte, were evident. ConclusionAxonal degeneration and vascular involvement has been found in acrylamide toxication. Vascular impairment maybe plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neuropathy.

Objective To examine the efficacy and safety of 125Iseed implantation for treating neuroblastoma (NB) in animal models.Methods A total of 45 nude mice models of neuroblastoma were constructed and divided into the 125Igroup.control group.and blank group at 15 mice per group.The long and short diameters of the tumor were measured every 3 days.and the tumor inhibition rate was calculated every 9 days.Apoptotic and proliferative protein expression levels in tumor tissue and peritumoral tissue.as well as endocrine markers and bone marrow of the nude mice.were analyzed.The independent sample t test was used to compare the mean scores.and ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups.Results Tumor volume inhibition rate was significantly higher in the 125Igroup than in the control group and blank group on days 9.18.and 27(all P<0.05).Caspase-3 expression in tumor tissues was significantly higher in the 125Igroup than in the control group and blank group (all P<0.05).whereas proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was significantly lower in the 125Igroup than in the control group and blank group (all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in Caspase-3 and PCNA expression between the control group and blank group (all P>0.05).In addition.no significant difference in the expression of Caspase-3 and PCNA in peritumoral tissue was observed between the 125Igroup.control group.and blank group (all P>0.05).Cell apoptosis in tumor tissue was significantly lower in the blank group and control group than in the 125Igroup (all P<0.05).while there was no significant difference between the blank group and the control group (P>0.05).There was no significant difference in endocrine markers between the three groups (P>0.05).There was no significant bone marrow suppression in the 125Igroup.and this observation was similar to those in the control group and blank group (all P>0.05).Conclusions 125Iseeds have significant toxicity to NB.125Iseed implantation is safe in nude mice with NB within the therapeutic doses.

BACKGROUNDMultimodality treatment is the milestone of improving the prognosis of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The aim of this study is to retrospectively review the prognostic factors for SCLC.

METHODSFrom January 1999 to June 2005, clinical data were collected from 253 patients who had a good performance status (PS=0-1) and underwent multimodality therapy (chemotherapy+radiotherapy±surgery), and the prognostic factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and COX multivariate proportional hazards model.

RESULTSWith a median follow-up of 23.2 months (3-85 months), 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 77.9%, 33.8% and 23.3% respectively, and 88.3%, 40.2%, 31.2% in LD patients, 62.9%, 22.0% and 8.8% in ED patients, respectively. Median survival time (MST) of all the patients was 23 months (95% CI: 19-27 months). Univariate analysis indicated that gender (P=0.0395), stage (P= 0.0000 ), LDH (P=0.0000), operation (P=0.0029), weight loss (P=0.0000) and the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy (P=0.0000) significantly influenced survival in SCLC. Multivariate analysis suggested that gender (P=0.019), LDH (P=0.000), operation (P=0.024) and weight loss (P=0.006) were the independent prognostic factors of survival.

CONCLUSIONSGender, LDH, operation, and weight loss are the important prognostic factors for patients with SCLC who have a good PS and undergo multimodality treatment.