Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of continuous administration of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in patients with end-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Method: Our study included 33 patients most recently treated with EGFR-TKI for non-small cell lung cancer that had once been responsive to EGFR-TKI but eventually showed worsening. We compared patients who discontinued EGFR-TKI within one month (n=16) after their disease progressed and those who continued the treatment (n=17). Results: The median survival time was significantly longer in patients who continued EGFR-TKI (191 days) than in those who discontinued the treatment (62 days) (p=0.0098). Adverse events experienced by patients who continued the treatment included Grade 1 eruption in six, Grade 2 eruption in one, Grade 1 diarrhea in one and Grade 1 AST/ALT elevation in four. All of these adverse events were manageable. Conclusion: In patients with non-small cell lung cancer initially responsive to EGFR-TKI but eventually showing worsening and becoming unfit for cytotoxic anticancer drugs, continuous administration of EGFR-TKI may extend their survival with acceptable toxicity. Further investigation of this strategy is warranted. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(1): 119-125

We report two cases, a 58-year-old male and a 60-year-old female with acute aortic occlusion probably ascribable to intracardiac thrombosis associated with atrial fibrillation. Thrombectomy was performed at about 5.5 hours and 4 hours respectively, after the onset of occlusion, and revascularization was successful. To prevent MNMS after revascularization, about 2, 000ml of blood was taken from the femoral vein of the male patient, and 1, 000ml of blood from the female patient, and this blood was returned in the form of abluted erythrocytes in transfusion through a cell saver to the patients. We suspected slight myoglobinuria after the operations, but they did not develop MNMS because a urine volume of about 3, 000ml was maintained by administration of infusion solution and diuretics and by replenishment of electrolytes and correction of acidosis. It was concluded that the technique involving the removal of a large volume of blood from distal veins and its transfusion through a cell saver was effective in preventing MNMS.