1.Positive Symptoms in Antipsychotic-naïve Schizophrenia are Associated with Increased Body Mass Index after Treatment
Shih-Hsien LIN ; Huai-Hsuan TSENG ; Hsin Chun TSAI ; Mei Hung CHI ; I Hui LEE ; Po See CHEN ; Kao Chin CHEN ; Yen Kuang YANG
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2021;19(1):155-159
Objective:
Weight gain is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality among patients with schizophrenia. We speculated that positive symptoms, related to dopaminergic hyperactivity and altered mesolimbic function, are associated with weight gain.
Methods:
Twenty-two antipsychotic-naïve, first-episode patients with schizophrenia were enrolled. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was completed at enrollment and follow-up. Body mass index (BMI) was also measured.
Results:
The increase in BMI, after 6.04 ± 2.16 years of follow-up, was associated with positive symptoms, but not negative symptoms, before treatment with antipsychotics in antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia.
Conclusion
This finding implied that dopaminergic hyperactivity could be an important factor to predict the treatment outcome. Body weight control is important for the health management of patients with schizophrenia with more severe positive symptoms.
2.The Clinical Outcomes of Different First-Line EGFR-TKIs Plus Bevacizumab in Advanced EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma
Yen-Hsiang HUANG ; Kuo-Hsuan HSU ; Chun-Shih CHIN ; Jeng-Sen TSENG ; Tsung-Ying YANG ; Kun-Chieh CHEN ; Kang-Yi SU ; Sung-Liang YU ; Jeremy J.W. CHEN ; Gee-Chen CHANG
Cancer Research and Treatment 2022;54(2):434-444
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of various epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus bevacizumab in advanced EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients.
Materials and Methods:
From August 2016 to October 2020, we enrolled advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients harboring exon 19 deletion or L858R receiving gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib plus bevacizumab as the first-line treatment for the purposes of analysis.
Results:
A total of 36 patients were included in the final analysis. Three patients received gefitinib, 17 received erlotinib, and 16 received afatinib combined with bevacizumab as the first-line treatment. The objective response rate was 77.8%, and disease control rate was 94.4%. The overall median progression-free survival (PFS) was 16.4 months, while the median PFS was 17.1 months in patients with exon 19 deletion, and 16.2 months in patients with L858R mutation (p=0.311). Regarding the use of different EGFR-TKIs, the median PFS was 17.1 months in the erlotinib group and 21.6 months in the afatinib group (p=0.617). In patients with brain metastasis at baseline, the median PFS was 18.9 months in the erlotinib group and 16.4 months in the afatinib group (p=0.747). Amongst patients harboring exon 19 deletion, the median PFS was 16.2 months in the erlotinib group and not-reached in the afatinib group (p=0.141). In patients with L858R mutation, the median PFS was 18.9 months in the erlotinib group and 16.2 months in the afatinib group (p=0.481).
Conclusion
Our research demonstrates that not only erlotinib combined with bevacizumab, but also afatinib plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment, provides solid clinical efficacy in advanced EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients.