Objective To investigate the influence factors of tumor diameter and related prognostic factors on the prognosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 240 patients who underwent resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University between January 1995 and January 2013 were collected,including 104 patients with tumor diameter ≤ 2 cm (8 with tumor diameter ≤ 1 cm and 96 with 1 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 2 cm),85 with 2 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm and 51 with tumor diameter ＞ 3 cm (40 with 3 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 4 cm and 11 with tumor diameter ＞ 4 cm).Observation indicators:(1) surgical situations;(2) follow-up situations;(3) risk factors analysis affecting the prognosis of patients;(4) correlation analysis between related prognostic indicators and tumor diameter.The follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect the survival up to August 2016.The survival curve and survival rate were respectively drawn and calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method,and the Log-rank test was used for survival analysis.The prognostic factors and correlation between related prognostic indicators and tumor diameter were respectively analyzed using the COX proportional hazard model and logistic regression model.Results (1) Surgical situations:240 patients underwent successful resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and lymph node dissection.Of 73 patients with postoperative complications,1 died of intraperitoneal infection induced to systemic infection and multiple organ failure,1 diel of renal failure,and other patients were cured by symptomatic treatment.(2) Follow-up situations:240 patients were followed up for 12.0-98.0 months,with a median time of 47.4 months.The overall median survival time,1-,3-and 5-year overall survival rates were respectively 30.6 months,81％,47％ and 29％.The median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 46.5 months,34％ in patients with tumor diameter ≤ 2 cm and 30.5 months,30％ in patients with 2 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm and 13.8 months,20％ in patients with tumor diameter ＞ 3 cm,respectively,with a statistically significant difference (x2 =17.83,P＜0.05).Results of further analysis showed the median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 31.3 months,38％ in patients with tumor diameter ≤ 1 cm and 46.5 months,34％ in patients with 1 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 2 cm,respectively,with no statistically significant difference (x2=1.16,P＞O.05).The median survival time and 1-year survival rate were 14.7 months,62％ in patients with 3 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 4 cm and 13.0 months,55％ in patients with tumor diameter ＞ 4 cm,respectively,with no statistically significant difference (x2 =2.34,P＞O.05).(3) Risk factors analysis affecting the prognosis of patients:univariate analysis showed that tumor diameter,surgical margin,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion and histological differentiation were the related factors affecting patients' prognosis [hazard ratio (HR)=1.456,8.714,1.737,2.246,1.665;95％ confidence interval (C I):1.212-1.748,5.558-13.663,1.311-2.301,1.494-3.378,1.375-2.016,P ＜ 0.05].The multivariate analysis showed that 2 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm,tumor diameter ＞ 3 cm,R1 resection,lymph node metastasis and low-differentiated tumor were the independent risk factors affecting poor prognosis of patients (HR =1.559,1.868,7.410,1.521,2.274,95％ CI:1.125-2.160,1.265-2.759,4.497-12.212,1.136-2.037,1.525-3.390,P＜0.05).(4) Correlation analysis between related prognostic indicators and tumor diameter:the results of univariate analysis showed that there was a correlation between lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion,histological differentiation and T staging of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and tumor diameter of 2 cm as a cut-off point (x2 =6.063,4.950,8.770,9.069,P＜0.05).There was a correlation between surgical margin,lymph node metastasis,vascular invasion and histological differentiation and tumor diameter of 3 cm as a cut-off point (x2=10.251,9.919,5.485,15.632,P＜0.05).The results of multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis and T staging of AJCC were independent related factors affecting tumor diameter of 2 cm as a cut-off point[odds ratio (OR) =1.882,2.104,95 ％CI:1.075-3.293,1.220-3.631,P＜0.05];surgical margin and lymph node metastasis were independent related factors affecting tumor diameter of 3 cm as a cut-off point (OR=3.187,2.211,95 ％CI:1.377-7.379,1.133-4.314,P＜0.05).Conclusions The 2 cm ＜ tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm,tumor diameter ＞ 3 cm,R1 resection,lymph node metastasis and low-differentiated tumor are the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Three cm (T staging in De Oliveira staging system) as the second cut-off point is feasible,meanwhile,2 cm cut-off point may be become another potential tumor dividing point described in De Oliveira staging system.

PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has become a global issue for a large part of the general population. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been used extensively to treat persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). Although systematic reviews have confirmed the effectiveness of SLIT for the treatment of AR, a considerable number of studies using extracts of house dust mites (HDMs) for immunotherapy found no consensus on basic treatment parameters and questioned the efficacy of SLIT. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated SLIT for PAR by a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library database searches were performed for RCTs on the treatment of PAR by SLIT that assessed clinical outcomes related to efficacy through May 2016. Descriptive and quantitative information was abstracted. An analysis was performed with standardized mean differences (SMDs) under a fixed or random effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 metric. RESULTS: In total, 25 studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis for symptom scores and 15 studies for medication scores. SLIT was significantly different from the controls for symptom scores (SMD=1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.74 to 0.73; P<0.001). For medication scores, significant differences for SLIT were also observed versus the controls (SMD=-1.39; 95% CI=-1.90 to -0.88; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicates that SLIT provided significant symptom relief and reduced the need for medications in PAR. In this study, significant evidence was obtained despite heterogeneity with regard to the use of mite extract. Specifically, the mite extract used was provided by the patients with PAR. Furthermore, to confirm both the objective outcomes and the effective doses of HDM allergen extracts, experimental data should be obtained from large high-quality population-based studies.
Consensus ; Dust* ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Mites ; Population Characteristics ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis, Allergic* ; Sublingual Immunotherapy*

Objective:To study the effects of gantry acceleration limitations of a linear accelerator (linac) on the dosimetry of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans, machine efficiency, and dose verification result of VMAT plans and to explore the optimal selection of gantry motion models in the Pinnacle treatment planning system.Methods:Ten cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, sigmoid adenocarcinoma with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast were each selected for this study. Then two models were set up in the Pinnacle v9.10 treatment planning system, namely the one allowing gantry acceleration and the one limiting gantry acceleration. The same field arrangement, optimized target parameters, and optimized weights of VMAT plans were adopted in the two models, in order to analyze the dosimetric variations in targets and organs at risk (OARs) and compare the differences in treatment time and gamma passing rates.Results:The treatment time of the enrolled patients under the model allowing gantry acceleration was significantly lower than that of the patients under the model limiting gantry acceleration was adopted ( t=-6.751, -0.209, -19.523, -28.999; P< 0.05) and decreased by 15.27%, 18.07%, 19.71%, and 28.75%, respectively. Meanwhile, the conformity and uniformity of target areas were affected, while there was no statistical significance in the gamma passing rates in the validation of VMAT plans ( P>0.05). For the cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the maximum dose to brainstem PRV increased by 1.25%. For the cases of lung cancer, the maximum dose to the spinal cord and lung V20 increased by 1.19% and 1.21%, respectively, while lung V5 decreased by 1.21%. For the cases of sigmoid adenocarcinoma with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, the mean doses to bilateral kidneys, livers, small intestine, and colon all increased. For the cases of breast cancer, lung V10 on the opposite side of cancer increased by 1.66% and the mean dose to the lungs on the same side of cancer decreased by 7.45%. Conclusions:The model allowing gantry acceleration allows the treatment time to be significantly shortened and the treatment efficiency improved. Although this model had the shortcomings such as affecting the conformity and uniformity of target areas to a certain extent and increasing the doses to some OARs, clinical requirements for dosimetry were still met. Therefore, it is recommended to use the model allowing gantry acceleration in the Pinnacle planning system.

Objective:To explore the radiological damage to cells induced by the delayed particles of 9C-ions for heavy ion therapy, as well as the microdosimetric distribution and biological effects of these particles on a single model of V79 Chinese hamster lung cells. Methods:The Monte Carlo program was employed to simulate the endonuclear absorbed doses of α particles with various energies (3-10 MeV) transported in cells (cell radius RC = 10 μm, nucleus radius RN = 5 μm). Then, the result were compared with the S values ( SN←N, SN←Cy, and SN←CS) derived using the medical internal radiation dose (MIRD) method to demonstrate the feasibility of Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, the energy deposition of the delayed particles of 9C-ions generated at three sites (i.e., on the surface and in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the V79 cell model) during their transport in targets was simulated, and the result ing cell surviving fraction was analyzed. Results:Monte Carlo and MIRD method yielded differences in S values of 1.91%-4.95% for SN←N (nucleus to nucleus), 1.48%-5.11% for SN←Cy (cytoplasm to nucleus), and -1.99% to 0.80% for SN←CS(surface to nucleus), indicating highly consistent S values derived using both method(differences < 6%). When a 9C-ion decayed on the surface of the V79 cell model and the produced secondary particles entered the cell, the average endonuclear absorbed dose was 10 -2 Gy orders of magnitude, with a cell surviving fraction of about 88%. In the case where decay occurred in the cytoplasm, the cell surviving fraction was about 80%. However, when the 9C ion decayed in the nucleus, α particles had short ranges and deposited most of their energy in the cell (mean endonuclear absorbed dose: 0.1 Gy). In this case, severe cell damage was induced, with the cell surviving fraction reducing to about 53%. Conclusions:9C-ions emit secondary charged particles due to decay, among which α particles cause great damage to cells when entering the nucleus and trigger evident biological effects.