Objective To analyze the prognostic factors and trerapy strategy of lung cancer in the patients aged 80 years and over.Methods Totally 107 patients aged ≥ 80 years with lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed.Patients' clinical characteristics and treatment were analyzed.Results Median survival time of the patients was 6.9 months.92.9％ (13/14) of small cell lung cancer patients and 34.4％ (31/90) of non small cell lung cancer patients were treated.Life cycle of patients who accepted effective treatments and supportive treatments were 16.5 months and 8.7 months,respectively (P=0.008).In the early stage of tumors,survival time of patients undergoing surgery was 36.7 months,15.5 months in patients without surgery (P=0.023),while in the late stage,survival time of patients receiving combined chemotherapy was 13.4 months,4.6 months in patients receiving single agent chemotherapy(P=0.002).In small cell lung cancer,survival time of patients who received radiotherapy was 12.8 months,6.4 months in patients who did not receive radiotherapy (P=0.049).Performance status (PS),clinical stage,early surgery,late chemotherapy and radiotherapy(x2=38.236,18.831,5.187,9.827,4.186,P＜0.05),but not sex and pathology type affected the prognosis.PS score (P=0.003)and clinical stage(P=0.046) were the independent influencing factors.Conclusions Performance status and clinical stage are the independent influencing factors of lung cancer in the patients aged over 80 years.Patients may improve survival if receiving surgery,chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy when they have good PS,otherwise patients may choose best supportive care.

Objective To investigate the expressions and mutual relationship of Galectin-3 andβ-catenin in endome?triosis (EM). Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression levels of Galectin-3 andβ-catenin and their mutual relationship in expression was also examined. Samples were collected from ectopic endometrium of patients with en?dometriosis (ectopic endometrium group, n=34), eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis (eutopic endometrium group, n=34) and normal endometrium from people without endometriosis (control group, n=30). Results The expressions of Galectin-3 were seen in 88.2%, 85.3%, 50.0%of cases in ectopic endometrium group, eutopic endometrium group and control group respectively. On the other hand, the expression ofβ-catenin were seen in 55.9%, 52.9%, 26.7%of cases in ecto?pic endometrium group, eutopic endometrium group and control group respectively. In EMs patients, the expression of Galec?tin-3 andβ-catenin were significantly higher in ectopic endometrium and eutopic endometrium than those in normal endome?trium group(P<0.05). Expression of Galectin-3 was positive correlated with expression ofβ-catenin(rs=0.512, 0.428, P<0.01). Conclusion Galectin-3 andβ-catenin may play important roles synergistically in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of analgesic drugs in the standardized treatment of cancer pain patients at the pain clinic. Methods: The data of 787 cancer pain patients and their corresponding prescriptions for cancer pain were collected from April, 2012 to April, 2013 at the pain clinic. The obtained information comprise of diseases that lead to cancer pain, cause of pain, pain intensity, and efficacy and side effects of medications. Diseases that caused cancer pain include 658 cases with primary malignant lung cancer. Results: Pain was mainly caused by primary lung cancer in 787 cancer-related patients. An analgesic drug, namely, oxycodone hydrochloride, was administered in 54.6% via single drug therapy. The daily dosage range of this drug was 20 to 90 mg/d in 280 cases. About 35.6% of the studied patients with a daily dosage of 90 mg/d or lower had their pain effectively managed. After the treatment, the number of cases with moderate to severe pain was reduced from 437 (55.5%) to 248 (31.5%). The oral administration of opioid oxycodone hydrochloride tablets ranked first among the prescribed drugs for cancer pain, and single-drug therapy was the choice of medication. The majority of patients had satisfactory pain-relief with a daily dosage of less than 90 mg/d upon the administration of oxycodone hydrochloride sustained-release tablets and morphine sulfate controlled-release tablets. Side effects included mild constipation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, urinary retention, somnolence, and so on. Intervention treatment was needed in most of the patients. Conclusion: Pain clinic is critical in the administration of standardized treatment for cancer pain in hospitals. The establishment of pain clinic ensures the standardized treatment of cancer pain.

Objective To investigated the efficacy and toxic effects of combined chemotherapy of vinorelbine plus cisplatin or carboplatin in patients aged ≥ 70 years and with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods One hundred patients with lung cancer aged ≥70 years were enrolled in the study.Fifty patients in chemotherapy group were assigned to receive vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 at the first day and the fifth day plus cisplatin 60-70 mg/m2 or carboplatin 250 mg/m2 at the second day.All treatments were repeated every 3 or 4 weeks.Another fifty patients aged ≥ 70 years were taken as control group, not receiving treatment.The primary endpoint was survival.Results Forty-five patients were evaluable for response and the partial remission rate was 35.6% (16/45).One year survival rate was 37.8% and median survival time was 9.75 months in chemotherapy group.The median survival time was 4.0 months for patients in control group.All 50 patients in chemotherapy group were evaluable for toxic side effects.WHO grade Ⅲ incidences of leucopoenia, neutropenia and anemia were 38.0%, 52.0% and 2.2%, respectively.Grade IV incidence of neutropenia was 35.5%.WHO grade Ⅲ incidences of fatigue, constipation and vomit were 22.0%, 8.0% and 14.8%,respectively.Five patients failed to complete the treatment due to side effects.Conclusions Combined chemotherapy of vinorelbine plus platinum drugs is effective and tolerated in patients aged over 70 years with advanced NSCLC.Even patients with stable clinical effects shows benefit of survival time.

Objective To explore the effect of the gene silencing of phosphatidic acid-preferring phospholipase A1 (PA-PLA1) on insulin secretion in mouse insulin-secreting cell line MIN6. Methods The siRNA expression vector of mouse PA-PLA1 gene targeting was constructed using mouse PA-PLA1 mRNA sequence available in GenBank, and MIN6 cells were transfected with the vector. Fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western-blotwere applied to screen efficient RNAi-vector. After transfection with obtained efficient RNAi-vectors for 48 hours, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion experiments were conducted, and the changes of insulin secretion were examined. Results Four siRNA expression vectors of mouse PA-PLA1 gene targeting were confirmed to be successfully constructed by the analyses of enzyme cleavage and sequencing. The results of fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses indicated that the siRNA expression vectorpGPU6-PA-PLA1-1885was the most effective RNAi-vector in the four vectors. The expression levels of the PA-PLA1 mRNA and protein of the MIN6 cells transfectedwith pGPU6-PA-PLA1-1885 decreased to 46.3% and 33.9% of that of the control, respectively, and meanwhile the insulin secretion levels of the cells decreased to 65.0% of that of the control (P < 0.05). Conclusion The gene silencing of phosphatidic acid-preferring phospholipase A1 might decrease insulin secretion in MIN6 cells.

Objective To investigate the trans‐regulative effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS2 on the promoter of human acyl protein thioesterase 1 (APT1) gene .Methods The promoter sequence of human APT1 gene was identified applying the soft‐ware of bioinformatics .The APT1 promoter and HBV preS2 gene were amplified with PCR and cloned into pGL3 and pcDNA3 .1 (-) plasmids to construct the luciferase reporter gene plasmid of human APT1 gene promoter pGL3‐APT1 and the preS2 eukary‐otic expression plasmid pcDNA3 .1(-)‐preS2 ,respectively .The effect of the preS2 on the human APT1 gene promoter was exam‐ined by cotransfecting hepatocellular carcinoma cell HepG2 with pGL3‐APT1 and pcDNA3 .1(-)‐preS2 and measuring luciferase activities of the HepG2 cells .The statistical data were analyzed with independent‐samples t test .Results Both plasmids of pGL3‐APT1 and pcDNA3 .1(-)‐preS2 were confirmed by DNA sequencing to be accurately constructed as design .The luciferase activity of the pGL3‐APT1 was 1 .2 times (P<0 .01) that of the positive control plasmid pGL3‐Control .And the luciferase activity of the HepG2 cells cotransfected with pcDNA3 .1(-)‐preS2 and pGL3‐APT1 was 2 .6 times (P<0 .01) that of the HepG2 cells cotrans‐fected with the plasmid without preS2 gene pcDNA3 .1(-) and pGL3‐APT1 .Conclusion The human APT1 promoter cloned in the study has high promoter activity ;HBV preS2 activates human APT1 promoter .

BACKGROUNDTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of homemade human rh-endostatin (YH-16) combined with NP regimen (vinorelbine+cisplatin) for stage IIIB-IV non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to compare with NP regimen alone.

METHODSEighteen NSCLC patients were divided into two groups. Group A ( n =9) received YH-16 combined with NP plan. Group B ( n =9) received NP regimen. They were treated with 2 or 3 cycles of chemotherapy. The overall response, time to progression (TTP), quality of life (QOL) and safety were observed.

RESULTSThe overall response was 22.2% in group A, and 0% in group B ( P > 0.05). The clinical benefit rate was 100% in group A, and 44.4% in group B ( P < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between response and clinical pathological characteristics of patients ( P > 0.05). The TTP was 178.8±70.8 days in group A and 85.4±48.2 days in group B ( P < 0.05). The main toxicities of the two groups were hematological toxicities, nausea and vomiting. No significant difference in incidence of toxicity was observed between the two groups ( P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe rh-endostatin combined with NP regimen for NSCLC tends to show a better chemotherapeutic effect and less toxicity than NP regimen alone. It is worthy of extensive clinical trial.

BACKGROUNDTo evaluate the activity and toxicity of paclitaxel as second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSForty patients with recurrent advanced NSCLC were enrolled. Thirty-six patients were managed with regular regimen. Paclitaxel 135 mg/m², 3 h, on day 1; DDP 75 mg/m² or carboplatin 300-350 mg/m² on day 2. Four patients were managed with weekly regimen. Paclitaxel 60 mg/m²,3 h, on days 1,8,15; DDP 75 mg/m² on day 2. It was repeated every three or four weeks, up to two to four cycles.

RESULTSThirty-six cases were evaluated for response and 27 for survival. The objective response rate was 13.9% (5/36). At least one tumor-related symptom relief was observed in 21 patients (58.3%). The median survival duration was 26.4 weeks and 1-year survival rate was 8% (4/36). The main toxicities included myelosuppression, fatigue and myalgia-arthralgia neuropathy.

CONCLUSIONSPaclitaxel has advantage to be well-tolerated and improve tumor-related symptom. Further studies with standardization of dose and regimen will be needed to clarify its role in the second-line treatment.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of Serratia marcescens (S311) vaccine in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion.

METHODSThirty-four patients with malignant pleural effusion were given S311 as intrapleural injection with a dose of 10(9) U (0.32 mg) on D 1, 8 and 15, and observed for four weeks.

RESULTSThe overall response rate (CR + PR) was 97.1% (CR in 12 patients and PR in 21 patients). The systemic toxicity was mild, including fever (82.4%), pleuritic pain (50.7%), nansea (26.5%), dyspnea (17.5%) and chills (5.9%).

CONCLUSIONSerratia marcescens vaccine is effective for malignant pleural effusion, with tolerable toxic effects. Further study is warranted.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bacterial Vaccines ; adverse effects ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Chest Pain ; chemically induced ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Fever ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Serratia marcescens ; immunology ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDTo evaluate the efficacy, side-effects, median survival duration and survival rate of vinorelbine (NVB) combined with cisplatin (DDP) in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSA total of 220 patients with inoperable NSCLC received NVB and DDP combined chemotherapy: NVB 25-30 mg/(m²*d) on days 1 and 5 (or 8), DDP 60-80 mg/(m²*d) on day 2. The schedule was repeated every 28 days. The efficacy and side-effects were analysed and followed-up after at least two cycles of chemotherapy.

RESULTSThe overall response rate (CR+PR) was 30.9% (68/220). The response rate was 31.3% (51/163) in initial treatment group, and 29.8% (17/57) in retreatment group. The median survival duration was 8.3 months. The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 39.23%, 19.31% and 6.32%, respectively. The main side-effects were myelosuppression and digestive tract reactions.

CONCLUSIONSVinorelbine plus cisplatin is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for non small cell lung cancer and myelosuppression is its dose-limiting toxicity.