Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has shown activity against melanoma brain metastases. Recently, promising results have also been reported for ICI combination therapy and ICI combined with radiotherapy. We aimed to evaluate radiologic response and adverse event rates of these therapeutic options by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search of Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed up to October 12, 2019 and included studies evaluating the intracranial objective response rates (ORRs) and/or disease control rates (DCRs) of ICI with or without radiotherapy for treating melanoma brain metastases. We also evaluated safety-associated outcomes. Results: Eleven studies with 14 cohorts (3 with ICI combination therapy; 5 with ICI combined with radiotherapy; 6 with ICI monotherapy) were included. ICI combination therapy {pooled ORR, 53% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44–61%); DCR, 57% (95% CI, 49–66%)} and ICI combined with radiotherapy (pooled ORR, 42% [95% CI, 31–54%]; DCR, 85% [95% CI, 63–95%]) showed higher local efficacy compared to ICI monotherapy (pooled ORR, 15% [95% CI, 11–20%]; DCR, 26% [95% CI, 21– 32%]). The grade 3 or 4 adverse event rate was significantly higher with ICI combination therapy (60%; 95% CI, 52–67%) compared to ICI monotherapy (11%; 95% CI, 8–17%) and ICI combined with radiotherapy (4%; 95% CI, 1–19%). Grade 3 or 4 central nervous system (CNS)-related adverse event rates were not different (9% in ICI combination therapy; 8% in ICI combined with radiotherapy; 5% in ICI monotherapy). Conclusion ICI combination therapy or ICI combined with radiotherapy showed better local efficacy than ICI monotherapy for treating melanoma brain metastasis. The grade 3 or 4 adverse event rate was highest with ICI combination therapy, and the CNS-related grade 3 or 4 event rate was similar. Prospective trials will be necessary to compare the efficacy of ICI combination therapy and ICI combined with radiotherapy.

Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has shown activity against melanoma brain metastases. Recently, promising results have also been reported for ICI combination therapy and ICI combined with radiotherapy. We aimed to evaluate radiologic response and adverse event rates of these therapeutic options by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search of Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed up to October 12, 2019 and included studies evaluating the intracranial objective response rates (ORRs) and/or disease control rates (DCRs) of ICI with or without radiotherapy for treating melanoma brain metastases. We also evaluated safety-associated outcomes. Results: Eleven studies with 14 cohorts (3 with ICI combination therapy; 5 with ICI combined with radiotherapy; 6 with ICI monotherapy) were included. ICI combination therapy {pooled ORR, 53% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44–61%); DCR, 57% (95% CI, 49–66%)} and ICI combined with radiotherapy (pooled ORR, 42% [95% CI, 31–54%]; DCR, 85% [95% CI, 63–95%]) showed higher local efficacy compared to ICI monotherapy (pooled ORR, 15% [95% CI, 11–20%]; DCR, 26% [95% CI, 21– 32%]). The grade 3 or 4 adverse event rate was significantly higher with ICI combination therapy (60%; 95% CI, 52–67%) compared to ICI monotherapy (11%; 95% CI, 8–17%) and ICI combined with radiotherapy (4%; 95% CI, 1–19%). Grade 3 or 4 central nervous system (CNS)-related adverse event rates were not different (9% in ICI combination therapy; 8% in ICI combined with radiotherapy; 5% in ICI monotherapy). Conclusion ICI combination therapy or ICI combined with radiotherapy showed better local efficacy than ICI monotherapy for treating melanoma brain metastasis. The grade 3 or 4 adverse event rate was highest with ICI combination therapy, and the CNS-related grade 3 or 4 event rate was similar. Prospective trials will be necessary to compare the efficacy of ICI combination therapy and ICI combined with radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVESTo summarize the results of liver transplantation for various end-stage liver diseases at the Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), define the role of liver transplantation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and fulminant hepatitis B, and assess the efficiency of lamivudine on preventing HBV recurrence.

METHODSSeventy liver transplants performed at the SUMS between April 1993 and December 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. The main indications for liver transplant were hepatocellular carcinoma (26 cases), liver cirrhosis (21 cases), fulminant hepatitis B (12 cases), sclerosing cholangitis (4 cases) and other terminal liver diseases (7 cases). Lamivudine was used in twelve patients suffering from fulminant hepatitis B. Logistic multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the risk factors predicting liver transplantation outcomes.

RESULTSFifty-four patients survived for more than one month, and 16 patients died within 30 days after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The overall hospital survival rate was 77.1%. The hospital survival rates in the Child's A and B patients were 87.5% and 83.3%, respectively. Those rates were superior to those of the Child's C patients (P < 0.05). The outcome of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was superior to that of patients with large HCC. Preoperative APACE III scores, the severity of ascites and serum creatine level had independent influence on outcome. Of the patients with fulminant HBV infection, 9 recipients survived for a follow-up period of 2 - 24 months. Treatment with lamivudine monotherapy was both well tolerated and efficacious in patients with fulminant hepatitis B.

CONCLUSIONSThe results indicate that orthotopic liver transplantation could provide long-term cure and palliation for patients with HCC, and that patient selection is extremely important in predicting outcome. The results support the continued application of liver transplantation as a therapeutic modality for various end-stage liver diseases and that lamivudine is an effective and safe monotherapy in OLT for patients with HBV infection.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; mortality ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; mortality ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; mortality ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver ; pathology ; surgery ; Liver Cirrhosis ; mortality ; surgery ; Liver Neoplasms ; mortality ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Schools, Medical ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the current status of the ten-year implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) surgical safety checklist (SSC) in China. Methods: A questionnaire was designed based on the three phases described by the checklist — the period before induction of anaesthesia, the period before skin incision, and the period before patient leaves operating room, taking into account some hotspots and disputes.The questionnaire was sent to the members of the Chinese-based online New Youth Anesthesia Forum through the WeChat platform.Answers were completed by mobile phones or desktop computers.Each WeChat ID number allowed only one answer for each individual participant. Results: A total of 3 943 members red the questionnaire invitation, of which 2 121 members completed the questionnaire with an overall completion rate of 53.79%.For checks completed before induction of anesthesia, the percentage of members who routinely practiced checks before induction of anesthesia was 93.35%, the percentage of members who completed each and every element of the checklist was 60.16%, and the percentage of members who selected the element of the checklist the surgeon was not involved in the check was 14.05%.For checks practiced before skin incision, the percentage of members who routinely completed checks before skin incision was 78.22%, the percentage of members who completed each and every element of the checklist was 51.91%, and the percentage of members who selected the element of the checklist surgeons and anesthesiologists routinely stated their own professional key information was 18.24% and 18.81%, respectively.For checks practiced before the patient leaved the operating room, the percentage of members who routinely completed checks before removing the patient from the operating room was 64.26%, and the percentage of members who completed each and every element of the checklist was 44.18%.The percentage of members who was really serious about practicing the checklist was 56.20%.The percentage of members who believed that surgeons should participated in checks practiced before induction of anesthesia was 81.47%.If the member himself or a member of his family needed a surgery, the percentage of members who hoped to implement the checklist was 98.35%.The percentage of members who believed that practicing WHO SSC could reduce the complications of surgery and improve the anesthetic safety of patients was 94.34%. Conclusion The implementing rate of checks practiced before induction of anesthesia is high, while the implementing rates of checks completed before skin incision and before patient leaves operating room are sequentially reduced in China.Although there are some problems with the implementation of WHO SSC, most respondents believe that implementing SSC can improve the anesthetic safety of patients undergoing surgery.