Objective To evaluate the therapeutic and adverse effects of GMEP regimen in the treatment of refractory or recurrent non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma(NHL). Methods A total of 30 refractory or recurrent NHL patients received a course of GMEP regimen: Gemcitabine (GEM) 1 000mg/m~2, IV, d1, 8; Etoposide (VP16) 60mg/m~2, IV, d1-5; Mitoxatrone (MIT) 6-8mg/m~2, IV, d1; Prednisone(PDN)60mg/m~2, PO, d1-5. The treatment was repeated every 3-4 weeks for 3 courses at least. Results All the 30 patients received a complete course of chemotherapy. Among them 28 (93.3%) were followed-up. The median survival time was 11.3 months. The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 43.3% and 30.8%, respectively. The total remission rate was 80% (24/30), with CR 20% (6/30) and PR 60% (18/30), and type B symptoms were alleviated in 6 of 10 patients. The main adverse effects were myelotoxicity, nausea and vomiting. Conclusions GMEP regimen can be safely applied to the patients with refractory or recurrent non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma and the short-term response is comparable to the results of other treatment modalities.

Objective To develop the clinical application of tandem mass spectrometry in earlystage diagnosis of patients with growth retardation.Methods Tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantitatively detect blood amino acids and acyl carnitine in 155 cases of children with growth retardation.The tandem mass spectrometry results,clinical symptoms,and treatment tracking results were analyzed.Results Ten patients with inborn metabolic absence of amino acids and acyl carnitine were confirmed including four cases of methylmalonic acidemia,one case of propionic acidemia,one case of medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency,one case of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency,and three cases of phenylketonuria.Conclusions Tandem mass spectrometry was helpful for some patients in etiologic diagnosis and therapeutic effect assessment of cerebral developmental retardation.

Objective To synthesize N-galactosylated chitosan as hepatocyte-targeting carrier and prepare loading norcantharidin nanoparticles.Methods N-Galactosylated chitosan was prepared by carbodiimide condensation reaction;loading norcantharidin nanoparticles were achieved by ionic cross-linkage process with N-galactosylated chitosan as carrier.Taking distribution of particle size,entrapment efficiency,and drug-loading capacity as comprehensive indexes,the orthogonal test design was used to optimize the preparation process and the in vitro release was investigated.Results Substitution degree of N-galactosylated chitosan reached to 8.92%.Novel nanoparticles were spherical,average in particle size(118.7?8.84)nm,entrament efficiency(57.92?0.40)%,drug-loading capacity(10.38?0.06)%,and the in vitro release followed Higuchi equation.Conclusion Effect of drug sustained release of galactosylated chitosan nanoparticles is significant.

AIM: To investigate the intestinal uptake of risquinone in two dosage forms-capsule and irisquinone-?-hydroxyprol-?-cyclodextrin(HP-?-CD) in rats and its pharmacokinetics. METHODS: Comparing with capsule,the accumulation uptake of irisquinone from HP-?-CD inclusion complex were tested in suit in vivo and the correspondence between pharmacokinetics behavior and uptake of irisquinone in rats were simultaneously analysised. RESULTS: The intestinal absorption rate of irisquinone were 0.047 h~(-1) to capsule and 0.180 h~(-1) to irisquinone-HP-?-CD,respectively.The intestinal uptake of irisquinone in rats was positive correlation with its release from capsule in vitro.The accumulated uptake of irisquinone were 29.58% from capsule and 69.63 % from irisquinone-HP-?-CD.The pharmacokinetics of irisquinone in two formulas were coincidence with one-compartment model in rats.The absorption half life(T_(1/2(ka))) was 0.23 h to irisquinone-HP-?-CD and 0.49 h to capsule.The relative bioavailability of irisquinone-HP-?-CD was 133.9%. CONCLUSION: Inclusion complex may enhance intestinal uptake of drug and improve its bioavailability.

Chemotherapy completion rate can reflect the tolerance and compliance of patients to chemotherapy. Poor tolerance may result in delay or suspension of the comprehensive treatment plan, thus affect the efficacy of cancer treatment. Evaluating methods to improve the completion rate of chemotherapy and reduce the occurrence of delayed chemotherapy has gained increasing attention and is the significant area of study in the field of cancer treatment. Studies have shown that Chinese medicine combined with chemotherapy could improve the quality of life in patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

BACKGROUNDLentinus edodes polysaccharide (Lentinan) has attracted great attention from both pharmacologists and clinicians as a biological response modifier, and is widely used as an anti-tumor agent in both China and Japan. The aim of this study is to observe the efficacy of Lentinan combined with chemotherapy in stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSEighty-one patients with stage III-IV NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups: (1)Lentinan + chemotherapy group (group A, 42 cases); (2)Simple chemotherapy group (group B, 39 cases). The peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets (CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8) and natural killer (NK) cell activity of patients in both groups were measured before and after treatment, while compared with healthy control (30 cases). The immune functions, the effect of treatment, quality of life, and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment the objective response rate (CR+PR) was 50% in group A, compared to 33% in group B (P < 0.05). The blood T cell levels(CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8) and NK cell activity in group A increased (P < 0.01), CD8 reduced (P < 0.05), but in group B the value had no obvious change (P > 0.05). Quality of life in group A was higher than that in group B (P < 0.01). The incidence of grade II-IV leukopenia, nausea and vomiting in group B was much higher than those in group A (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe therapeutic effect of Lentinan combined with chemotherapy is better than that of chemotherapy alone.

0.05).The absorption of NCTD was a first-order process with passive diffusion mechanism.The absorption law in vivo was the same as in vitro,the correlation coefficient between them was 0.999 4.Conclusion NCTD-CS-NP could improve the absorption of NCTD in rat small intestine.NCTD is well absorbed at the superior and middle segments of intestine.The concentration of NCTD has no distinctive effect on the absorption kinetics.The release of drug in vitro and its uptake is well correlated.

BACKGROUNDThe main treatment strategy of cancer patients with brain meta- stasis is irradiation, while so far there is few research concerning chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy for these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect and toxicity of chemotherapy with VPC regimen combined with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with brain metastasis.

METHODSA total of 60 SCLC patients with brain metastasis received a cycle of VPC regimen (teniposide 60mg/m² iv on days 1-5, cisplatin 35mg/m² iv on days 1-3, semustine 80mg/m² PO on day 1) every 3-4 weeks. WBRT was administered on day 6 of the first cycle of chemotherapy at a dose of 2Gy given in 5 fractions per week. Patients with less than 3 brain lesions received WBRT at a dose of 30Gy and then small field radiotherapy up to total dose of 50Gy, otherwise they received WBRT at a total dose of 40Gy. Response was evaluated by brain and chest CT or MRI after WBRT and at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy were completed.

RESULTSAll the patients completed WBRT combined with chemotherapy. Total response rate of primary pulmonary tumor was 46.7%, with 4 cases of CR. The objective brain response rate was 60.0%, with 11 cases of CR and 25 cases of PR. Symptom relief was observed in all 48 patients with neurological symptoms. Main adverse effects were myelotoxicity, nausea/vomiting, constipation and alopecia. The follow-up rate was 93.3% with a median survival duration of 11.3 months. The 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rate was 43.3%, 35.0% and 6.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSChemotherapy combined with WBRT can be safely performed for SCLC with brain metastasis and its short-term response is quite satisfactory. It may be worthy of further clinical investigation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors related to sexual dysfunction among breast cancer patients so as to improve the prevention and treatment of the disorder as well as the life quality of the patients.

METHODSSixty-five breast cancer patients during the rehabilitation period were interviewed by questionnaire on the sexual function before and after treatment.

RESULTSAge and perception of sex were two important factors for the significant difference in the rate of sexual dysfunction among the patients. In the groups of 45-55 and 56-65 years, the rates of sexual dysfunction were 66.7% and 73.9%, respectively. Compared with the < 45-year group (33.3%), the findings were statistically significant (P < 0.01), and the difference was statistically significant between the incorrect perception group (70.3%) and the correct one (47.6%) (P < 0.05). Of all the factors analyzed in the research, the stage of cancer, treatment methods, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, dyspareunia and sex perception had significant correlation with newly developed sexual dysfunction (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe stage of cancer, treatment methods, sex perception, vaginal dryness et al had significant correlation with sexual dysfunction of breast cancer patients after treatment. To treat and prevent sexual dysfunction among breast cancer patients, oncology professionals should initiate communication about sexual difficulties, perform comprehensive assessments, and educate and counsel patients about the management of these difficulties.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; complications ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological ; epidemiology ; etiology