Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and the side effects of 3 D-conformal radiotherapy for malignant thoracic tumor. Methods: Between September 1999 and August 2002, 36 patients with malignant thoracic tumor were treated with 3D-conformal radiotherapy. Twenty-two patients had primary lung cancer, 12 patients had metastatic lung cancer, and 2 patients had malignant mediastinal tumor. All 36 patients were pathologically confirmed. Squamous cell carcinoma 16 cases, adenocarcinoma 15 cases, small cell carcinoma 2 cases, embryonal carcinoma 1 case, malignant thymoma 1 case and sarcoma 1 case. For the primary tumor, conventional radiotherapy was first used to 50Gy/25F/5W, followed by 3D-conformal radiotherapy 16-20Gy(4Gy per fraction, 3 fractions per week) with MLC or cone from 5 ~6 non coplanar or coplanar static ports. For metastatic tumor, using arc therapy to only 28-40Gy(4Gy per fraction, 3 fractions per week, 7-10 fractions) with cone from 1 ~ 4 arcs. Tumor volumes from 1. 85 cm3 to 104. 61 cm3 with a median of 24. 96 cm3 in 3D-CRT. Results: To evaluate the effects, thoracic CT scan was taken two months after completion of 3D-conformal radiotherapy. In 34 evaluated patients, 13 cases obtained CR, 14 PR, 5 NC, and 2PD. The overall 1 and 2-year survival rates were 74. 1% and 38.4%. Toxicity consisted of grade 1 acute radiation pneumonitis in 17 patients, grade 2 in 10 patients, grade 3 in 1 patients, and 2 patients dead of radiation pneumonitis ( with non coplanar technique), late complication was radiation pulmonary fibrosis, grade 1 in 20 cases, grade 2 in 8 cases. Conclusions: 3D-conformal radiotherapy as complement of conventional external beam radiotherapy for malignant thoracic tumor can obtain better short-term effects, although the survival is yet to be investigated. But attention must be given to the irradiation technique, the irradiation volume should not be too large and beams angles appropriately adjusted to avoid excessive irradiated volume in normal lung.

Objective Objective To evaluate the efficacy and comphcations of late course acceler- ated hypofractionated three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) for patients with stageⅢnon small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Sixty patients with stageⅢNSCLC were randomized into 2 groups: Late course accelerated hypofractionated 3DCRT group(group A—30 patients) and conventional fractionated radiation therapy group (group B—30 patients). In group A, 30 patients, at first, received a dose of 40 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction, 5 times a week, which followed by late course accelerated hypofractionat- ed 3DCRT with a dose of 16-20 Gy at 4 Gy per fraction, 3 times a week. In group B, 30 patients received a dose of 60-66 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction, 5 times a week. Chemotherapy, including vinorelbine and cisplatin, was given one cycle during radiotherapy and 3 cycles after radiotherapy for all patients. Results Group A had a higher complete response rate (47% vs 20%, P

Objective To explore the changes of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen-199 (CA-199) before and after radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with local advanced gastric cancer, and to analyze the significance of the changes. Methods A total of 38 patients with local advanced gastric cancer who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy in our hospital from July 2003 to June 2011 were selected, and another 38 healthy subjects who received physical examination in our hospital at the same period of time were randomly selected. CEA and CA-199 levels of patients with gastric cancer before and after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as the levels of healthy subjects were measured respectively. Venous blood samples were collected for all subjects at early morning under fast-ing condition, and the blood samples were tested by electro-chemiluminescence before gastric cancer was diagnosed by levels of CEA and CA-199 indices. Results The levels of CEA and CA-199 in patients with advanced gastric cancer were higher than those in the healthy subjects. After radiotherapy and chemotherapy, levels of CEA and CA-199 signifi-cantly reduced, and significantly lower than those before radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Accuracy, specificity and sen-sitivity of CEA were 91.67%, 96.67% and 86.67% respectively, and accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of CA-199 were 76.67%, 83.33% and 76.00% respectively. Total positive rate for all patients after radiotherapy and chemother-apy reduced to 42.11%(16/38). Total positive rate for patients with decreased CEA was lower, and 3-year total survival rate was higher. The total positive rate for patients with decreased CA-199 was lower, and the disease free survival rate and 2-year total survival rate were both higher, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 for both). Con-clusion The levels of CEA and CA-199 significantly reduce after radiotherapy and chemotherapy for patients with local advanced gastric cancer, and the accuracy of CEA and CA-199 for diagnosing local advanced gastric cancer is high. The possibilities of poor prognosis significantly rise when levels of CEA and CA-199 after radiotherapy increase. The levels of CEA and CA-199 after the treatment are positively correlated with the proportion of positive patients, disease free survival rate and 3-year survival rate.

Objective: To observe the safety and clinical efficacy of tumor antigen-pulsed dendritic cell(DC) vaccine in treatment of advanced malignant tumor.Methods: Ninety-one patients with non-small cell lung cancer,colon and rectal cancer,melanoma,renal carcinoma,breast cancer and other malignant tumors were enrolled in this study.All patients met the selecting standard and signed informed consent.Human dendritic cells were obtained from peripheral blood monocytes by culturing them with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4.DC vaccine was prepared from tumor antigen pulsed immature dendritic cells in vitro.Patients received the vaccine therapy once every week and one cycle was defined as once every week for 3 weeks.Results: All the patients received 96 cycles of DC vaccine treatment.Symptoms of toxicity included fever,shivering,aching pain of muscle,asthenia,itching,stifle and transient fatigue;most of the symptoms automatically recovered.Clinical efficacy of the treatment was evaluated in 76 patients.Thirty-one of the 76 patients were stable after treatment and 45 were in progressive situation,with the clinical benefiting rate being 40.8%.Eighty-five patients were followed up.The median time for progression was 2.6 months;the overall survival time was 0.9-30.6 months;and the median survival period was 4.5 months,with the one year survival rate being 9.2%.Conclusion: The results suggest that the DC vaccine therapy is well tolerated in treating patients with advanced malignant tumors and has satisfactory clinical benefit;the clinical value of DC vaccine therapy needs to be further observed.