Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Gefitinib for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We searched several databases, including MEDLINE (1991 to June 2008), The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2008) and CBMDisc (1978 to Feb. 2008). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analyses, which were done using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2 software. We also included retrospective case reports published in Chinese journals. Results Eight RCTs and 36 uncontrolled case reports were analyzed. The results of the RCTs showed that 250 mg/d Gefitinib had similar efficacy to 500 mg/d, but the side effect was significantly less for the lower dose. When used as a combined first-line treatment or a third-line treatment, Gefitinib was not superior to placebo on response rate, survival rate and life span. When used as second-line treatment, it did not prolong median survival, though it gave a higher response rate than placebo. Gefitinib caused many more side effects than placebo. Gefitinib exhibited similar efficacy to docetaxel in objective response rate [OR 1.18, 95%CI (0.84, 1.67), P=0.35], but was better for symptom and quality-of-life improvement [OR 1.58, 95%CI (1.33, 1.89), Plt;0.00001]. The overall uncontrolled clinical studies showed the following results: complete response rate was 2.2%, partial response rate was 25.8%, disease stable rate was 40.0% and progressive disease rate was 32.0%. The average median survival time was 8.9 months; the average time to progressive disease was 5.2 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 44.2%. The average median survival from EAP studies (6.9 months) was shorter than that for all the studies as well as the registered clinical trials (10.0 months). The average periods to progressive disease for registered clinical trials (3.2 months) and EAP studies (4.4 months) were somewhat shorter than that found for all studies combined, though response rate and 1-year survival rate were similar. Since there was no controlled clinical study, it was hard to conclude from the results whether Gefitinib brought any clinical benefit to NSCLC patients in China. Conclusion Gifitinib is not suitable as a combined first-line treatment or a third-line treatment for NSCLC. The clinical favor from gefitinib in the second-line treatment remains uncertain. There is not enough evidence to show whether Chinese people are more sensitive to Gefitinib, and its use in the second-line treatment of NSCLC needs to be tested further.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) for advanced retinoblastoma (RB) after failure of intravenous chemotherapy (IVC).
MethodsFifteen eyes of 13 patients with advanced RB were treated with IAC (1-5 cycles) after failure of IVC (2-8 cycles). The patients included 10 boys and 3 girls, with the mean age of (15.67±8.16) months. Six patients had bilateral RB and 7 patients had unilateral RB. There were 14 eyes (93.33%) in stage D, 1 eye (6.67%) in stage E according to the International Classification of intraocular retinoblastoma. The main reasons for failure of IVC were recurrent primary tumor in 3 eyes (20.00%), subretinal seeds recurrence in 9 eyes (60.00%), viable vitreous seeds in 2 eyes (13.33%) and poor response of primary tumor in 1 eye (6.67%). The mean interval between IVC completion and IAC start was 3 months. The mean follow-up was 19 months (ranged from 3 to 52 months).
ResultsAfter IVC and secondary IAC, the retinoblastoma and seeds were regressed in 12 eyes (80.00%). Three eyes required enucleation for severe vitreous seeds, subretinal seeds recurrence and primary tumor recurrence. There was no evidence of metastasis in any case.
ConclusionIAC can achieve high global salvage rate (80.00%) for patients with advanced retinoblastoma after failure of IVC.
ObjectiveTo explore the pathogenesis of cervical spondylosis combined with cervicogenic vertigo, and to investigate the clinical results of anterior discectomy and fusion in treating the disease.
MethodsA retrospective study was performed on 83 patients with cervical spondylosis myelopathy (n=60, 72%) or radiculopathy (n=23, 37.3%) accompanied by sympathetic symptoms such as dizziness between March 2008 and November 2012. The disease involved single segment in 29 cases, double segment in 50 cases, and triple in 4 cases. All the segments involved were treated with anterior discectomy and fusion. Vertigo alleviation was observed before surgery, 3 days after surgery, and during the final follow-up. Neurological status was evaluated by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score system and sympathetic symptoms were evaluated with vertigo symptom and function scoring system.
ResultsThe average follow-up was 21 months (ranging from 12 to 30 months). Significant difference was observed between sympathetic symptom scores and JOA scores before surgery and 3 days after surgery or at the final follow-up (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between the scores 3 days after surgery and during the final follow-up (P>0.05).
ConclusionThe surgical effect for cervicogenic vertigo is often accompanied by the relief of spinal cord and nerve roots symptoms. Surgery is effective for cervical spondylosis combined with cervicogenic vertigo.
Objective To investigate the prophylaxes, diagnosis and treatment of pelvi-peritoneal hernia (PPH) after Miles operation for rectal carcinoma. Methods Three hundred and nine patients who underwent Miles operation from January 1986 to June 1999 were collected and analysed retrospectively, 11 of them were complicated with PPH. Results The morbidity of PPH after Miles operation was 3.6% (11/309). The main manifestations included abdominal distention to some extent (11 cases), pain (3 cases), vomiting (2 cases), gastric liquid more than 500 ml a day by gastric tube (3 cases), and non-exsufflation of the stoma of colostomy (11 cases). Two cases had pea green small intestinal liquid by perineal tube. The signs were slight abdominal tender (5 cases), active or excessive intestinal gurgling sound (7 cases), and diminished intestinal gurgling sound (4 cases). Abdominal plane films, showing the distant small intestinal obstruction, were taken in all 11 cases. Only 2 patients were correctly diagnosed before reoperation, and other patients were regarded as adhesive intestinal obstruction. The average observational time following appearance of the clinical manifestations after Miles operation was 7.4 days. All patients were diagnosed by laparotomy, 3 of them underwent adhesion lysis and reposition, and 8 patients partial ileum resection and anastomosis. The content of the hernias was ileum. The morbidity after reoperation was 27.3% (3 cases), and the complication was wound infection. All 11 patients were cured and left hospital. Conclusion The PPH after Miles operation is often lack of typical clinical manifestations. The early diagnosis and laparotomy in time is key to management. It is important to prevent the complication.
Objective To explore the injury mechanism, clinical features and treatment methods of multiple-level noncontiguous spinal fractures(MNSF). Methods The clinical data of 23 patients with MNSF were analyzed retrospectively. Therewere 15 males and 8 females aging from 13 to 75 years. Five cases missed diagnosis. The locations of the primary injury were cervical region in 3 cases, thoracic region in 7 cases, and thoracolumbar region in 13 cases. The spinal fractures associated with spinal cord injury were 14 cases in the primary injury, and 3 cases in the secondary injury. According to Frankel grade, there were 7 cases ofgrade A, 1 case of grade B, 3 cases of grade C, 6 cases of grade D and 6 cases of grade E. Sixteen cases were treated by surgical stabilization while 7 cases were treated conservatively. Results Twenty patients were followed up from 3 months to 4 years with a mean of 11.5 months except three patients. No neurologic deterioration was observed in patients who were treated conservatively or operatively. No wound infection, no implant failure or bone graft nonunion occurred in patients who were treated operatively. Among 17 patients with neurologic deficit before operation, 12 got 1-3 grade improvement of the Frankel grading, 4 remained unchanged and 1 died. Conclusion The mechanism of MNSF injury is complex, it is easy to miss diagnosis. The patients with spinal injury must be examined carefully and completely. A whole spine radiographic survey should be accomplished if necessary and treatments should be based on the stability of spine fractures and the severity of spinal cord injury.
Seven cases of strangulated obturator hernia are reported. All cases were confirmed by operation .The incidence in female were 6 timed higher than that in male. The mean age of the patients in this series was 72.7 years. All the patients were thin and had a history of multiple pregnancies. The diagnoses were delayed for 7.4 days in average and the preoperativve diagnoses were correct in only two of seven operation (28.6%). The cure rate was 71.4% with a mortality rates of 28.6%. Based on the anatomy related to obtutor hernia, the clinic manifectation and diagnosis and method of treatment are discussed.
ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy of treatments for β-coronaviruses.MethodsPubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI and WanFang Data databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) of treatments for β-coronaviruses from inception to June 17th, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using Stata 14.0 software.ResultsA total of 109 studies invoving 23 210 patients were included. The results of the systematic review showed that compared with standard of care, corticosteroids could reduce mortality and increase cure rate for COVID-19. However, chloroquine could decrease cure rate. In severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients, corticosteroids could decrease the cure rate. In Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) patients, ribavirin/interferon/both drugs showed higher mortality.ConclusionsThe currently limited evidence shows that corticosteroids may be effective to COVID-19 patients while having limited effects on SARS patients. Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine may have negative effects on COVID-19 patients. Ribavirin/interferon may be harmful to MERS patients. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusions.
