Toripalimab and anlotinib as a maintenance treatment for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a case report.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by rapid proliferation, high growth fraction and early locoregional and distant metastases. SCLC has been found to be significantly sensitive to platinum-etoposide chemotherapy, but most patients relapse within 6 months of completing initial treatment and median overall survival is about 10 months. Despite the current immunotherapy-treatment approach, median survival time and progression-free survival remain short. This case shows the potential efficacy of maintenance therapy with toripalimab and anlotinib after first-line platinum-etoposide chemotherapy in a patient with extensive-stage SCLC. The combination treatment prolonged the progression-free survival to approximately 13 months and overall survival to 25 months; this is well above the existing standard, and this patient did not experience any major adverse effects during the course of therapy.

Relationship between chest CT manifestations and immune response in COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To study the correlations of lymphocytes and cytokines between changes of lung lesion volumes in patients with COVID-19, and to predict these correlations. METHODS: 93 patients with COVID-19 were divided into mild and severe groups. The data of lymphocyte subgroups and cytokines were collected, the imaging characteristics were measured, and correlation analysis was performed to analyze the differences. RESULTS: 60 mild and 33 severe patients were included. Lymphocyte subsets decreased in both groups. The reduction percentages of the absolute lymphocytes value in mild and severe groups were 32% and 64%, respectively. The lung CT lesion volume of all patients was 241.45 ± 282.92 cm3, among which the mild group was 151.29 ± 226.04 cm3, and the severe group was 405.38 ± 304.90 cm3, respectively. In critically ill patients, the decrease of the absolute value of CD4+ T cells and the increase of IL-6 levels are significantly correlated with the volume of lung lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The absolute values of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells are lower in patients with COVID-19, while the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 are increased. The severity of lung lesions predicts poor clinical outcomes and may be a predictor of the transition from mild to severe.