Application of Quality Control Circle Activity in Improving Effectiveness of Drug Intervention in Lung Cancer Patients with Moderate to Severe Pain.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality of all malignant tumors in China. Cancer pain dramatically affects patients' comfort level, causing insomnia, anorexia, anxiety, fear, depression, and a decline in the quality of life (QOL). The literature suggests a shortage of adequate cancer pain management for 59.1% of patients in China. The quality control circle (QCC) activity reflects the people-oriented core idea of management. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of QCC in enhancing the effectiveness of drug interventions in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain. METHODS: From January 2019 to July 2019, lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain were treated with drugs. The total number of drug interventions was 3072. A QCC activity was performed following the ten steps of the plan-docheck- act (PDCA) model. The reasons for the poor effectiveness of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain were analyzed. Countermeasures were designed to improve the effectiveness of drug intervention, including setting up a pain college, writing a medication education manual, and formulating operational rules for the administration of narcotic drugs. The effectiveness of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain and activity ability scores of QCC members were analyzed statistically before and after QCC activity. The effectiveness of drug intervention was investigated and compared before and after establishing the QCC. RESULTS: After establishing the PDCA model, the effectiveness of drug intervention for moderate to severe pain in lung cancer patients increased from 56.28% to 85.29%. Members had significant improvement in problem-solving ability, responsibility, communication, coordination, self-confidence, team cohesion, enthusiasm, QCC skills, and harmony. CONCLUSION: QCC activity can significantly improve the efficiency of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain and their quality of life.

Smilax china L. rhizome extract inhibits nuclear factor-κB and induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: To study the antitumor effects and associated mechanisms of extract of the Smilax china L. rhizome (SCR) on ovarian cancer cells. METHODS: Ovarian cancer cells A2780 were treated with different concentrations of SCR extract (SCRE), and compared with controls. Effects on cell growth were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; proliferation effects by EdU incorporation assay; cell cycle by propidium iodide staining; apoptosis by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide; cellular distribution of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by immunofluorescence; protein levels of NF-κB, caspase-3, poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)-1, anti-X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and AKT by Western blotting; and effects of SCRE combined with cisplatin or adriamycin on A2780 cells by CCK-8 assay. RESULTS: SCRE suppressed A2780 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05,P<0.01), arrested cells in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3, PARP and Bax. SCRE treatment also correlated with inhibition of NF-κB and downregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, cIAP-1, XIAP and AKT. SCRE can promote chemosensitivity to cisplatin and adriamycin in A2780 cells (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: SCR effectively inhibits NF-κB, induces apoptosis and reduces chemoresistance to cisplatin and adriamycin in ovarian cancer cells, which might be its molecular basis for treating ovarian cancer.