Three-in-One: Molecular Engineering of D-A-π-A Featured Type I and Type II Near-Infrared AIE Photosensitizers for Efficient Photodynamic Cancer Therapy and Bacteria Killing.

Bacterial infections are closely correlated with the genesis and progression of cancer, and the elimination of cancer-related bacteria may improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. However, the combinatorial therapy that utilizes two or more chemodrugs will increase potential adverse effects. Image-guided photodynamic therapy is a highly precise and potential therapy to treat tumor and microbial infections. Herein, four donor-acceptor-π-bridge-acceptor (D-A-π-A) featured near-infrared (NIR) aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) (TQTPy, TPQTPy, TQTC, and TPQTC) with type I and type II reaction oxygen species (ROS) generation capabilities are synthesized. Notably, TQTPy shows mitochondria targeted capacity, the best ROS production efficiency, long-term tumor retention capacity, and more importantly, the three-in-one fluorescence imaging guided therapy against both tumor and microbial infections. Both in vitro and in vivo results validate that TQTPy performs well in practical biomedical application in terms of NIR-fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic cancer diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, the amphiphilic and positively charged TQTPy is able to specific and ultrafast discrimination and elimination of Gram-positive (G+) Staphylococcus aureus from Gram-negative (G-) Escherichia coli and normal cells. This investigation provides an instructive way for the construction of three-in-one treatment for image-guided photodynamic cancer therapy and bacteria elimination.

Bearing Fault Diagnosis via Stepwise Sparse Regularization with an Adaptive Sparse Dictionary.

Vibration monitoring is one of the most effective approaches for bearing fault diagnosis. Within this category of techniques, sparsity constraint-based regularization has received considerable attention for its capability to accurately extract repetitive transients from noisy vibration signals. The optimal solution of a sparse regularization problem is determined by the regularization term and the data fitting term in the cost function according to their weights, so a tradeoff between sparsity and data fidelity has to be made inevitably, which restricts conventional regularization methods from maintaining strong sparsity-promoting capability and high fitting accuracy at the same time. To address the limitation, a stepwise sparse regularization (SSR) method with an adaptive sparse dictionary is proposed. In this method, the bearing fault diagnosis is modeled as a multi-parameter optimization problem, including time indexes of the sparse dictionary and sparse coefficients. Firstly, sparsity-enhanced optimization is conducted by amplifying the regularization parameter, making the time indexes and the number of atoms adaptively converge to the moments when impulses occur and the number of impulses, respectively. Then, fidelity-enhanced optimization is carried out by removing the regularization term, thereby obtaining the high-precision reconstruction amplitudes. Simulations and experiments verify that the reconstruction accuracy of the SSR method outperforms other sparse regularization methods under most noise conditions, and thus the proposed method can provide more accurate results for bearing fault diagnosis.

Dynamical processes of interstitial diffusion in a two-dimensional colloidal crystal.

In two-dimensional (2D) solids, point defects, i.e., vacancies and interstitials, are bound states of topological defects of edge dislocations and disclinations. They are expected to play an important role in the thermodynamics of the system. Yet very little is known about the detailed dynamical processes of these defects. Two-dimensional colloidal crystals of submicrometer microspheres provide a convenient model solid system in which the microscopic dynamics of these defects can be studied in real time using video microscopy. Here we report a study of the dynamical processes of interstitials in a 2D colloidal crystal. The diffusion constants of both mono- and diinterstitials are measured and found to be significantly larger than those of vacancies. Diinterstitials are clearly slower than monointerstitials. We found that, by plotting the accumulative positions of five- and sevenfold disclinations relative to the center-of-mass position of the defect, a sixfold symmetric pattern emerges for monointerstitials. This is indicative of an equilibrium behavior that satisfies local detailed balance that the lattice remains elastic and can be thermally excited between lattice configurations reversibly. However, for diinterstitials the sixfold symmetry is not observed in the same time window, and the local lattice distortions are too severe to recover quickly. This observation suggests a possible route to creating local melting of a lattice (similarly one can create local melting by creating divacancies). This work opens up an avenue for microscopic studies of the dynamics of melting in colloidal model systems.

ANRIL inhibits p15(INK4b) through the TGFß1 signaling pathway in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The INK4b-ARF-INK4a gene cluster encodes three tumor suppressors: p15(INK4b), p14(ARF), and p16(INK4a). Antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) is transcribed in the opposite direction from this gene cluster. Recent studies suggest that ANRIL represses the expression of p15(INK4b), p14(ARF), and p16(INK4a); however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, the expressions of ANRIL in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and matched adjacent non-tumor tissues were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Compared with matched adjacent non-tumor tissues, the expression levels of ANRIL in ESCC tissues were significantly increased. Furthermore, inhibition of ANRIL was found to increase the expression of p15(INK4b) and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1) and depletion of ANRIL in ESCC cell lines may inhibit cellular proliferation. Thus, our findings suggest a significant role of ANRIL in the occurrence and development of ESCC through TGFß1 signaling pathways.

Prognostic value of EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive cells in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The presence of EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTCs was evaluated in 74 NSCLC patients before the initiation of any therapy, from which 61 patients with surgical resection of tumor were also evaluable for EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTC analysis after surgery, by quantitative real-time PCR assay. Sixty patients with benign lung disease (BLD) entered this study as controls. The results showed that blood levels of EpCAM and MUC1 mRNA in NSCLC patients before and after surgery were significantly higher than those in BLD patients (P = 0.001 and P = 0.015, respectively, for EpCAM; P = 0.003 and P = 0.026, respectively, for MUC1), and the levels of the two gene mRNA in NSCLC patients significantly decreased after surgery (P = 0.025 and P = 0.033, respectively). Disease recurrence significantly increased in NSCLC patients with EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTC preoperation and postoperation (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001, respectively). Disease-free survival and overall survival significantly reduced in patients with EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTC preoperation and postoperation (P = 0.012 and P = 0.002, respectively, for preoperation; both P < 0.001 for postoperation). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTCs before and after surgery was an independent factor associated with disease recurrence. In conclusion, the detection of EpCAM/MUC1 mRNA-positive CTCs in the blood before and after surgery is useful for predicting a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients who undergo curative surgery.

Engineering Microorganisms for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy presents a promising approach to fight against cancer by utilizing the immune system. Recently, engineered microorganisms have emerged as a potential strategy in cancer immunotherapy. These microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, can be designed and modified using synthetic biology and genetic engineering techniques to target cancer cells and modulate the immune system. This review delves into various microorganism-based therapies for cancer immunotherapy, encompassing strategies for enhancing efficacy while ensuring safety and ethical considerations. The development of these therapies holds immense potential in offering innovative personalized treatments for cancer.

Numerical Analysis of the Airflow Field and Experiments of Fiber Motion for Solution Blowing.

Solution blowing is a rapidly developing technology for the rapid and large-scale preparation of nanofibers, driven by its advantages, such as wide adaptability to raw materials, simple and safe operation, and ease of scalable production. Most of the research related to solution blowing mainly focuses on the fiber spinning and forming principle, fiber structure and properties, and the development of new materials. Limited studies have focused on the airflow field and fiber motion in solution blowing. In this paper, nine nozzles for solution blowing with varying geometrical parameters were designed by adjusting the outer nozzle diameter, inner nozzle outstretched distance, and inner nozzle diameter. The centerline airflow velocity, turbulence intensity, and velocity distribution of the solution blowing were analyzed using the numerical simulation method. The results showed that the outer nozzle diameter had the greatest influence on the air velocity and turbulence intensity. The airflow velocity increased and the turbulence intensity decreased with the increase of the outer nozzle diameter. The inner nozzle outstretched distance only affected the airflow convergence point and had less effect on the airflow velocity and turbulence intensity. The captured trajectory of the polymer jet initially shows a straight or slightly curved development that eventually diverges from the airflow field. With an increasing distance, dispersed fibers exhibit instability, including loop formation, bonding, and separation. The experimental observation of fiber morphology in the solution-blowing web further verified the instability during the fiber movement.

Win-win integration: A mitochondria targeted AIE photosensitizer for hypochlorite detection and type I & type II photodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a pioneering and effective anticancer modality with low adverse effects and high selectivity. Hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite (HClO/ClO-) is a type of inflammatory cytokine. The abnormal increase of ClO- in tumor cells is related to tumor pathogenesis and may be a "friend" for the design and synthesis of responsive phototherapy agents. However, preparing responsive phototherapy agents for all-in-one noninvasive diagnosis and simultaneous in situ therapy in a complex tumor environment is highly desirable but still remains an enormously demanding task. RESULTS: An acceptor-π bridge-donor-π bridge-acceptor (A-π-D-π-A) type photosensitizer TPTPy was designed and synthesized based on the phenothiazine structure which was used as the donor moiety as well as a ClO- responsive group. TPTPy was a multifunctional mitochondria targeted aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer which could quickly and sensitively respond to ClO- with fluorescence "turn on" performance (19-fold fluorescence enhancement) and enhanced type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to effectively ablate hypoxic tumor cells. The detection limit of TPTPy to ClO- was calculated to be 185.38 nM. The well-tailored TPTPy anchoring to mitochondria and producing ROS in situ could disrupt mitochondria and promote cell apoptosis. TPTPy was able to image inflammatory cells and tumor cells through ClO- response. In vivo results revealed that TPTPy was successfully utilized for PDT in tumor bearing nude mice and exhibited excellent biological safety for major organs. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: A win-win integration strategy was proposed to design a tumor intracellular ClO- responsive photosensitizer TPTPy capable of both type I and type II ROS production to achieve photodynamic therapy of tumor. This work sheds light on the win-win integration design by taking full advantage of the characteristics of tumor microenvironment to build up responsive photosensitizer for in situ PDT of tumor.

Molecular diagnosis and prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis in patients with histologically node-negative non-small cell lung cancer.

Lymph node metastasis is a major prognostic factor in resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, 30-40 % rate of recurrence after performing complete resection in node-negative patients suggests that their nodal staging is suboptimal. We aimed to evaluate the molecular diagnosis and prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis in patients with node-negative NSCLC. Primary tumor samples from 62 patients with resected stage I-IIB NSCLC were screened for fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and CDKN2A mRNA deletion using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The molecular alternations were found in tumors of 49 patients. A total of 269 lymph nodes from these 49 NSCLC patients with FHIT or/and CDKN2A deletion tumors were examined. Fifteen positive-control nodes and ten negative-control nodes were also analyzed for FHIT and CDKN2A mRNA deletion. Thirty-nine (22 %) and 22 (18 %) lymph nodes from the 49 patients with FHIT and CDKN2A mRNA deletion in primary tumor had FHIT and CDKN2A mRNA deletion, respectively. The types of FHIT and CDKN2A mRNA deletion in lymph nodes were identical with those in their primary tumors. By combination of two markers, 16 patients (32.7 %) were found to have nodal micrometastasis. Survival analysis showed that patients with nodal micrometastasis had reduced disease-free survival (P = 0.001) and overall survival (P = 0.002) rates. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that nodal micrometastasis was an independent predictor for worse prognosis. Thus, the detection of lymph node micrometastasis by FHIT and CDKN2A mRNA deletion RT-PCR will be helpful to predict the recurrence and prognosis of patients with completely resected stage I-IIB NSCLC.

Increased IL-17-producing CD4(+) T cells in patients with esophageal cancer.

Increased interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing Th (Th17) cells have been described in a variety of human carcinoma cases, however, the mechanism of Th17 cells' accumulation in a tumor microenvironment remains elusive. This study was designed to investigate whether Th17 cells were involved in the development of esophageal cancer. We found that the proportion of Th17 cells increased within the peripheral blood and tumor tissues of esophageal cancer patients. Furthermore, the proportion of circulating Th17 cells was higher in advanced esophageal cancer patients than that in early esophageal cancer patients. In addition, the Th17 cells differentiation-related cytokines (IL-23, IL-1ß, and IL-6) and accumulation-related chemokines (CCL22 and CCL20) were present in a tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the findings may partly explain the cause for the increased proportion of Th17 cells and indicate a potential prognostic marker of Th17 cells in esophageal cancer.

Survivin and Smac gene expressions but not livin are predictors of prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Survivin and livin, which are members of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, regulate both programmed cell death and proliferation. Second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase is thought to regulate apoptosis by antagonizing inhibitor of apoptosis protein. These gene expressions are regarded as prognostic markers in some malignancies. However, result in previous studies of the association of these gene expressions with prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer remains contradictory. METHODS: Survivin, livin and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase mRNA was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in surgical resected tumor specimen from 66 non-small cell lung patients who received adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. RESULTS: Results showed that patients with survivin high expression had significantly shorter tumor-free survival (P = 0.012) and overall survival (P = 0.007) than those with survivin low expression. There was a significant association of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase high expression in non-small cell lung cancer tissue with longer tumor-free survival (P = 0.021) and overall survival (P = 0.0013). However, livin mRNA expression level had no impact on the tumor-free survival and overall survival of the patients. In multivariate analyses, survivin mRNA high expression (P = 0.033 and P = 0.024) and advanced pathologic stage (P = 0.009 and P = 0.008) were the factors which independently predicted a worse tumor-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that assessment of survivin and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase mRNA expression may be useful for predicting survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy after surgical resection and can provide valuable information for deciding better therapy strategy.

Expression of MRP1, BCRP, LRP and ERCC1 as prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving postoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

The development of resistance to chemotherapy is one of the major obstacles in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), lung resistance-related protein (LRP), and excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1) in NSCLC patients receiving cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy (cisplatin plus vinorelbine or gemcitabine) after tumor resection. We used semiquantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction to detect the expression of MRP1, BCRP, LRP and ERCC1 mRNA in surgical resection specimens of 60 patients with stage IB through IIIA NSCLC. The expression level of each gene was analyzed in relation to clinicopathological factors, tumor-free survival (TFS), and overall survival. The results showed that stage IIIA (p=0.011), N1 and N2 status (p=0.008), high expression of MRP1 (p=0.034) and LRP (p=0.018) were associated with shorter TFS. Stage IIIA (p=0.0105), N1 and N2 status (p=0.009), high expression of MRP1 (p=0.021) and ERCC1 (p=0.012) were related to a shorter overall survival. Cox multivariate analyses revealed that early stage (p=0.013 and p=0.024), negative lymph node status (p=0.006 and p=0.011), and low MRP1 expression (p=0.022 and p=0.035) were independent predictors of favorable TFS and overall survival, respectively. Additionally, ERCC1 (p=0.019) was an independent predictor of favorable overall survival.

Mechanical properties and long-term durability of recycled polysulfone plastic.

In view of the recycling of PSU plastics has a good energy saving and environmental protection significance. This paper is concerned with the mechanical properties, and long-term durability of virgin and recycled polysulfone plastics (PSU) collected from wasted PSU nonwovens, the mechanical experiment of tensile test and Izod impact test are carried out to investigate the effect of cycle processing on the performance of PSU. The long-term durability of virgin and recycled PSU is studied base on time-temperature superposition by using a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The thermal stability is evaluated by pyrolytic activation energy calculated by Iso-conversional kinetics method using a Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show that the recycled PSU exhibits the similar tensile property while lower impact strength than virgin PSU. The long-term durability and thermal stability of virgin PSU are better than recycled PSU and decreased with increasing the times of cycle processing, which is attributed to the mixing of impurities and degradation of the molecular structure in the recycling process.

Survivin mRNA Level in Blood Predict the Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Stage IIIA-N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

In a previous study, survivin mRNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue had been demonstrated to be associated with unfavorable prognosis of patients treated with chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the survivin mRNA levels in blood of patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC and their association with the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Blood specimens were collected from 56 patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC before (N0) and after the complete of NCT (N1). Survivin mRNA was measured by real-time quantitative-PCR assay. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was undertaken to determine the best cutoff value for survivin mRNA. Results showed that high blood survivin mRNA levels at N0 and N1 were significantly associated with clinical (P = 0.01 and P = 0.008, respectively) and pathologic response (both P = 0.004, respectively). Moreover, the change of blood survivin mRNA levels in these NSCLC patients is associated with the clinical and pathologic response to NCT. Patients with high survivin mRNA levels at N0 and N1 had significantly shorter DFS and OS than those with low survivin mRNA levels (P = 0.021 and P = 0.014, respectively for DFS; P = 0.009 and P = 0.005, respectively for OS). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that high blood survivin mRNA level was an independent predictor for worse DFS and OS in the NSCLC patients receiving NCT. In conclusion, survivin mRNA level in blood from stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients receiving NCT is predictive of cancer outcome.

[Clinical trials of antiphlogistic agent series in treating chronic nonbacterial prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the curative effect of antiphlogistic agent series on treating chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP). METHODS: One hundred and sixty patients were randomized into 4 groups for an 8-week clinical observation: group A (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules only), group B (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules + retention enema), group C (oral antiphlogistic medicinal granules + rectal), and group D (antiphlogistic medicinal granules + rectally + hip bath). Single blind trials were employed. RESULTS: The curative rates of the 4 groups were 37.5%, 57.5%, 52.5% and 82.5% respectively, while the total efficacy rates were 42.5%, 82.5%, 77.5% and 92.5% respectively. Compared with groups A, B and C, the curative rate of group D was significantly higher (P < 0.05). The difference in efficacy rates was slight between groups B and D (P < 0.05), but significant between groups A and C (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment therapy can improve the effect of CNP treatment and clear away heat and toxic material. The antiphlogistic agent series, with the effect of motivating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, turned out to be an effective traditional Chinese medicine in treating CNP.

LUNX mRNA-positive cells at different time points predict prognosis in patients with surgically resected nonsmall cell lung cancer.

LUNX is a lung-specific gene whose messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression is strictly limited to normal lung tissue and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the detection of LUNX mRNA-positive circulating tumor cells (CTC)s in peripheral blood at different time points is useful for predicting disease recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients undergoing surgery. Serial blood samples from 68 patients with stage I-IIIA NSCLC were examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay targeting LUNX mRNA before (T0) and after surgery (T1) and after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy (T2). Results showed that LUNX mRNA-positive CTCs were detected in 40 of 68 NSCLC patients (58.8%) before surgery; the detection rates of LUNX mRNA-positive CTCs at T1 and T2 time points were 32.4% (22/68) and 33.3% (20/60), respectively. The detection of LUNX mRNA-positive CTC at 3 time points was associated with lymph node status and pathologic stage. During the follow-up period, patients with LUXN mRNA-positive CTC at 3 time points had a higher relapse rate and a shorter DFS and OS than those without. Multivariate analysis revealed that presence of LUNX mRNA-positive CTC at T1 and T2 time points was an independent unfavorable factor for DFS and OS. In conclusion, detection of LUNX mRNA-positive CTC after surgery and the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage I-IIIA NSCLC are highly predictive for DFS and OS. This technique could aid in the prediction of prognosis and design of tailored treatment.

Chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions contribute to the accumulation of Th17 cells in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions play a critical role in lymphocyte infiltration of tumors. Recent studies suggest that Th17 cells accumulate within many types of tumors, although the mechanisms that control this are unclear. We studied the distribution and phenotypic features of Th17 cells chemokine receptors, as well as the mRNA levels of CCL2, CCL17, CCL20, and CCL22 in tumors of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We found that Th17 cells accumulated in tumors, and high expressions of CCR4, CCR6 were detected in Th17 cells. Levels of the chemokines CCL17, CCL20, and CCL22 in tumors were significantly higher than in tumor-free tissues, and were positively correlated with the distribution of Th17 cells in tumors. Furthermore, an in vitro migration assay showed that CCL17, CCL20 and CCL22 had chemotactic effects on tumor-derived Th17 cells. In conclusion, the CCR4-CCL17/22 and CCR6-CCL20 axis might play an important role in Th17 cell infiltration of tumors.

Association of expression of MRP1, BCRP, LRP and ERCC1 with outcome of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate prognostic value of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), lung resistance-related protein (LRP) and excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. METHODS: Transbronchial biopsy (TBB) specimens from 46 patients with stage IIIA (N(2)) NSCLC were collected to determine the expression level of MRP1, BCRP, LRP and ERCC1 mRNA by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The expression level of each gene was analyzed in relation to histopathologic response to chemotherapy, and tumor-free survival (TFS) and overall survival. RESULTS: Patients with MRP1 or LRP low expression had a significantly better histopathologic response (P=0.032 and 0.006), and a significantly longer TFS (P=0.043 and 0.025) and overall survival (P=0.019 and 0.013) than those with MRP1 or LRP high expression. Patients with ERCC1 low expression had a significantly longer overall survival (P=0.007), but not TFS (P=0.094) than those with ERCC1 high expression. In multivariate analysis, LRP low expression was a significantly favorable factor for TFS (P=0.027), and LRP and ERCC1 were significantly favorable factors for overall survival (P=0.012 and 0.032). CONCLUSION: Assessment of MRP1 and LRP mRNA expression in TBB specimens may predict histopathologic response and survival in locally advanced NSCLC patients who received neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. ERCC1 expression was predictive for overall survival.

Induction concurrent chemoradiotherapy compared with induction radiotherapy for superior sulcus non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of current chemoradiotherapy on improvement of survival in patients with superior sulcus non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 39 patients with superior sulcus NSCLC treated with induction therapy followed surgery. The patients were divided into two groups according to the induction approach: the induction radiotherapy (RT) group (1993-1999), and the induction chemoradiotherapy (CT/RT) group (since 1999). RESULTS: The rate of complete resection was 65 percent in the RT group (n = 17) compared with 91 percent in the CT/RT group (n = 22, P = 0.024). Complete pathological responses from induction therapy were 12 percent in the RT group and 45 percent in the CT/RT group (P = 0.032). Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in patients who received CT/RT than that in those who received RT, with 2- and 5-year survival rates of 77.3 percent and 36.4 percent versus 41.2 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively (P = 0.007). CT/RT also associated with a markedly longer tumor-free survival (TFS), with a median TFS of 40 and 17 months, respectively (P = 0.007). Patients achieved complete resection or complete pathological response had a significantly better survival than those with incomplete resection or pathological partial responses and no change (P < 0.0005 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that CT/RT followed by surgery can significantly improve OS and TFS, and may be considered as an optimal option in treatment of patients with superior sulcus NSCLC.

Prognostic factors and long term results of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery in stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of stage IIIA N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poor despite the changes in therapeutic strategies. OBJECTIVES: To assess long term results of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery for patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC and to analyze factors influencing survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methods adopted include: Retrospective review of medical records of 91 patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC, who received neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery; collection of information on demographic information, staging procedure, preoperative therapy, clinical response, type of resection, pathologic response of tumor, status of lymph nodes and adjuvant chemotherapy; survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier and calculation of prognostic factors using log-rank and Cox regression model. RESULTS: All patients received a platinum-based chemotherapy and 23 (29.1%) had an associated radiotherapy. Eighty four patients underwent thoracotomy. Median survival was 26 months (95%CI, 22.6-30.8 months) with three and five year survival rates of 31.6 and 20.9%, respectively. Prognostic factors for survival on univariate analysis was clinical response (P = 0.032), complete resection (P = 0.002), pathologic tumor response ( P < 0.001), and lymph nodal down staging (P = 0.001). Multivariate analyses identified complete resection, pathologic tumor response and lymph nodal down staging as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Survival of patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC who received neo adjuvant therapy is significantly influenced by clinical response, complete resection, pathologic tumor response, and lymph nodal down staging. These results can be helpful in guiding standard clinical practice and evaluating the outcome of neo adjuvant therapy followed by surgery in patients with stage IIIA N2 NSCLC.