Research progress in targeted therapies for gastric cancer.

Patients with advanced gastric cancer experience rapid disease progression with limited survival, high mortality, and a lack of surgical options. Thus, radiochemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapeutics with targeted therapy is the mainstay of treatment. In comparison to the treatment of other malignant tumors, in gastric cancer, the development of molecularly targeted drugs has been relatively slow. Currently, there are two major classes of molecularly targeted drug regimens that have achieved a certain efficacy in clinical practice: anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapy. Trastuzumab has been approved as the standard of care for first-line treatment in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer. Ramucirumab in combination with paclitaxel is the recommended regimen for second-line treatment, and apatinib is recommended as third-line treatment. This review summarizes the current status of targeted therapies in the treatment of gastric cancer and gives a perspective on the future.

Virtual Reality in Treatment for Psychological Problems in First-Line Health Care Professionals Fighting COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Series.

ABSTRACT: Virtual reality therapy (VRT) is a new psychotherapeutic approach integrating virtual reality technology and psychotherapy. This case series aimed to study effectiveness of VRT in treating psychological problems. We described four cases of first-line health care professionals with emerging clinically significant early psychological problems during the COVID-19 outbreak, and specifically received the VRT treatment. We compared the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 items (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), PHQ-15, and Athens Insomnia Scale to evaluate psychological symptoms and sleep quality before and after sessions. All four cases showed a reduction in scale comparison. General scores of the PHQ-9 reduced 65%, GAD-7 reduced 52.17%, PHQ-15 decreased 38.17%, and scores of the Athens Insomnia Scale reduced 67.44%. Meanwhile, a reduction in depression, anxiety, psychosomatic, and sleeping symptoms was also found, which decreased 76.92% in general. These results are highly significant statistically. This case series demonstrated the effectiveness of VRT on psychological problems as a promising approach to apply on various psychological distress and disorders.

[Effect of Jinlongshe Granule Drug-containing Serum on Tube Formation, Migration and Apoptosis of Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells in vitro].

Objective To observe the inhibitory effect of Jinlongshe Granule drug-containing serum (JG-DS) on tube formation, migration, and apoptosis of human lymphatic endothelial cells ( HLECs) in vitro. Methods JG-DS was prepared. The 3rd-passage HLECs were divided into the control group (cultured with normal saline containing serum) and the experimental group (cultured with JG-DS). After cultured for 12 h, the tube formation ability was detected by Matrigel assay, and the migration ability was determined by Transwell assay in the two groups. Cell apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry and Annexin-V-FITC/Pl staining method. Results The total length of tube was (3 084. 49 ?326. 27) p.m after acted by 10% JG-DS for 12 h, significantly shorter than that of the control group (7 058.93 ?4 567. 39) pm (P <0.01). The migration number of HLECs was (99 ?26), obviously lower than that of the control group (160 ?32; P <0.05). The apoptosis rate of the two groups was not statistically significant (P >0.05). Conclusion JG could inhibit the tube formation and migration of HLECs in vitro, which might be one of mechanisms for inhibiting tumor micro-lymphatics.

Secondary acute promyelocytic leukemia following chemotherapy for gastric cancer: a case report.

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) refers to a heterogeneous group of myeloid neoplasms that develop in patients following extensive exposure to either cytotoxic agents or radiation. The development of t-AML has been reported following treatment of cancers ranging from hematological malignancies to solid tumors; however, to our knowledge, t-AML has never been reported following treatment of gastric cancer. In this study, we report the development of t-acute promyelocytic leukemia in a cT4N1M0 gastric cancer patient after an approximate 44 mo latency period following treatment with 4 cycles of oxaliplatin (OXP) (85 mg/m(2) on day 1) plus capecitabine (1250 mg/m(2) orally twice daily on days 1-14) in combination with recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor treatment. Karyotype analysis of the patient revealed 46,XY,t(15;17)(q22;q21)[15]/46,idem,-9,+add(9)(p22)[2]/46,XY[3], which, according to previous studies, includes some "favorable" genetic abnormalities. The patient was then treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA, 25 mg/m(2)/d) plus arsenic trioxide (ATO, 10 mg/d) and attained complete remission. Our case illuminated the role of certain cytotoxic agents in the induction of t-AML following gastric cancer treatment. We recommend instituting a mandatory additional evaluation for patients undergoing these therapies in the future.