[The Role and Mechanism of MiR-451 in Multidrug Resistance of Leukemia Cell Line K562/A02].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the differential expressions of miR-451, ABCB1 and ABCC2 in drug-sensitive leukemia cell line K562 and drug-resistant cell line K562/A02, and explore the regulatory relationship between miR-451 and the expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 , and the mechanism of miR-451 involved in drug resistance in leukemia. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to detect the drug resistance of K562/A02 and K562 cells. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the differential expressions of miR-451 in K562 and K562/A02 cells. MiR-451 mimic and negative control (miR-NC), miR-451 inhibitor and negative control (miR-inNC) were transfected into K562 and K562/A02 cells respectively, then qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein of ABCB1 and ABCC2 in K562 and K562/A02 cells and the transfected groups. RESULTS: The drug resistance of K562/A02 cells to adriamycin was 177 times higher than that of its parent cell line K562. Compared with K562 cells, the expression of miR-451 in K562/A02 cells was significantly higher (P <0.001), and the mRNA and protein expression levels of ABCB1 and ABCC2 in K562/A02 cells were significantly higher than those in K562 cells (P <0.001). After transfected with miR-451 inhibitor, the expression of miR-451 was significantly down-regulated in K562/A02 cells (P <0.001), the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs was significantly enhanced (P <0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 were significantly decreased (P <0.01). After transfected with miR-451 mimic, the expression of miR-451 was significantly upregulated in K562 cells (P <0.001), and the mRNA and protein expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 were significantly increased (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in the expressions of miR-451, ABCB1 and ABCC2 between the drug-sensitive leukemia cell line K562 and drug-resistant cell line K562/A02, which suggests that miR-451 may affect the drug resistance of leukemia cells by regulating the expression of ABCB1 and ABCC2.

[Emission Characteristics of IVOCs from the Combustion of Residential Solid Fuels and the Impact of Burning Temperature].

Intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) are important precursors of secondary organic aerosols that have received much recent attention; however, there is a lack of emission data for IVOCs from combustion sources, especially for residential solid fuel combustion. In this study, two bituminous coals with different geological maturity (XZ and LW) and two biomass types (rice stalk and pinewood) were tested at seven temperature points (300-900℃ with an interval of 100℃) using a quartz tube furnace together with a dilution sampling system. The results showed that the averaged emission factor for IVOCs from biomass combustion[(483±182) mg·kg-1] was 2.5 times higher than that of bituminous coal combustion (190±108) mg·kg-1. The remaining unresolved complex mixture (UCM) dominated the IVOC content for both biomass and coal combustions (81%±11% and 68%±6%, respectively). The fraction of normal and branched alkanes for biomass combustions was lower than for coal combustion, while the fraction of aromatics was higher. The effect of temperature on the emission of IVOCs and their composition was significantly different between the two types of fuel. The emission factor for IVOCs from coal (using LW as an example) at 500℃[(340±113) mg·kg-1] was 5.4 times higher than at 900℃[(63±15) mg·kg-1], while two comparable peaks are observed at 400-500℃ and 800-900℃. As the combustion temperature increased, the proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons in pinewood IVOCs increased from 1% to 29%, while the remaining UCM decreased from 92% to 61%. However, there was little variation for coal combustion. The effects of fuel type and temperature on the emission of IVOCs were further explained with respect to the modified combustion efficiency (MCE).

Crystal Structure of GH49 Dextranase from Arthrobacter oxidans KQ11: Identification of Catalytic Base and Improvement of Thermostability Using Semirational Design Based on B-Factors.

The crystal structure of Dextranase from the marine bacterium Arthrobacter oxidans KQ11 (Aodex) was determined at a resolution of 1.4 Å. The crystal structure of the conserved Aodex fragment (Ala52-Thr638) consisted of an N-terminal domain N and a C-terminal domain C. The N-terminal domain N was identified as a ß-sandwich, connected to a right-handed parallel ß-helix at the C-terminus. Sequence comparisons, cavity regions, and key residues of the catalytic domain analysis all suggested that the Aodex was an inverting enzyme, and the catalytic acid and base were Asp439 and Asp420, respectively. Asp440 was not a general base in the Aodex catalytic domain, and Asp396 in Dex49A may not be a general base in the catalytic domain. The thermostability of the S357F mutant using semirational design based on B-factors was clearly better than that of wild-type Aodex. This process may promote the aromatic-aromatic interactions that increase the thermostability of mutant Phe357.

[Effect of prone positioning on respiratory function in very preterm infants undergoing mechanical ventilation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of prone positioning on respiratory function in very preterm infants undergoing mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A total of 83 very preterm infants treated with mechanical ventilation were enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to supine group and prone group. Four infants withdrew from the study and 79 infants completed treatment and observation (37 in the supine group and 42 in the prone group). Infants in both groups were mechanically ventilated in a volume assist-control mode. Infants in the prone group were ventilated in the supine position for 4 hours and in the prone position for 2 hours. Ventilator parameters, arterial blood gas analysis, and vital signs were recorded before grouping, every 6 hours in the supine group, and every hour after conversion into the prone position in the prone group, respectively. RESULTS: Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), peak inspiratory pressure, mean inspiratory pressure, and duration of ventilation were significantly lower in the prone group than in the supine group (P<0.05); there were no significant differences in tidal volume or positive end-expiratory pressure between the two groups (P>0.05). The prone group had a significantly higher PO2/FiO2 ratio but significantly lower oxygenation index and respiratory rate than the supine group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in arterial oxygen tension, pH, base excess, heart rate, or mean blood pressure between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Alternating ventilation between the prone position and supine position can improve oxygenation function, decrease the fraction of inspired oxygen, and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation in very preterm infants undergoing mechanical ventilation.

Using the Lymph Node Ratio to Evaluate the Prognosis of Stage II/III Breast Cancer Patients Who Received Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Mastectomy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) in stage II/III breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and pathological data describing stage II/III breast cancer patients were included in this retrospective study. The primary outcomes were locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Among 277 patients, there were 43 ypN0, 64 ypN1, 89 ypN2, and 81 ypN3 cases. Additionally, there were 43, 57, 92 and 85 cases in the LNR 0, 0.01-0.20, 0.21-0.65, and > 0.65 groups, respectively. The median follow-up was 49.5 months. Univariate analysis showed that both ypN stage and LNR were prognostic factors of LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: The integrated use of LNR and ypN may be suitable for evaluation the prognosis of stage II/III breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Ovarian Ablation Using Goserelin Improves Survival of Premenopausal Patients with Stage II/III Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer without Chemotherapy-Induced Amenorrhea / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of ovarian ablation using goserelin in premenopausal patients with stage II/III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer without chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of breast patients treated between October 1999 and November 2007 without CIA. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for calculation of the survival rate. Log rank method and Cox regression analysis were used for univariate and multivariate prognostic analysis. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 61 months. Initially, 353 patients remained without CIA after chemotherapy and 98 among those who received goserelin and tamoxifen (TAM). In univariate analysis, goserelin improved locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (98.9% vs. 94.1%, p=0.041), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (85.4% vs. 71.9%, p=0.006), disease-free survival (DFS) (85.4% vs. 71.6%, p=0.005), and overall survival (OS) (93.5% vs. 83.5%, p=0.010). In multivariate analysis, goserelin treatment was an independent factor influencing DMFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.603; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.228 to 2.092; p=0.001), DFS (HR, 1.606; 95% CI, 1.231 to 2.096; p=0.001), and OS (HR, 3.311; 95% CI, 1.416 to 7.742; p=0.006). In addition, treatment with goserelin resulted in significantly improved LRFS (p=0.039), DMFS (p=0.043), DFS (p=0.036), and OS (p=0.010) in patients aged or = 40 years, goserelin only improved DMFS (p=0.028) and DFS (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Ovarian ablation with goserelin plus TAM resulted in significantly improved therapeutic efficacy in premenopausal patients with stage II/III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer without CIA.

Feasibility and acute toxicity of 3-dimensional conformal external-beam accelerated partial-breast irradiation for early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery in Chinese female patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>A growing number of studies worldwide have advocated the replacement of whole-breast irradiation with accelerated partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional conformal external-beam radiation (APBI-3DCRT) for early-stage breast cancer. But APBI can be only used in selected population of patients with early-staged breast cancer. It is not replacing the whole breast radiotherapy. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acute normal tissue toxicity of the APBI-3DCRT technique in Chinese female patients who generally have smaller breasts compared to their Western counterparts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From May 2006 to December 2009, a total of 48 Chinese female patients (with early-stage breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria) received APBI-3DCRT after breast-conserving surgery at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The total dosage from APBI-3DCRT was 34 Gy, delivered in 3.4 Gy per fractions, twice per day at intervals of at least six hours. The radiation dose, volume of the target area and volume of irradiated normal tissues were calculated. Acute toxicity was evaluated according to the Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) 3.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 48 patients, the planning target volume for evaluation (PTVE) was (90.42 ± 9.26) cm³, the ipsilateral breast volume (IBV) was (421.74 ± 28.53) cm³, and the ratio between the two was (20.74 ± 5.86)%. Evaluation of the dosimetric characteristics of the PTVE revealed excellent dosimetric results in 14 patients and acceptable results in 34 patients. The dose delivered to the PTVE ranged from 93% to 110% of the prescribed dose. The average ratio of the volume of PTVE receiving 95% of the prescription dose (V95) was (99.26 ± 0.37)%. The habituation index (HI) and the conformity index (CI) were 1.08 ± 0.01 and 0.72 ± 0.02, respectively, suggesting good homogeneity and conformity of the dose delivered to the target field. The radiation dose to normal tissues and organs was within the dose limitation. Subjects experienced mild acute toxicity. The main manifestations were breast edema in 22 patients, breast pain in 7, skin erythema in 25, general malaise in 22 and cytopenia in 8. No acute radiological cardiac or pulmonary injury was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results of our short-term follow-up showed that it is feasible to perform APBI-3DCRT for early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery in Chinese female patients with smaller breasts. However, further studies are required to elucidate its efficacy and long-term side effects.</p>

Dosimetry of electron-beam chest-wall irradiation after mastectomy in patients with left breast cancer / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the dosimetric advantages of postmastectomy electron-beam chest-wall irradiation after left mastectomy in patients with breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Electron-beam chest-wall irradiation and tangential field irradiation were planned using Pinnacle7.4f planning systems for 42 patients with left breast cancer after mastectomy. The total prescribed dose for both plans was 5000 cGy/25 fractions. The dose volume histogram was used to compare the dosimetry of the clinical target volume (CTV) and the organs at risk such as the heart and ipsilateral lung.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The maximum dose (Dmax) of the CTV of electron beam chest-wall irradiation plans was significantly higher than that of tangential field irradiation plans (5562±61 vs 5402±82 cGy, t=6.10, P<0.05). The CTV of the electron beam chest-wall irradiation plans showed better heterogeneity than that of the tangential field irradiation plans, with heterogeneity index of 1.18±0.03 and 1.13±0.18, respectively (t=6.50, P<0.05). Electron beam chest-wall irradiation plans had also a better conformal index of the CTV than tangential field irradiation plans (0.77±0.17 vs 0.57±0.17, t=3.49, P<0.05). The V40 of the ipsilateral lung, the maximum dose of the heart, V30 and V40 of the heart in the electron beam chest-wall irradiation plans were smaller than those of the tangential field irradiation plans [(5.86±3.68)% vs (8.73±3.26)%, t=-2.27, P<0.05; 4839±388 cGy vs 5095±176 cGy, t=-2.32, P<0.05; (2.58±1.50)% vs (7.20±2.62)%, t=-4.70, P<0.05; (1.74±1.23)% vs (4.20±2.51)%, t=-3.50, P<0.05].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with the tangential field irradiation plans, electron-beam chest-wall irradiation has better coverage index of the CTV and can decrease the high-dose volume of the normal tissue, but shows a poorer habituation index of the CTV.</p>

Efficacy of X-ray stereotactic radiotherapy on brain metastases and prognostic analysis / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>X-ray stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is one of the effective treatments for brain metastases (BM). This study was to evaluate the efficacy of SRT on BM, and investigate prognostic factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between July 1999 and December 2004, a total of 122 intracranial lesions in 78 patients with BM were treated using SRT in our Center. Forty-nine patients had a solitary lesion and 29 had multiple (2-6) lesions. The median SRT dose was 15 Gy (11-24 Gy) in single fraction for 38 lesions, and 24 Gy (11-40 Gy) in 2-6 fractions for 84 lesions. SRT was combined with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) of 30-40 Gy for 39 patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by the log-rank test and Cox model, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median survival time was 12.9 months (1.7-77.4 months). The 1-year intracranial PFS rate was 87.4%. The 1-and 2-year OS rates were 53.9% and 25.8%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 1-year OS rates were higher in the patients with pretreatment KPS of >/= 70, extracranial lesions controlled, or SRT combined with WBRT than in those with KPS of < 70 (60.7% vs. 29.4%, P = 0.002), extracranial lesions uncontrolled (69% vs. 44.9%, P = 0.005), or SRT alone (64.1% vs. 43.4%, P = 0.03). The benefit of treating with WBRT in combination was mainly achieved in the patients with extracranial lesions controlled or with more than one intracranial lesion. Multivariate analysis showed that KPS score and status of extracranial lesions were independent prognostic factors for OS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SRT is an effective and safe modality for BM. SRT combined with WBRT may prolong the survival time of the patients with extracranial lesions controlled or multiple intracranial lesions. Independent prognostic factors for OS are KPS score and status of extracranial lesions.</p>

The clinical value of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with early stage breast cancer with 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes after mastectomy / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients with T1-T2 tumors and 1-3 positive axillary nodes is still uncertain. This study investigated the value of PMRT for these patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In the retrospective data of 488 eligible patients, survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median observation time was 54 months. The 5- and 10-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates were 90.8% and 86.9%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 82.0% and 74.3%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 90.7% and 82.7%, respectively. For the 412 patients without PMRT, T2 classification, 2-3 positive nodes, and hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptor-negative were risk factors for locoregional recurrence in the multivariate analysis. On the basis of these 3 risk factors, the group with 2-3 factors had a 10-year LRFS rate of 63.1% compared with 96.1% for the group with 0-1 factors (P < 0.001). For the group with 2-3 risk factors, LRFS and DFS were significantly improved by PMRT, with the 5- and 10-year LRFS rates without PMRT of 82.4% and 63.1%, respectively, and, with PMRT, of 98.1% at both 5 years and 10 years (P = 0.002). The 5- and 10-year DFS rates without PMRT were 72.0% and 57.6%, respectively, and, with PMRT, the 5- and 10-year DFS rates were 89.4% and 81.7%, respectively (P = 0.007). There was no significant difference in the 10-year OS rates between patients with and without PMRT. However, there is the potential benefit of 15.3% (87.1% vs. 71.8%, P = 0.072). Conversely, the group with 0-1 factors of PMRT had no effect on prognosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In patients receiving mastectomy with T1-T2 breast cancer with 1-3 positive nodes, for the group with 2-3 risk factors, PMRT significantly improved LRFS and DFS and has potential benefit in OS.</p>

[Ambient levels of carbonyl compounds in Shanghai, China].

A ternary-mobile phase program with acetonitrile, water and tetrahydrofuran was developed to identify and quantify 22 carbonyl compounds species by HPLC-UV. The analytical method succeeded in separating acrolein from acetone. Two sampling sites (industrial district and business district) were chosen to study carbonyl compounds levels in ambient air of Shanghai. The results indicated that formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and 2-butanone (C1-C4 carbonyl compounds) were the most abundant carbonyl compounds in ambient air of Shanghai. The four carbonyls together accounted for 78.95% (industrial district) and 77.63% (business district) of the total carbonyl compounds, respectively. In industrial district, the mean concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and 2-butanone were 10.36, 15.32, 9.95 and 4.56 microg/m3, respectively; in business district, their mean levels were 10.00, 10.04, 7.80 and 2.81 microg/m3, respectively. So the mean levels of C1-C4 carbonyl compounds in industrial district were higher than in business district. The higher concentrations of the total carbonyls were also found in industrial district (53.64 microg/m3) than in business district (41.96 microg/m3). A similar diel variation occurred to the two districts that higher carbonyl concentrations were shown in morning peak and nighttime than in other three periods.

Determination of gaseous carbonyl compounds by their pentafluorophenyl hydrazones with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and reliable method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 20 airborne carbonyl compounds in the C(1)-C(10) range. The carbonyls were collected onto solid sorbent coated with pentafluorophenyl hydrazine (PFPH), followed by solvent extraction and gas chromatographic (GC)/mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of the PFPH derivatives. The sorbent is packed into two separate sections in a glass sampling tube. The two-section design allows convenient checking of collection efficiency and breakthrough. The sampling tube, with a coating amount of 971 nmol PFPH per 100 mg Tenax TA and operated at a sampling flow rate of 80 mL min(-1), collects the 20 carbonyls with efficiencies above 95%. Hexane extracts the collected carbonyls in their PFPH derivatives in the sampling tube with better than 95% extraction efficiency. It is necessary to let the sampling tube sit at ambient temperature for 3 days before solvent extraction to ensure complete derivatization of the carbonyls. The limits of detection (LODs) of the tested carbonyls are in the range of 3.7-11.6 ng per sample. The method has been field-tested both in ambient environment and in an indoor environment from burning mosquito-repellent incense. Eighteen carbonyls were detected in the ambient air samples with the exception of o-tolualdehyde and m-tolualdehyde, while all the 20 target carbonyls were found in the incense smoke. Compare field test with classical DNPH-HPLC/UV method, good agreement exited between the two methods for lower molecular carbonyls but PFPH method is found to be a better analytical method for determination of high molecular weight carbonyls.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with sodium glycididazole and cisplatin for local advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the radiosensitivity and toxicity of sodium glycididazole and cisplatin in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for local advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with local advanced NPC (T3-4N2-3M0) were randomly divided into chemoradiotherapy group (n=30) and chemoradiotherapy plus sodium glycididazole group (n=30). All the patients received radiotherapy with (60)Co or 6-8 MV linear accelerator and concurrent injection of cisplatin at a weekly dose of 20 mg/m square. In sodium glycididazole group, the patients received injections of sodium glycididazole at 800 mg/m square prior to the radiotherapy 3 times a week.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the end of the therapy and 3 month after the radiotherapy, a response rate of 100% was achieved in both of the groups. But at the end of the therapy, the chemoradiotherapy plus sodium glycididazole group showed a significantly higher rate of complete tumor remission than the chemoradiotherapy group (93.3% vs 73.33%, chi(2)=4.32, P=0.038). The patients in the two groups showed similar tolerance of the therapy during the observation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sodium glycididazole plus cisplatin can accelerate the tumor remission and improve the complete remission rate in patients with local advanced NPC without causing severe toxicity.</p>

[Stable carbon isotope analysis method for the atmospheric formaldehyde].

A method of compound-specific stable carbon isotopic analysis for the research about the sources of atmospheric formaldehyde was preliminary studied using gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) via 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization. In order to evaluate the reproducibility, the accuracy and the carbon isotope effects of the method, formaldehyde with different delta 13C values were used to simulate the sampling procedure. The results show that the maximal analytical deviation for all formaldehyde 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazone is 0.3 per thousand and the average deviations between the determined and theoretical delta 13C values of them are 0.24 per thousand +/- 0.14per thousand (ranged from 0.03 per thousand to 0.35 per thousand), less than 0.5 per thousand the technical specifications of the GC/C/IRMS system. These mean that no carbon isotopic fractionation occurred during the procedure. The study for the indoor and outdoor atmospheric formaldehyde in the restaurant show that the stable carbon isotopic compositions are significant different for different sources of formaldehyde. The present method could provide valuable information about the sources of atmospheric formaldehyde.

Phase I study of capecitabine with concurrent radiotherapy in early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), efficacy and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of capecitabine with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with node-positive stage II nasopharyngeal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From August 2002 to June 2003, 30 patients with node-positive stage II T(2)N(1)M(0) nasopharyngeal cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Median age 43 years (range 32 - 63 years), ECOG performance status <or= 2. Radiotherapy of 68 - 72 Gy/34 - 36 fractions was delivered to the nasopharynx and 64 - 70 Gy/32 - 35 fractions to the node-positive area. Capecitabine was administered orally on day 1 of radiotherapy by an intermittent schedule (14 days treatment; 7-day rest) at 3 weekly intervals for two cycles. Patients were alloted into one of four escalating dose cohorts (500, 750, 1000 and 1250 mg/m(2), bid). Dose escalation was done after six patients had completed 2 cycles of chemotherapy at the previous dose level with DLT assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for toxicity and efficacy: CR 12 (42.9%), PR 13 (46.4%), SD 3 (10.7%), the overall response rate (CR + PR) was 89.3%. The CR response rate of the node-positive area and of the nasopharynx were 50.0% (14/28) and 46.4% (13/28). No DLT was observed at the dosage group of 500 mg/m(2) and 750 mg/m(2). Three of 9 patients experienced DLT at 1000 mg/m(2) with grade III stomatitis; 4 of 6 at 1250 mg/m(2) with grade III stomatitis (4/6), grade III diarrhea with grade IV febrile neutropenia (1/6) and grade III thrombocytopenia (1/6). The toxicity of grade I and II was hand-foot syndrome (4/28), fatigue (14/28), nausea and vomiting (19/28), diarrhea (5/27), and weight loss (21/28).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A dose of 750 mg/m(2) of capecitabine might be recommended for combination with radiotherapy. This regimen is tolerable and valid for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A randomised phase III comparison with 5-Fu is justified.</p>