Objective To explore the clinical significance of internal mammary nodes in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Methods The research papers on internal mammary nodes at home and abroad were analyzed in order to summarize the distribution, metastasis, detection and the effects of clinical treatment of the internal mammary nodes in breast cancer. Results The internal mammary nodes mainly locate near the sternum, along with the internal mammary artery and vein in the thorax. They were prone to metastasize at early stage and the metastasis rate also increased with the increased number of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer. It could influence the recovery of the breast cancer patients by taking biopsy and treatment to the internal mammary nodes. Conclusion The biopsy and treatment of internal mammary nodes are useful for the patients with breast cancer to avoid the recurrence and helpful to stage, treatment and prognosis judgement of the breast cancer patients.
Objective To systematically review the effectiveness and safety of radiotherapy combined with short-term or long-term hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. Methods Databases including EMbase, PubMed, Web of Science, CENTRAL and CBM were searched from inception to August 2012 to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on radiotherapy combined with short-term or long-term hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data of the included studies were extracted, and the methodological quality was evaluated. Then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1, and the evidence qualities and recommendation levels were determined according to the GRADE System. Results A total of 6 RCTs involving 3157 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the overall survival rate (RR=0.95, 95%CI 0.91 to 1.00) and the disease-free survival rate (RR=0.73, 95%CI 0.46 to 1.13) between the radiotherapy plus short-term hormonal therapy group (the short-term group) and the radiotherapy plus long-term hormonal therapy group (the long-term group). The long-term group was superior to the short-term group in biochemical failure-free survival rate (RR=0.81, 95%CI 0.68 to 0.97), clinical progression rate (RR=1.61, 95%CI 1.44 to 1.80), and prostate cancer-specific mortality (RR=1.44, 95%CI 1.16 to 1.80). Based on the GRADE system, the evidence level of biochemical failure-free survival was moderate with a weak recommendation; the evidence level of disease-free survival was low with a weak recommendation; the evidence level of overall survival was high with a weak recommendation; and the evidence levels of clinical progression rate and prostate cancer-specific mortality were high with a b recommendation. Conclusion Currently, the limited evidence shows extending the length of hormone therapy is beneficial for patients with localized prostate cancer and locally advanced prostate cancer, especially for patients with high Gleason score, but it cannot raise overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate. This conclusion still needs to be further proved by more high-quality and large-scale RCTs.
ObjectiveGiven the relatively limited resources available for tumor radiotherapy, the reengineering theory to the tumor radiotherapy process of a tertiary hospital is applied to improve the efficiency of medical service, shorten patient waiting time and improve patient satisfaction. MethodsThe tumor radiotherapy process of a tertiary hospital was studied from January 2017 to September 2018. The indicators such as efficiency and satisfaction were analyzed before reconstruction (from January to December 2017) and after reconstruction (from January to September 2018). ResultsAfter radiotherapy process reengineering, on the one hand, the medical efficiency was improved: the number of new patients for radiotherapy per month rose by 16.58% (P<0.05), and the number of daily radiotherapy increased by 5.80% (P<0.05). On the other hand, the patient treatment process became more concise: the preparation time was shortened from 2-3 days to 1 day, while the waiting time for radiotherapy was shortened by nearly 10 days, and the overall satisfaction of patients increased from 64.17% to 83.55%. ConclusionIt can improve the operation efficiency of tumor radiotherapy and improve patient satisfaction under the condition of relatively fixed resources through the reconstruction of the information-based tumor radiotherapy process.
The simultaneous objectives of destroying tumor cells while protecting normal pelvic organs present a dual clinical and technical challenge within the realm of pelvic tumor radiotherapy. This article reviews the latest literatures, focusing on technological innovations in key aspects of radiotherapy such as positioning, planning, and delivery. These include positioning fixation techniques, organ-at-risk avoidance irradiation, non-coplanar irradiation techniques, as well as organ displacement protection and image-guided adaptive techniques. It summarizes and discusses the research progress made in the protection of critical organs during pelvic tumor radiotherapy. The paper emphasizes technological advancements in the protection of critical organs throughout the processes of radiotherapy positioning, planning, and implementation, aiming to provide references for further research on the protection of critical organs in the external irradiation treatment of pelvic tumors.
Objective To study the risk factors for contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in women after regular treatment of the primary breast cancer. Methods Between January 1997 to December 2002, the clinical data of 340 breast cancer patients at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. In all the patients a detailed analysis was carried out with respect to age, operation type, radiation therapy technique and dose, the use of chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and other clinicopathologic characteristics. The KaplanMeier method was used to estimate the actuarial rate of CBC. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the relative risk factors of CBC. Results Fourteen cases were diagnosed to be CBC, thus overall incidence of CBC was 4.1%. Ten-year CBC incidence (2.7%) was higher than 5-year incidence of CBC (1.4%). Univariate analysis showed that the risk factors of CBC at 5-year and 10-year included: ≤45 years old, medullary carcinoma, family history of breast cancer and being taken without endocrine therapy (P＜0.05), while chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not risk factors of CBC (P＞0.05). Mutivariate analysis showed that ≤ 45 years old and being internal breast radiotherapy were independent risk factors of CBC at 5-year and 10-year (P＜0.05). Conclusions CBC may occur in these primary breast cancer patients with age ≤45 years old, medullary carcinoma, family history of breast cancer. In order to reduce the incidence of CBC, endocrine therapy rather than internal breast radiotherapy should be performed in early breast cancer patients.
Objective To study the curative effects of keloid by operation combined with postoperative β radiation and silicone gel sheeting. Methods From 1996 to 2002, 598 patients with keloid(243 males, 355 females, aging 15-55 years with an average of 28.6 years) were treated by integrated therapy. Their disease courses were from 6 months to 6 years. The keloid area ranged from 1.0 cm×1.5 cm~8.0 cm×15 cm. First, keloid was removed by operation, and then the wounds weresutured directly(group suture) or covered with skin graft(group graft). In groupsuture, the operational sites were managed by β ray radiotherapy 24-48 hours after operation. The total doses of radiation were 12-15 Gy, 5 times 1 week(group suture A) and 10 times 2 weeks (group suture B). Radiotherapy was not taken until stitches were taken out in group graft, and then the same methods were adopted as group suture B. After radiotherapy, silicone gel sheeting was used in 325 cases for 3-6 months. Results All patients were followed up for 12-18 months. (1) The overall efficacy was 91.3% in group suture A(n=196), and 95.8% in group suture B (n=383), respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups(Plt;0.01). (2) Radiotherapy was of no effect in 6 cases of group graft(n=19). (3) Silicone gel sheeting had effectivenessin 185 cases. Silicone gel sheeting had no obvious effect on the overall efficacy, but it could improve the quality of texture and color of skin. Conclusion By use of integrated methods to treat keloid, if the wound can be sutured directly, skin grafting should not be adopted. The results in group suture B are better than those in group suture A; silicone gel sheeting should be used as possible.
Central lung cancer is a common disease in clinic which usually occurs above the segmental bronchus. It is commonly accompanied by bronchial stenosis or obstruction, which can easily lead to atelectasis. Accurately distinguishing lung cancer from atelectasis is important for tumor staging, delineating the radiotherapy target area, and evaluating treatment efficacy. This article reviews domestic and foreign literatures on how to define the boundary between central lung cancer and atelectasis based on multimodal images, aiming to summarize the experiences and propose the prospects.
Objective To find individualized evidence-based treatments for a patient with lower rectal cancer. Methods Based on the clinical questions raised, evidence was collected and critically assessed. Patient preferences and physician clinical experience were also taken into consideration in the decision-making treatment. Results Twenty-four systematic reviews or meta analyses and 1 clinical guideline were included. The evidence showed that preoperative chemoradio- therapy reduces risk of local recurrence and death from rectal cancer compared to preoperative radiotherapy alone. Preoperative combined chemoradiotherapy, enhanced pathological response and improved local control in the resectable stage II and III rectal cancer. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy reduced the risk of local recurrence as compared with postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Postoperative radiotherapy alone did not improve survival for the patients with resected stage II and stage III rectal cancer, whereas either chemotherapy alone or combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy improved survival in comparison with observation. As compared with conventional radical surgery, total mesorectum excision (TME) resulted in lower postoperative local recurrence rate and higher survival rate. No significant differences in terms of disease-free survival rate, local recurrence rate, mortality, and morbidity were found between laparoscopic and open total mesorectal excision. Conclusion The patients with lower rectal cancer might benefit from preoperative chemoradiotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy. TME is the standard rectal cancer surgery. However, long-term prognostic benefits need to be confirmed by further follow-up.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Radiation pneumonitis is a major complication in lung cancer radiotherapy. Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) imaging provides dynamic ventilation information, which is valuable for lung function assessment and radiation pneumonitis prevention. Many methods have been developed to calculate lung ventilation from 4DCT, but a systematic comparison is lacking. Prediction of radiation pneumonitis using 4DCT-based ventilation is still in an early stage, and no comprehensive review exists. This paper presented the first systematic comparison of functional lung ventilation algorithms based on 4DCT over the past 15 years, highlighting their clinical value and limitations. It then reviewed multimodal approaches combining 4DCT ventilation imaging, dose metrics, and clinical data for radiation pneumonitis prediction. Finally, it summarized current research and future directions of 4DCT in lung cancer radiotherapy, offering insights for clinical practice and further studies.
Objective To comprehend the concept， pathology， molecular mechanisms， diagnosis， and treatmentof aggressive fibromatosis （AF）， and to find a novel way to cure aggressive fibromatosis. Method The literatures about the definition， molecular mechanisms， and clinical research of AF were reviewed and analized. Results AF is rare and benign fibromatous lesion that is the result of abnormal proliferation of myofibroblasts. The pathologic features of AF isa benign disease， but it has “malignant” biological behavior. The tumor often involved the surrounding organs and bloodvessels， and caused death of patients. For patients with clinical symptoms or complications， complete excision of thetumor is the treatment of choice. Even if the operation to ensure the negative margin also has a higher recurrence rate， soits treatment requires multidisciplinary treatment. Conclusions The mechanism of AF is very complex， and it’s mecha-nism is still unclear. Clinical management of patients with AF is difficult and controversial， at present， the most effective treatment for AF is operation resection. The effects of adjuvant radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and other treatment after operation for AF still need further study.