Dai Zhijun

Clinical Effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection in the Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Local Advanced Breast Cancer and the Effects on T-lymphocyte Subsets

Objective To evaluate clinical effects of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy for local advanced breast cancer and the effects on T-lymphocyte subsets. Methods During the period from 2000 to 2005, 126 patients with local advanced breast cancer were treated with the neoadjuvant chemotherapy. They were randomly divided into the following two groups: a control group of 61 cases treated by chemotherapy alone and a study group of 65 cases treated by chemotherapy plus Shenqi Fuzheng Injection. All the cases of both groups were given the CEF (CTX 500 mg/m 2 , d1, 8; EPI 40 mg/m 2 , d1, 8; and 5-Fu 500 mg/m 2 , d1,8) regimen. The clinical effects, the effects on T-lymphocyte subgroup and NK cells, and the toxic side effects were observed. Results All the patients completed two cycles of the chemotherapy, and the efficacy and the toxic side effects were evaluated. For the primary tumor in the breast, the total effective rate was 69.2% (45/65) in the study group and 49.2% (30/61) in the control group with a statistically significant difference in the intergroup comparison (χ 2 =5.251, P =0.022, P Conclusion Shenqi Fuzheng Injection can improve and regulate immune function of the patients with local advanced breast cancer given the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and therefore it can enhance the curative effect and reduce the side effect as well.

The effect-enhancing and toxicity-reducing action of the extract of herba Scutellariae barbatae for chemotherapy in hepatoma H22 tumor-bearing mice.

Objective To investigate the effect-enchancing and toxicity-reducing action of the extract of Ban Zhi Lian (Herba Scutellariae Barbatae, EHSB) for chemotherapy in hepatoma H22 tumor-bearing mice. Methods The tumor-bearing mice were divided into 6 groups randomly: a model group, a high dose EHSB group, a low dose EHSB group, a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) group, a 5-FU+high dose EHSB group and a 5-FU+low dose EHSB group, and with a normal group set as the controls. All the groups were treated for 10 days. The life prolongation rate, toxic reactions of chemotherapy, WBC count, the body weight, tumor weight, thymus index and spleen index, and phagocytic function of intra-abdominal macrophages were investigated in the H22 tumor-bearing mice. Results The increase of the body weight in both the 5-FU+EHSB groups was significantly higher than that in the 5-FU group, with the toxic reactions such as anorexia, abdominal distension and emaciation significantly alleviated. Growth of the tumor was significantly inhibited in the high dose EHSB group, the 5-FU group, the 5-FU+high dose EHSB group, and the 5-FU+low dose EHSB group. The survival time in the 5-FU+high dose EHSB group and the 5-FU+low dose EHSB group was significantly prolonged as compared with that of the 5-FU group. The life prolongation rate was 98.72% in the 5-FU+high dose EHSB group and 52.11% in the 5-FU+low dose EHSB group. Growth of the transplanted tumor was significantly inhibited in the high dose EHSB group, the 5-FU group, the 5-FU+high dose EHSB group, the 5-FU+low dose EHSB group. The tumor inhibition rate in the high dose EHSB group, the 5-FU group, the 5-FU+high dose EHSB group and the 5-FU+low dose EHSB group was 36.98%, 42.26%, 65.28% and 52.45%, respectively. 5-FU combined with a high-dose EHSB could significantly enhance the tumor inhibition rate ( P Conclusions EHSB can significantly enhance the tumor inhibition rate of 5-FU, reduce the toxic effects, prolong the survival time, and improve immune function in the H22 tumor-bearing mice.

Clinical benefit with intraoperative radiotherapy combined with regional chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in combination with regional chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced pancreatic carcinoma.Methods: 17 patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated with IORT and regional chemotherapy with 5-FU, Epirubucin and Mitomycin, and 6 cases accepted external radiotherapy postoperatively.Results: 35.29% (6/17) of the patients were clinical benefit responders and 23.53% (4/17) had a partial response. The median survival time was 11 months and the 1-year survival rate was 35.29% (6/17)Conclusion: IORT in combination with regional chemotherapy had a good impact on clinical benefit without severe side effects in locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma and led to a significant prolongation of the survival time.

UP-REGULATION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 GENE EXPRESSION CORRELATES WITH TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS IN HUMAN BREAST CANCER

Objective: To study the relationship between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and tumor angiogenesis in human breast cancer. Methods: Archival primary breast carcinomas (n=62), adjacent ductal carcinomain situ (DCIS, n=13) and DCIS alone (n=5) were analyzed for COX-2 and VEGF expression by immunohistochemistry using specific monoclonal antibodies. Microvessel density (MVD) was also examined the using CD34 staining. Results: A significant correlation was found between COX-2 and VEGF expression (P<0.01). Both COX-2 and VEGF were significantly correlated with MVD (P<0.05) andP<0.01, respectively). COX-2 and VEGF genes were overexpressed in tumor specimens as compared with normal epithelia. Conclusion: COX-2 is related to tumor angiogenesis in breast cancer. It is likely that VEGF is one of the most important mediators of the COX-2 angiogenic pathway.