ObjectiveTo summarize controversy and progress of multi-slice spiral CT in efficacy evaluation of transformation therapy for advanced gastric cancer.MethodThe recent studies published at home and abroad on the spiral CT in evaluating the therapeutic effect of transformation therapy for the advanced gastric cancer were reviewed and analyzed.ResultsIn recent years, though the energy spectrum and dual-energy CT examinations had appeared, the most common tool in evaluating of the efficacy of transformation therapy for the advanced gastric cancer was the spiral CT. The most common evaluation standard was still the RECIST standard.ConclusionsSpiral CT has its outstanding diagnostic significance in therapeutic evaluation of transformation therapy for advanced gastric cancer. Although there is some controversy, with advancements of a large number of studies, it will greatly help diagnosis and treatment of advanced gastric cancer.
Evidence-based medicine advocates to support clinical decision-making with the best evidence, which is useful to objectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and optimize clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, significant individualized characteristics identified from syndrome differentiation and treatment are incompatible with evidence-based clinical decision-making, which highlights population-level evidence, to some extent. In recent years, a number of new methods and technologies have been introduced into individualized clinical efficacy evaluation research of traditional Chinese medicine to assist managing and processing complex and multivariate information. These methods and technologies share similarities with evidence-based medicine, and are expected to link the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine with evidence-based clinical decision-making. They will guide the development of evidence-based clinical decision-making in traditional Chinese medicine.
ObjectiveTo summarize the current status and progress of nutritional support therapy for pancreatic cancer in order to improve the understanding of the impact of nutritional support treatment on pancreatic cancer and guide clinical work.MethodThe literatures about nutritional support and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer at home and abroad were read and reviewed.ResultsFor most patients with malignant pancreatic tumors, nutritional risk or malnutrition might accompany them for a lifetime. Regular nutritional risk screening, timely nutritional assessment and necessary nutritional treatment played an extremely important role in the process of comprehensive anti-tumor treatment.ConclusionAlthough there are still some core problems to be solved in nutritional support therapy and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, its efficacy is gradually recognized and widely used by clinical workers, which might be helpful to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Objective To analyze the substitution mechanism of surrogate endpoints for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical efficacy evaluation of chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods To obtain data from the occurrence of surrogate endpoints and cardiogenic death of patients with CHF in 7 hospitals. The causal relationship between surrogate endpoints and cardiogenic mortality was inferred by the Bayesian network model, and the interaction among surrogate endpoints was analyzed by non-conditional logistic regression model. Results A total of 2 961 patients with CHF were included. The results of Bayesian network causal inference showed that cardiogenic mortality had a causal relationship with the surrogate endpoints including NYHA classification (P=0.46), amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (P=0.24), left ventricular ejaculation fraction (LVEF) (P=0.19), and hemoglobin (HB) (P=0.11); non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that NYHA classification had interaction with NT-proBNP, LVEF, and HB prior to and after adjusting confounders. Conclusions The substitution capability of surrogate endpoints for TCM clinical efficacy evaluation of CHF for cardiogenic mortality are NYHA classification, NT-proBNP, LVEF, and HB in turn, and there is a multiplicative interaction between the main surrogate endpoint NYHA classification and the secondary surrogate endpoints including NT-proBNP, LVEF, and HB, suggesting that when the two surrogate endpoints with interaction exist at the same time, it can enhance the substitution capability of surrogate endpoints for cardiogenic mortality.
China is a country with a high incidence of esophageal cancer. Most patients are already in the locally advanced stage when first diagnosed. Preoperative neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery has become the standard treatment mode for them. Closely related to prognosis, the evaluation of tumor response is essential. Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors is the gold standard to evaluate tumor response, but the lesions must meet the measurement standards. Tumor regression grading (TRG) systems are designed to classify regressive changes after neoadjuvant treatment based on histopathological results to reveal prognostic information. Concentrating on pathologic assessment of esophageal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy, this article reviews histopathological changes, commonly used TRG systems and current debate.