Achalasia is a rare motor disorder of the esophagus and its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. Its clinical presentation typically includes various degrees of dysphagia, regurgitation, aspiration, chest pain and weight loss. The main therapy purpose for achalasia is to reduce lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) so as to alleviate clinical symptoms. There are a variety of treatment methods for achalasia, such as pharmacotherapy, intrasphincteric botulinum toxin injection, endoscopic pneumatic dilatation and surgical intervention. At present, most scholars prefer laparoscopic or thorascopic surgery to achieve satisfactory long-term results including alleviated symptoms and prevention of acid reflux. However, great controversy still exists among scholars regarding the choice of conservative therapy or surgery, transthoracic or transabdominal surgery, optimal distal extent of myotomy, the need and choice of additional antireflux procedures. In this review, we focus on current therapy and progress of achalasia.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitor combined with chemotherapy in the preoperative neoadjuvant treatment of stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsThe clinical data of 68 patients with stage Ⅲ NSCLC who underwent preoperative neoadjuvant treatment in our hospital from June 2019 to October 2020 were analyzed and divided into two groups according to a random number table. There were 34 patients in the control group including 19 males and 15 females with an average age of 59.41±4.77 years. In the observation group, there were 34 patients including 21 males and 13 females with an average age of 61.15±6.24 years. The patients in the control group were treated with albumin-bound paclitaxel and cisplatin for injection, and the patients in the observation group were treated with carrelizumab on the basis of the control group, and both groups received 2 cycles of preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. We compared the clinical efficacy of imaging, T lymphocyte subsets, drug side effects, surgical resection rate, major pathological remission (MPR), complete pathological remission (pCR) and postoperative complications of the two groups of patients, and analyzed the influencing factors for MPR.ResultsThe objective response rate (ORR) of imaging in the observation group (70.6%) was higher than that in the control group (38.2%, P<0.05). The positive rate of CD3+ cells, the positive rate of CD4+ cells, the positive rate of CD8+ cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells in the observation group after treatment were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The drug toxicity of the observation group was higher than that of the control group in the reactive cutaneouscapillary endothelial proliferation (RCCEP)/rash, abnormal thyroid function, and abnormal myocardial enzymes (P<0.05). The MPR (66.7%) and pCR (51.9%) of the surgical observation group were higher than those of the surgical control group (MPR: 19.2%, pCR: 7.7%, P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in surgical resection rate and postoperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that ECOG score, pathological type, neoadjuvant treatment plan and surgical resection were related to MPR (P<0.05). The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score and neoadjuvant treatment plan were independent risk factors for MPR (P<0.05).ConclusionThe clinical efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy in the preoperative neoadjuvant treatment of stage Ⅲ NSCLC patients is definite, and it can significantly improve the patients' MPR, pCR and cellular immune function, but the side effects caused by immunotherapy drugs need to be concerned.
The coronary artery disease is a frequent severe disease of cardiovascular system in recent years. Meanwhile, lung cancer, with its high morbidity and mortality, is the most frequent malignant tumor of respiratory system in the world. Clinical studies have shown that the incidence of coronary artery disease and lung cancer is high throughout the year, and comorbidities are becoming more common, especially in elderly patients. The incidence of lung cancer and coronary heart disease may be related. This article summarizes the common risk factors (smoking and environmental pollution, fibrinogen, estrogen, and age), and treatment (surgical treatment, neoadjuvant therapy, and targeted therapy) progress of the two diseases, providing a theoretical basis for clinical prevention and treatment.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of perioperative nebulization of ipratropium bromide on preoperative pulmonary function and incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications as well as safety in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who underwent lung resection in thoracic surgery. MethodsDuring November 18, 2013 to August 12, 2015, 192 COPD patients with a necessity of selective surgical procedures of lobectomy or right bilobectomy or segmentectomy under general anaesthesia in 10 centers were 1 : 1 randomized to an ipratropium bromide group (96 patients) and a placebo group (96 patients), to compare the effect on preoperative pulmonary function and incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. The average age of treated patients was 62.90±6.50 years, with 168 male patients and 22 female patients. Results The demographic and baseline characteristics were well-balanced between the two groups. The adjusted mean increase of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in the ipratropium bromide group was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (169.90±29.07 mL vs. 15.00±29.35 mL, P<0.05). The perioperative use of ipratropium bromide significantly decreased incidence of postoperative pneumonia (2.6% vs. 14.1%, P<0.05). There was no ipratropium bromide related adverse event (AE) observed in this trial. ConclusionThis trial indicates that perioperative nebulization of ipratropium bromide significantly improves preoperative lung function and reduces postoperative pneumonia in COPD patients undergoing lung resection in thoracic surgery, and has good safety profile.
ObjectiveTo compare the 5-year survival rates between two different follow-up patterns of postoperative stage Ⅰ-ⅢA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.MethodsPathological stage Ⅰ-ⅢA NSCLC 11 958 patients who underwent surgical resection and received follow-up within 6 months after initial diagnosis through telephone follow-up system were included in nine hospitals from July 2014 to July 2020. The patients were divided into two groups including a proactive follow-up group (n=3 825) and a passive follow-up group (n=8133) according to the way of following-up. There were 6 939 males and 5 019 females aged 59.8±9.5 years. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used.ResultsThe median follow-up frequency was 8.0 times in the proactive follow-up group and 7.0 times in the passive follow-up group. The median call duration was 3.77 minutes in the proactive follow-up group and 3.58 minutes in the passive follow-up group. The 5-year survival rate was 81.8% and 74.2% (HR=0.60, 95CI 0.53-0.67, P<0.001) in the proactive follow-up group and the passive follow-up group, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that follow-up pattern, age, gender and operation mode were independent prognostic factors, and the results were consistent in all subgroups stratified by clinical stages.ConclusionThe proactive follow-up leads to better overall survival for resected stage Ⅰ-ⅢA NSCLC patients, especially in the stage ⅢA.