Application of Evidence-Based Nursing Intervention in the Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung by Erlotinib Combined with Tegafur, Gimeracil, and Oteracil Potassium and Its Influence on Quality of Life

Objective. To explore the application of evidence-based nursing intervention in the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung by erlotinib combined with tegafur, gimeracil, and oteracil potassium (TS-1) and its influence on quality of life (QOL). Methods. Clinical data of 92 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung treated with erlotinib and TS-1 in our hospital (January 2017–January 2021) were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-six patients receiving conventional nursing were set as the control group (CG), and other 46 patients receiving evidence-based nursing intervention additionally were set as the study group (SG). The clinical observation indexes of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results. No obvious difference in general data between both groups ( P > 0.05 ). According to EORTC QLQ-C30, compared with the CG, the scores of role function, physical function, social function, cognitive function, and emotional function in the SG were remarkably higher ( P < 0.05 ). After intervention, scores of VAS of patients were obviously lower than those before intervention ( P < 0.05 ), and scores of VAS in the SG after intervention were obviously lower than those in the CG ( P < 0.05 ). After intervention, scores of SAS and SDS were lower than those before intervention, and those of the SG were obviously lower than those of the SG ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with the CG, incidences of adverse reactions such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, erythra, pressure sores, and leukopenia in the SG were obviously lower ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with the CG, “very satisfied” and total satisfaction in the SG were obviously higher ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Application of evidence-based nursing intervention in the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung by erlotinib combined with TS-1 can help patients to relieve pain, improve their psychological state, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, significantly improve the QOL, and also enhance the satisfaction of clinical nursing.

ASCO 2021–Gastroesophageal tumor highlights

SummaryThe oncological community witnessed several practice-changing clinical reports in this years’ annual congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Many immunotherapeutic agents were shown to be beneficial for upper gastrointestinal tumors. For advanced squamous cell carcinoma, immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations revealed by the CheckMate 648 and ESCORT-1st trials have been implemented into the clinical practice. The updates on the CheckMate 649 and CheckMate 577 trials again underlined the significant clinical contribution of nivolumab in advanced and localized gastroesophageal cancer, respectively. However, this effect seems to be dependent to PD-L1 expression. Not only immunotherapy trials, but also targeted therapy studies such as the FIGHT trial investigating the anti-FGFR2b monoclonal antibody bemarituzumab attracted huge interest, not only due to extension of survival in experimental group, but also due to the innovative design of this trial. This review summarizes the highlights regarding gastroesophageal tumors at the ASCO 2021 congress.

Tactics of chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx with index of metastatic regional lymph nodes stage N3

During 1996–2015 years, 53 patients with stage locally-advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx with stage N3 were treated in N. N. Blokhin National Research Center of Oncology. Depending on the treatment method, patients were divided into 2 groups: concurrent (n = 26) and induction (n = 27) chemoradiotherapy. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (option 1) was given using: cisplatin 100 mg/m2 – every 3 weeks, or carboplatin 1.5 AUC weekly, or cisplatin 100 mg/m2 with 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2 every 24 hours, in continuous infusion for 96 hours (PF). Induction chemotherapy (option 2) was performed in 2 modes: TPF (docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil) or PF (cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil). Radiation therapy was performed on a linear accelerator for 2 Gy daily up to SD 68–70 Gy for the primary tumor and 66 Gy for the affected lymph nodes. According to the results of our retrospective study, the 3 year overall and relapse-free survival rate depending on the chemoradiotherapy option was 37 and 32 % (option 1), 62 and 56 % (option 2). A promising option for chemoradiotherapy of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx is induction chemoradiotherapy.