Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines for Stage IV NSCLC With EGFR Mutations

Patients with NSCLC in East Asia, including Japan, frequently contain EGFR mutations. In 2018, we published the latest full clinical practice guidelines on the basis of those provided by the Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines Committee. The purpose of this study was to update those recommendations, especially for the treatment of metastatic or recurrent EGFR-mutated NSCLC. We conducted a literature search of systematic reviews of randomized controlled and nonrandomized trials published between 2018 and 2019 that multiple physicians had reviewed independently. On the basis of those studies and the advice from the Japanese Society of Lung Cancer Expert Panel, we developed updated guidelines according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. We also evaluated the benefits of overall and progression-free survival, end points, toxicities, and patients’ reported outcomes. For patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating mutations, the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs), especially osimertinib, had the best recommendation as to first-line treatment. We also recommended the combination of EGFR TKI with other agents (platinum-based chemotherapy or antiangiogenic agents); however, it can lead to toxicity. In the presence of EGFR uncommon mutations, except for an exon 20 insertion, we also recommended the EGFR TKI treatment. However, we could not provide recommendations for the treatment of EGFR mutations with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including monotherapy, and its combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy, because of the limited evidence present in the literature. The 2020 Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines can help community-based physicians to determine the most appropriate treatments and adequately provide medical care to their patients

CD140b and CD73 are markers for human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived erythropoietin‐producing cells

Renal anemia in chronic kidney disease is treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). However, some patients with anemia do not respond well to rhEPO, emphasizing the need for a more biocompatible EPO. Differentiation protocols for hepatic lineages have been modified to enable production from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived EPO‐producing cells (EPO cells). However, markers for hiPSC‐EPO cells are lacking, making it difficult to purify hiPSC‐EPO cells and therefore to optimize EPO production and cell counts for transplantation. To address these issues, we investigated whether CD140b and CD73 could be used as markers for hiPSC‐EPO cells. We measured the expression of EPO, CD140b, and CD73 in hiPSC‐EPO cells and the EPO concentration in the cell supernatant by immunohistochemistry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays on culture day 13, revealing that expression levels of CD140b and CD73 are correlated with the level of EPO. In addition, rates of CD140b+ CD73+ cells were observed to be correlated with the concentration of EPO. Thus, our results suggest that CD140b and CD73 may be markers for hiPSC‐EPO cells

Progress of oral care and reduction of oral mucositis-a pilot study in a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ward

Oral mucositis is a common symptomatic complication associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). We use simple strategies aimed to reduce oral mucositis by keeping the oral cavity clean and moist. Here, we report on the progress of oral care and the changes in the degree of oral mucositis. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the effects of our strategies on the prevalence and the severity of oral mucositis. Fifty-three consecutive patients from 2003 to 2006 administered with conventional allogeneic HCT were enrolled in this study. The degree of oral mucositis was evaluated daily in all patients. Our oral care program was divided into two periods: "examination and trial period (2003 and 2004)" and "intensive oral care period (2005 and 2006)." In the latter, an oral care regimen was carried out systematically by a multidisciplinary team. Using our oral care strategies, the prevalence of ulcerative oral mucositis was decreased significantly. The rate was reduced from 76% (10 of 13) of patients with ulcerative oral mucositis in 2003 to only 20% (3 of 15) in 2006. Our pilot study suggests that oral mucositis in HCT patients can be alleviated by simple strategies aimed at keeping the oral cavity clean and moist

Oral mucositis in patients receiving reduced-intensity regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: comparison with conventional regimen

Severe oral mucositis induced by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is associated with intolerable pain and risk of systemic bacteremia infection. Differences between conventional HCT and reduced-intensity regimens for allogeneic HCT (RIST) may influence the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis. Here, we evaluated oral mucositis in patients undergoing RIST and compared the results with those in conventional allogeneic HCT patients to facilitate predictive measures for mucositis. A total of 127 consecutive patients undergoing HCT (conventional, 63; RIST, 64) were included in this study. Severity of oral mucositis during HCT period was evaluated daily. Differences in severity of mucositis among HCT types were analyzed. Use of morphine to control pain due to oral mucositis was evaluated in each HCT method. The severity of oral mucositis was reduced in patients undergoing RIST. Worsening of oral mucositis was delayed in patients receiving RIST. Use of morphine to control pain due to oral mucositis was significantly decreased in patients undergoing RIST compared with those receiving conventional allogeneic HCT. The severity of oral mucositis was reduced and the peak day of oral mucositis was delayed in RIST patients compared with those receiving conventional HCT

Ancient DNA Reveals Genetic Lineage of Sus scrofa among Archaeological Sites in Japan

We analyzed 201 Sus bones excavated from one Jomon and nine Yayoi sites in the southwestern Japanese Islands to determine their genetic relatedness using three fragments of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Three fragments A (194-bp), B (212-bp) and C (166-bp) were independently amplified from 38, 22 and 28 Sus bone specimens, respectively. All three fragments were successfully sequenced from ten specimens to construct 574-bp sequences that were combined with 57 modern Sus scrofa sequences including wild boars and domestic pigs to make a phylogenetic tree. Four of 10 specimens excavated from three sites located in the western part of Japan, were closely related to modern East Asian domestic pigs. The other six specimens from three sites were closely related to modern Japanese wild boars. However, parsimonious networks constructed for each fragment showed the difficulty of clearly distinguishing between Japanese wild boars and East Asian domestic pigs. These results reveal the possibility that even if Sus bones found at Yayoi sites are identified as East Asian domestic pigs, they were brought as exchanges or foods from Continental Asia to Japan through trade, but no evidence showing Sus breeding

A questionnaire survey of pharmacists regarding the clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factors

Abstract Background Clinical practice guidelines should be user-friendly and confirming their penetration rate and compliance are critical. Methods We conducted a nationwide web-based questionnaire survey among pharmacists regarding the 2013 guidelines for the appropriate use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs) (version 2, published by the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology [JSCO]) between August 24 and September 6, 2015. Results A total of 301 pharmacists responded; 96.0% belonged to hospitals and were board-certified pharmacists in oncology pharmacy (n = 133) and palliative pharmacy (n = 78). In addition, 61.5% of respondents (n = 185) worked for designated cancer care hospitals. The observation that 75.7% of respondents knew that the JSCO guidelines are available on the internet indicated that several pharmacists used this guideline. A high degree of usability by pharmacists was also demonstrated, as 98.0% and 51.5% of respondents, respectively, agreed with the statements “it is useful for the work of pharmacists” and “it is referred to in the actual work of pharmacists”. However, more than half of the respondents (58.4%) agreed with the phrase “there are differences from the actual work of pharmacists”. Conclusions Their responses indicated that the respondents used the G-CSF guidelines and viewed them positively; however, the observation that about half of the respondents reported feeling that the guidelines do not match their current practice requires additional follow-up in future studies. The use of these guidelines should be routinely assessed in order to introduce novel cancer chemotherapy regimens and long-acting G-CSF in clinical practice