Programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors combined with chemotherapy have become a standard first-line treatment for advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Given the high costs associated with immunotherapy, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of different PD-1 inhibitors in the Chinese healthcare setting is essential for guiding treatment decisions and policy development.

A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted comparing six PD-1 inhibitors-sintilimab, toripalimab, tislelizumab, camrelizumab, serplulimab, and pembrolizumab-combined with chemotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced ESCC. A partitioned survival model was used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) from healthcare system perspective, with a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold set at $36,598.19 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the results.

The ICERs for toripalimab, camrelizumab, pembrolizumab, serplulimab, sintilimab, and tislelizumab were $32,356.79/QALY, $48,410.64/QALY, $312,743.54/QALY, $121,200.84/QALY, $29,663.42/QALY, and $35,304.33/QALY, respectively. Sintilimab, toripalimab, and tislelizumab were below the WTP threshold. Among all regimens, the top three in life years (LYs) gained were toripalimab, serplulimab, and tislelizumab. Sensitivity analysis showed that utility values and drug prices were key factors influencing ICERs. Probabilistic analysis indicated that toripalimab, sintilimab, and tislelizumab had the highest probabilities of being cost-effective, at 83.1%, 81.4%, and 70.0%, respectively.

Sintilimab, toripalimab, and tislelizumab are the most cost-effective PD-1 inhibitors when combined with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of advanced ESCC in China, with ICERs below the WTP threshold. While all six PD-1 inhibitors demonstrated clinical benefits, pembrolizumab and serplulimab were less favourable from a cost-effectiveness standpoint. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that drug prices and utility values are significant determinants of cost-effectiveness.

Gut microbes play a crucial role in regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal cancer (CRC). Nevertheless, the deep mechanism between the microbiota-TME interaction has not been well explored. In this study, we for the first time discovered that Lactobacillus intestinalis (L. intestinalis) effectively suppressed tumor growth both in the AOM/DSS-induced CRC model and the ApcMin/+ spontaneous adenoma model. Our investigation revealed that L. intestinalis increased the infiltration of immune cells, particularly dendritic cells (DC), in the TME. Mechanically, the tumor-derived CCL5 induced by L. intestinalis recruited DC chemotaxis through the NOD1/NF-κB signaling pathway. In clinical samples and datasets, we found positive correlation between L. intestinalis, CCL5 level, and the DC-related genes. Our study provided a new strategy for microbial intervention for CRC and deepened the understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and the immune microenvironment modulated by gut microbes.

Breast cancer (BC) is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Currently, the discovery of biomarkers primarily relies on single platform, which might overlook other potential biomarkers and lead to inaccurate diagnoses. This study aims to: (1) expand the detection range of biomarkers through multiple analytical techniques, thereby improving the accuracy of BC diagnosis, and (2) analyze the metabolic pathways of the biomarkers to explore the metabolic mechanisms underlying BC. Urine samples from BC patients and healthy controls were analyzed using two techniques: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with Quadrupole-Exactive-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS), and headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-HRMS). Data from each platform was analyzed independently using both univariate and multivariate statistical approaches to identify candidate biomarkers. Subsequently, a mid-level data fusion approach was applied to integrate the candidate biomarkers identified by each platform. The fused data were used to construct orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models and random forest (RF) models, which were then compared against models based on individual platform. The fused RF and OPLS-DA models demonstrated enhanced diagnostic accuracy compared to the individual model. Integrating GC-HRMS and UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS achieved the best performance, with an AUC value of 0.967, sensitivity of 86.37 %, and specificity of 89.19 %. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that 10 metabolic pathways exert an impact on BC. Four pathways-pyruvate metabolism, sulfur metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism-were found to be associated with BC in both metabolomics and volatolomics studies, indicating that these pathways play pivotal roles in BC. This study confirmed the potential of merging multi-platforms to enhance the accuracy of BC diagnosis, offering new avenues for understanding the metabolic mechanisms of BC.

The diversification of ligands provides more opportunities to adjust the photophysical performance as well as the bio-function of Ru(II) complexes as novel photosensitizers. Herein, a kind of Ru(II) complexes carrying resveratrol derivative, amino-Res, as ligand was designed and synthesized. The representative complex (named Ru4) showed potent anticancer activity under the trigger of 520 nm-light. Lipophilicity and cellular accumulation experiments indicated that Ru4 possessed higher LogPO/W value and cell up-take than Ru1-Ru3 and [Ru(bpy)3]2+. Mechanism study revealed that Ru4 could inhibit cancer cell migration, invasion and cancer stemness. The bio-function of Ru4 was mainly inherited from the amino-Res ligand. The in vivo study demonstrated that Ru4 could inhibit the tumor growth without significant system toxicity.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and has emerged as a major global challenge. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), a liquid biopsy method, overcomes the accessibility limitations of tissue-based testing and is widely used for monitoring minimal residual disease and molecular relapse, predicting prognosis, evaluating the response of neoadjuvant therapy, and optimizing treatment decisions in non-metastatic breast cancer. However, the application of ctDNA still faces many challenges. Here, we survey the clinical applications of ctDNA in non-metastatic breast cancer and discuss the significant biological and technical challenges of utilizing ctDNA. Importantly, we investigate potential avenues for addressing the challenges. In addition, emerging technologies, including fragmentomics detection, methylation sequencing, and long-read sequencing, have clinical potential and could be a future direction. Proper utilization of machine learning facilitates the identification of meaningful patterns from complex fragment and methylation profiles of ctDNA. There is still a lack of clinical trials focused on the subsets of ctDNA (e.g., circulating mitochondrial DNA), ctDNA-inferred drug-resistant clonal evolution, tumor heterogeneity, and ctDNA-guided clinical decision-making in non-metastatic breast cancer. Due to regional differences in the number of registered clinical trials, it is essential to enhance communication and foster global collaboration to advance the field.

Blood macrophage Apo10 and TKTL1 detection is a novel, noninvasive cancer screening approach, but its relevance in breast cancer remains uncertain. We compared the potential diagnostic value of Apo10 and TKTL1 with commonly used tumor markers in differentiating breast cancer patients.

Physical examination and blood sample data from breast cancer patients who did not receive surgery or chemotherapy (retrospective; breast cancer group) and those with benign breast nodules and completely healthy subjects (prospective; control group) were collected from October 2020 to July 2022 at Sun Yat-sen University. Descriptive statistics and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was calculated to compare the diagnostic efficiency of Apo10 and TKTL1 with conventional biomarkers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], cancer antigens [CA-125, CA-199, CA-153]) in differentiating breast cancer from healthy breasts and benign breast nodules.

From October 2020 to July 2022, 153 breast cancer patients (primarily early-stage disease: n = 113 (73.9%) stage I/II) and 153 control participants (benign breast nodules, n = 56; healthy, n = 97) were included in this study. The breast cancer subtypes were mainly invasive ductal carcinoma (92.8%), with a few cases of DCIS (5.9%), infiltrating lobular carcinoma (0.7%), and mucinous carcinoma (0.7%). Notably, Apo10, TKTL1, and Apo10 + TKTL1 (APT) levels were significantly greater in the cancer group than in the control group (P < 0.001), demonstrating high diagnostic value (AUC = 0.901, 0.871, 0.938) that surpassed CA-125, CA-199, CA-153, and CEA. In a subgroup analysis excluding stage III patients, APT-based breast cancer screening was minimally affected, with the AUROC (0.933-0.938) varying by ≤ 1%.

Compared with conventional biomarkers, Apo10, TKTL1, and APT showed superior early-stage breast cancer screening efficacy, potentially emerging as a promising marker for discriminating breast cancer from healthy breasts and nontumoral lesions.

This study aimed to assess the value of a HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay (Aptima® HPV [AHPV]) for primary cervical cancer screening combined with menopausal status.

A total of 16 917 women underwent AHPV testing and had complete histopathological results at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University China between January 1, 2017 and March 31, 2022. We evaluated the performance of different screening strategies and combined strategies, as well as evaluations of different menopausal states.

When identifying LSIL+ (includes low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical cancer [ICC]), the sensitivity (91.2%) and negative predictive value (NPV; 96.6%) were significantly higher for AHPV than for liquid-based cytology assay (LBC; 33.2% and 84.7% for sensitivity and NPV, respectively). Furthermore, the co-testing strategy (cytology combined with AHPV), when compared with AHPV, achieved a slightly higher sensitivity (93.6% vs. 91.2%, respectively, P < 0.001), a similar specificity (61.3% vs. 62.7%, respectively, P = 0.014), a similar positive predictive value (PPV; 37.5% vs. 37.8%, respectively, P = 0.709) and a similar NPV (97.5% vs. 96.6%, respectively, P = 0.001). Moreover, AHPV (when compared with menopausal women) achieved a higher sensitivity (93.5% vs. 77.7%, respectively, P < 0.001), a higher NPV (97.3% vs. 93.9%, respectively, P < 0.001), a similar PPV (37.8% vs. 37.0%, respectively, P = 0.618) and a slightly lower specificity (60.7% vs. 72.1%, respectively, P < 0.001) in premenopausal women. These results were similar when identifying HSIL+ (includes high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and ICC).

The present study suggests that initial screening with HPV E6/E7 mRNA testing rather than combined screening is a suitable candidate for cervical cancer screening in China (especially for premenopausal women) based on economic reasons.

Recent trials have highlighted the cardiotoxicity of ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, particularly its association with QT prolongation. However, studies on the link between CDK4/6 inhibitors and cardiotoxic events show inconsistent results, and the factors influencing these events and related drug interactions remain underexplored. To address these uncertainties, our study utilizes the FDA adverse event reporting system database (Q1 2015 to Q1 2024) to examine the cardiotoxic events of CDK4/6 inhibitors in breast cancer patients. We employed a comprehensive analytical framework, applying disproportionality methods including Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, proportional reporting ratio, and reporting odds ratio. Our findings highlight significant variability in cardiotoxic events among different CDK4/6 inhibitors, with ribociclib (IC: 0.26, 95%CI: 0.18-0.34) exhibiting pronounced cardiotoxicity. Notably, ribociclib was associated with serious cardiotoxic events such as torsade de pointes/QT prolongation (IC: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.90-2.29) and conduction defects (IC: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.87-2.23). For the first time, palbociclib has been identified with positive signals for cardiotoxic events at the preferred terms level, including pulmonary oedema, increased blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and cardiac flutter. Moreover, multivariable logistic regression and Bayesian network analyses reveal that age, geographic location, and the number of concomitant medications significantly influence cardiotoxic events. Our study also highlights significant drug interactions that increase the probability of specific cardiotoxic outcomes, notably with drugs like sertraline, lansoprazole, capecitabine, and torasemide. These findings highlight the need for personalized treatment plans to mitigate cardiotoxic events and improve patient safety.

The cancer burden continues to escalate in China. This study was designed to quantify the burden of deaths attributable to modifiable risk factors for major cancers in China from 2012 to 2035, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for cancer management. Using nationally representative data on risk factors and cancer mortality, a comparative risk assessment approach was employed to calculate the temporal trend of population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for 15 modifiable risk factors associated with major cancers in China. The PAF for modifiable risk factors decreased from 64.5% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 46.2%-75.3%) in 2012 to 59.3% (95% UI: 40.6%-71.2%) in 2035. Attributable deaths increased from 1,309,990 (95% UI: 938,217-1,529,170) in 2012 to 1,313,418 (95% UI: 898,411-1,577,189) in 2035, while attributable disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rose from 28,488,120 (95% UI: 20,471,859-33,308,237) to 33,017,705 (95% UI: 22,730,814-39,564,735). Between 2012 and 2035, the top three risk factors contributing to cancer burden shifted from smoking, insufficient fruit intake and particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) exposure to smoking, physical inactivity, and inadequate fruit intake. Controlling modifiable risk factors at recommended levels by 2020 could have prevented around 890,000 deaths and 2.2 million DALYs by 2035. The proportion of cancer burden due to modifiable risk factors is projected to decrease, but the absolute number continues to rise. Adhering to an optimal lifestyle could prevent ~40% of cancer deaths by 2035. Key modifiable risk factors including smoking, physical inactivity, and insufficient intake of fruits require high attention.

Most studies have evaluated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients based on a set of generic disability weights (DWs). This study aimed to apply local CRC-stage-specific DWs to estimate the burden of DALYs for CRC (CRC-DALYs) in populations in China and consider the influence of local screening coverage of CRC.

A prevalence-based model was constructed using data from various sources. Years lived with disability (YLDs) were estimated mainly via cumulative prevalence data (based on CRC incidence rates, population numbers, and survival rates), stage-specific proportions of CRC, and DWs of the local population. Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated based on the CRC mortality rates and standard life expectancies. CRC incidence and mortality rates for the years 2020, 2025, and 2030 were estimated by joinpoint regression, and the corresponding DALYs were predicted. The main assumption was made for CRC screening coverage. Sensitivity analysis was used to assess the impact of population, DWs, and coverage.

In 2017, among the Chinese population, the estimated number of CRC-DALYs was 4,303,314 (11.8% for YLDs). If CRC screening coverage rate in China (2.3%) remains unchanged, the overall DALYs in 2030 are predicted to increase by 37.2% (45.1% of those aged ≥65 years). More optimistically, the DALYs would then decrease by 0.7% in 2030 (from 5,902,454 to 5,860,200) if the coverage could be increased to 25.0%. A sensitivity analysis revealed that using local DWs would change the base-case values by 5.7%.

The estimated CRC-DALYs in China using population-specific DWs were considerably lower (with a higher percentage of YLDs) than the global burden of disease (GBD) estimates (5,865,004, of 4.6% for YLDs), suggesting the impact extent of applying local parameters. Sustainable scale-up CRC screening needs to be in place to moderate the growth trend of CRC-DALYs in China.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI compared with mFOLFOX6/FOLFIRI in first-line and second-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) from the perspectives of the USA and China, respectively, and provide a decision-making basis for clinical selection of these two regimens.

The study used a decision-analytic Markov model to simulate the process of mCRC, including three distinct health states: progression-free survival, progressive disease and death. Clinical data were derived from the TRIBE2 trial.Costs and utilities were obtained from local public databases and literature. One-way sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were also performed to explore the parameters' uncertainty in this study.

The main included patients were histologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma.

First-line and second-line treatment with either FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI or mFOLFOX6/FOLFIRI.

Costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated over a lifetime horizon as primary outcomes.

Patients treated with the FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI regimen produced 0.08 QALYs in the USA while 0.04 QALYs in China compared with the mFOLFOX6/FOLFIRI regimen. The final ICERs for FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI were US$5127.70 per QALY and US$30 478.33 per QALY in the USA and China, which are below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds. In the USA, when the WTP was US$100 000 for each QALY gained, the probability was nearly 99.6% that the FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI treatment was cost-effective. In China, when the WTP was US$36 053.01 (3 × GDP) for each QALY gained, the probability was nearly 54.7% that FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI treatment was cost-effective.

Patients with mCRC treated with FOLFOXIRI/FOLFOXIRI as first-line and second-line chemotherapy may improve health outcomes and expend financial resources more efficiently than mFOLFOX6/FOLFIRI whether in China or the USA, which benefits not only individual survival but also the health care system from a value perspective.

Proteins play a central role in regulating biological functions, and various pathways regulate their synthesis and secretion. Endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) is crucial for monitoring protein synthesis and processing unfolded or misfolded proteins in actively growing tumor cells. However, the role of the multiple ERAD complexes in liver cancer remains unclear.

To elucidate the effects of SEL1L-mediated ERAD on Huh7 and explore the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.

Huh7 cells were treated with ERAD inhibitor to identify ERAD's role. Cell counting kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine and colony formation experiments were performed. Apoptosis level and migration ability were assessed using fluorescence activated cell sorting and Transwell assay, respectively. Huh7 SEL1L knockout cell line was established via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were assessed through previous experiments. The role of SEL1L in vivo and the downstream target of SEL1L were identified using Xenograft and mass spectrometry, respectively.

The ERAD inhibitor suppressed cell proliferation and migration and promoted apoptosis. SEL1L-HRD1 significantly influenced Huh7 cell growth. SEL1L knockout suppressed tumor cell proliferation and migration and enhanced apoptosis. Mass spectrometry revealed EXT2 is a primary substrate of ERAD. SEL1L knockout significantly increased the protein expression of EXT2. Furthermore, EXT2 knockdown partially restored the effect of SEL1L knockout.

ERAD inhibition suppressed the proliferation and migration of Huh7 and promoted its apoptosis. EXT2 plays an important role and ERAD might be a potential treatment for Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma.

Cervical cancer is preceded by low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Human papillomavirus (HPV) test is a sensitive method for cervical cancer screening, but it is less specific compared with cytological examination, leading to overtreatment and reduced patient compliance. Therefore, new detection methods that can improve the accuracy of cervical cancer screening are needed.

In the present study, cervical exfoliated cell samples were collected from 228 Chinese individuals, including 114 healthy control individuals, 46 patients with LSIL, 21 patients with HSIL and 47 patients with cervical cancer. The DNA methylation levels of 12 cervical cancer-related genes were detected using quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR. All individuals were divided into high- or low-risk groups. Patients with HSIL and cervical cancer were assigned to the high-risk group, whereas healthy controls and patients with LSIL were assigned to the low-risk group. The ability to predict cancer risks was evaluated using ROC curves and a predictive model for cancer risk was constructed by linear regression analysis.

The methylation levels were significantly higher for all 12 genes in individuals with cervical cancer or HSIL, compared with those in LSIL or normal group. Family with sequence similarity 19 member A4 (FAM19A4), phosphatase and actin regulator 3 (PHACTR3), somatostatin (SST), Zic family member 1 (ZIC1), paired box 1 (PAX1) and zinc finger protein 671 (ZNF671) were used to construct a predictive model for cancer risk prediction, with a specificity of 89.6% and a sensitivity of 95.0%.

The present study demonstrated the methylation levels of 12 cervical cancer-related genes were higher in Chinese patients with HSIL or cervical cancer. Also, a predictive model was constructed to distinguish cervical cancer or HSCL from individuals with low risk.

The progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is driven by a small subset of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), and mitochondrial function is essential for maintaining their stemness. TSP50, a novel identified oncogene, has been found to promote cell proliferation in multiple cancer types. In this study, we detected the regulatory role of TSP50 in regulating CSC-like properties and mitochondrial mass in CRC.

First, TSP50 expression and clinical relevance were analyzed via clinical databases and immunohistochemical (IHC). Subsequently, bioinformatic analyses, CRC cell lines, tumorsphere cultures, and mouse xenograft models were utilized to evaluate the relationship between TSP50 and CSC-like properties as well as mitochondrial mass. Finally, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, and Western blotting were performed to dissect the regulatory mechanisms of TSP50, followed by rescue experiments conducted both in vitro and in vivo.

TSP50 was overexpressed in CRC tissues, correlating with poor drug response and shorter overall survival (OS). Meanwhile, TSP50 was shown to enhance CSC-like properties in both CRC cells and mouse xenograft models, while concurrently increasing mitochondrial mass and reducing ROS levels, these effects were partially reversed by inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Mechanistic investigations revealed that TSP50-induced activation of PI3K/AKT signaling is primarily mediated by the enhanced catalytic activity of PI3K p110α subunit.

Collectively, TSP50 drives CRC malignancy by promoting CSC-like properties and enhancing mitochondrial function through PI3K/AKT signaling. These findings identify TSP50 as a potential therapeutic target for eliminating CSC-like cells and improving clinical outcomes in CRC treatment.

This study estimated overall survival (OS) among gastric cancer patients stratified by age and rural-urban residence after radical gastrectomy. Patients (n = 286) undergoing curative gastrectomy were categorized into four groups based on age (older ≥ 60 years or younger < 60 years) and residence (rural or urban), including rural older (G1), urban older (G2), rural younger (G3) and urban younger (G4) groups. G1 presented with significantly more males, upper stomach cancers and total gastrectomies, while less patients receiving ≥ 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year OS rates were 39.9% for G1, 61.1% for G2, 73.1% for G3, and 71.2% for G4, with a median OS of 47 months in G1 and not reached for other groups. OS was significantly worse in G1 than other groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression identified age, type of gastrectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy, perineural invasion, pT category and pN category as independent prognostic factors. After propensity score matching, rural older patients continued to show significantly inferior OS compared to urban older (hazard ratio = 2.269 [1.274-4.042], P = 0.005) and rural younger (hazard ratio = 2.103 [1.116-3.961], P = 0.021) patients. Rural older patients suffered poorer OS after radical gastrectomy, highlighting the need for special attention and comprehensive treatment strategies.

Chemotherapeutic drug resistance remains a major barrier to effective cancer treatment. Drug resistance could be driven in part by adaptive redox remodeling of cancer cells. Paradoxically, drug-resistant malignancies exhibit elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as amplified antioxidant defenses, which enable cancer cell survival under therapeutic stress. Central to this adaptation is glutathione (GSH), the predominant cellular antioxidant, whose synthesis relies on sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) - methionine and cysteine. This review delineates the metabolic interplay between methionine and cysteine in the transsulfuration pathway, highlighting their roles as precursors in GSH biosynthesis. We systematically summarize the key enzymes that drive GSH production and their contributions to resistance against platinum-based drugs and other chemotherapeutics. In addition to GSH synthesis, we summarize the roles of GSH antioxidant systems, including glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), peroxiredoxins (PRDXs), and thioredoxins (TRXs), which are critical in chemotherapeutic drug resistance through ROS scavenging. Recent advances reveal that targeting these enzymes, by pharmacologically inhibiting transsulfuration enzymes or disrupting GSH-dependent antioxidant cascades, can sensitize resistant cancer cells to ROS-mediated therapies. These findings not only clarify the mechanistic links between SAA metabolism and redox adaptation but also provide practical approaches to overcome chemotherapeutic drug resistance. By analyzing metabolic and redox vulnerabilities, this review highlights the therapeutic potential to restore chemosensitivity, offering new options in precision oncology medicine.

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of cellular microstructural mapping by the diffusion MRI (IMPULSED, imaging microstructural parameters using limited spectrally edited diffusion) of breast tumors, and further to evaluate whether the MRI-derived microstructural features is associated with the prognostic factors in breast cancer.

This prospective study collected 232 patients with suspected breast tumors from March to August 2023. The IMPULSED MRI scan included acquisitions of diffusion MRI using both pulsed (PGSE) and oscillating (OGSE) gradient spin echo with the oscillating frequencies up to 33 Hz. The OGSE and PGSE data were fitted by the IMPUSLED method using a two-compartment model to estimate mean cell diameter (d mean), intracellular fraction (fin ), extracellular diffusivity (D ex), and cellularity index (f in/d) within breast tumor lesions. The apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated from the conventional diffusion weighted imaging, PGSE, and OGSE (17 Hz and 33 Hz) sequences (ADCDWI, ADCPGSE, ADC17Hz, and ADC33Hz). The independent samples test was used to compare the d mean, fin , Dex , cellularity index, and ADC values between benign and malignant breast tumors, and between breast cancer subgroups with different risk factors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to access the diagnostic performance.

213 patients were finally included and divided into malignant (n=130) and benign (n=83) groups according to the histopathological results. The d mean (15.74 ± 2.68 vs. 14.28 ± 4.65 μm, p<0.001), f in (0.346 ± 0.125 vs. 0.279 ± 0.212, p<0.001) and cellularity index (21.19 ± 39.54 vs. 19.38 ± 14.87 ×10-3 um-1, p<0.005) values of malignant lesions were significantly higher than those of benign lesions, and the D ex (2.119 ± 0.395 vs. 2.378 ± 0.332 um2/ms, p<0.001) and ADCDWI (0.877 ± 0.148 vs. 1.453 ± 0.356 um2/ms, p<0.001) of malignant lesions were significantly lower than those of benign lesions. For differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions, ADCDWI showed the highest AUC of 0.951 with the sensitivity of 80.49% and specificity of 98.28%. The combination of d mean, f in, D ex, and cellularity for differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions showed AUC of 0.787 (sensitivity = 70.73%, and specificity = 77.86%), and the combination of IMPULSED-derived parameters with ADCs by PGSE and OGSE further improve the AUC to 0.897 (sensitivity = 81.93%, and specificity = 81.54%). The f in values of HER-2(+) tumors were significantly lower than those of HER-2(-) tumors (0.313 ± 0.100 vs. 0.371 ± 0.137, p=0.015), and the ADCDWI, ADC17Hz and ADC33Hz values of HER-2(+) tumors were significantly higher than those of HER-2(-) tumors (ADCDWI: 0.929 ± 0.115 vs. 0.855 ± 0.197 um2/ms, p=0.023; ADC17Hz: 1.373 ± 0.306 vs. 1.242 ± 0.301 um2/s, p =0.025; ADC33Hz: 2.042 ± 0.545 vs. 1.811 ± 0.392 um2/s, p = 0.008). The f in (0.377 ± 0.136 vs. 0.300 ± 0.917, p=0.001) and cellularity index (27.22 ± 12.02 vs. 21.66 ± 7.76 ×10-3 um-1, p=0.007) values of PR(+) tumors were significantly higher than those of PR(-) tumor. The ADC17Hz values of PR(+) tumors were significantly lower than those of PR(-) tumors(1.227 ± 0.299 vs. 1.404 ± 0.294 um2/s, p =0.002).The ADC17Hz and D ex values of ER(+) tumors were significantly lower than those of ER(-) tumors (ADC17Hz: 1.258 ± 0.313 vs. 1.400 ± 0.273 um2/s, p = 0.029; D ex: 2.070 ± 0.405 vs. 2.281 ± 0.331 um2/ms, p=0.011). For differentiation between ER(+) and ER(-), the ADC17Hz and D ex showed AUCs of 0.643 (sensitivity = 76.67%, and specificity = 47.06%) and 0.646 (sensitivity = 80.0%, and specificity = 45.98%), and the combination of D ex and ADC17Hz showed AUCs of 0.663 (sensitivity =93.33%, specificity = 36.78%). For differentiation of PR(+) and PR(-), the ADC17Hz, f in, and cellularity index showed AUCs of 0.666 (sensitivity = 68.18%, and specificity = 61.97%), 0.697 (sensitivity = 77.27%, and specificity = 60.27%) and 0.661 (sensitivity = 68.18%, and specificity = 61.64%), respectively, and their combination showed AUCs of 0.729 (sensitivity =72.73%, specificity = 65.75%). For differentiation of HER-2(+) and HER-2(-), the ADCDWI, ADC17Hz, and ADC33Hz, and f in showed AUCs of 0.625 (sensitivity = 59.42%, specificity = 63.04%), 0.632 (sensitivity = 43.66%, and specificity = 84.78%), 0.664 (sensitivity = 47.95%, and specificity = 82.67%) and 0.650 (sensitivity = 77.46%, and specificity = 56.52%), respectively, and their combination showed AUCs of 0.693 (sensitivity = 69.57%, specificity = 64.79%) of HER-2(+) and HER-2(-).

The IMPULSED method demonstrates promise for characterizing cellular microstructural features in breast tumors, which may be helpful for prognostic risk evaluation in breast cancer.

T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domains (TIGIT) is a novel immune checkpoint playing a crucial role in immunosuppression and immune evasion. This study aims to elucidate the expression patterns, characteristics, and possible mechanisms of TIGIT in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

TIGIT expression was analyzed across various cancers and normal tissues using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Transcriptomic data from SCLC patients, sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and literature, were analyzed to assess TIGIT-related characteristics. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to verify TIGIT expression in post-surgical and advanced SCLC samples, focusing on expression characteristics, prognostic value, and treatment response.

TIGIT was significantly overexpressed in various tumors, including SCLC (p < 0.05). Higher expression was associated with better overall survival (OS) (p < 0.05). Notably, a significant positive correlation was observed between TIGIT expression and immune-related metagenes, such as HCK, interferon, and LCK (p < 0.05). Immune infiltration analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between TIGIT expression and immune score in multiple cohorts. Additionally, TIGIT expression correlated positively with immune cells, including CD8 T cells, cytotoxic lymphocytes, and B cells (p < 0.05), and multiple immune checkpoints like BTLA, ICOS, and LAG3 (p < 0.05), while it had a significant negative correlation with the TIDE score (p < 0.05). In the validation section, patients with high TIGIT expression showed significantly prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) and OS (p < 0.05), and demonstrated a better response to adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) and immunotherapy.

TIGIT serves as a biomarker in SCLC, with its high expression indicating favorable prognosis and treatment response. These effects may be due to TIGIT's unique immune landscape and its association with other immune checkpoints.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy in southern China, and often underdiagnosed due to reliance on physician expertise. Artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency using large datasets and advanced algorithms.

Nasal endoscopy videos with white light imaging (WLI) and narrow-band imaging (NBI) modes from 707 patients treated at one center in China from June 2020 to December 2022 were prospectively collected. A total of 8816 frames were obtained through standardized data procedures. Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis Segmentation Network Framework (NPC-SDNet) was developed and internally tested based on these frames. Two hundred frames were randomly selected to compare the diagnostic performance between NPC-SDNet and rhinologists. Two external testing sets with 2818 images from other hospitals validated the robustness and generalizability of the model. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04547673).

The diagnostic accuracy, precision, recall, and specificity of NPC-SDNet using WLI were 95.0% (95% CI: 94.1%-96.2%), 93.5% (95% CI: 90.2%-95.2%), 97.2% (95% CI: 96.2%-98.3%), and 93.5% (95% CI: 91.7%-94.0%), respectively, and using NBI were 95.8% (95% CI: 94.0%-96,8%), 93.1% (95% CI: 91.0%-95.6%), 96.0% (95% CI: 95.7%-96.8%), and 97.2% (95% CI: 97.1%-97.4%), respectively. Segmentation performance was also robust, with mean Intersection over Union scores of 83.4% (95% CI: 81.8%-85.6%; NBI) and 83.7% (95% CI: 85.1%-90.1%; WLI). In head-to-head comparisons with rhinologists, NPC-SDNet achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 94.0% (95% CI: 91.5%-95.8%) and processed 1000 frames per minute, outperforming clinicians (68.9%-88.2%) across different expertise levels. External validation further supported the reliability of NPC-SDNet, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.998 and 0.977 in NBI images, 0.977 and 0.970 in WLI images.

NPC-SDNet demonstrates excellent real-time diagnostic and segmentation accuracy, offering a promising tool for enhancing the precision of NPC diagnosis.

This work was supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFC1316903), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants (81900918, 82020108009), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2022A1515010002), Key-Area Research and Development of Guangdong Province (2023B1111040004, 2020B1111190001), and Key Clinical Technique of Guangzhou (2023P-ZD06).

Urinary incontinence is a common complication following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Urethral length has been identified as a factor affecting postoperative continence recovery. In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between use of the maximal urethral length preservation (MULP) technique and postoperative urinary continence in patients undergoing RARP. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to December 31, 2023. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to synthesize data and calculate the odds ratio (OR) from eligible studies on continence and MULP. Six studies involving 1869 patients met the eligibility criteria. MULP was positively associated with both early continence (1 month after RARP; Z = 3.62, P = 0.003, OR = 3.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-5.73) and late continence (12 months after RARP; Z = 2.34, P = 0.019, OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.13-3.90). Oncological outcomes indicated that MULP did not increase the overall positive surgical margin rate or the positive surgical margin status at the prostate apex (both P > 0.05). In conclusion, the use of the MULP technique in RARP significantly improved both early and late postoperative continence outcomes without compromising oncological outcomes.

The most common oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, which are more common in Asian (30-50%) than in Caucasian (10-15%) populations. Exon 19 deletion (ex19del) and exon 21 L858R (ex21 L858R) mutations account for ~45 and 40% of all EGFR mutations, respectively. Moreover, EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may be more effective and improve the quality of life of patients with NSCLC more than chemotherapy regimens. By contrast, patients with the ex21 L858R mutation may have a lower sensitivity and duration of response to EGFR-TKIs as well as a shorter survival compared with those with the ex19del mutation. However, current guidelines classify ex21 L858R and ex19del as the same condition and recommend the same treatment strategy for both. Aiming for precision medicine, the present review introduces and compares different EGFR-TKIs for the ex21 L858R mutation to assess more personalized treatment options for the population with this mutation.

Gallbladder cancer has historically been characterized with a poor prognosis. This study aims to describe the global patterns and temporal trends in gallbladder cancer survival using data from cancer registries.

We conducted a systematic review by searching six databases-PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, SEER, CNKI, and Wanfang-for using of registry-based data published before January 1, 2024. Survival data were carefully extracted and analyzed from the final set of included studies.

Among the 55 studies included, more than 320,000 people, suggest that survival improvements for gallbladder cancer have stagnated over the past three decades. No significant improvements in 5-year relative survival rates were observed worldwide. After age standardization, the highest 5-year relative survival rate is 30.6 % (Changzhou, China, 2011-2013 and Korea, 2013-2019), while the lowest is 6.0 % (Austria, 1990). The 5-year relative survival rate for gallbladder cancer was generally higher in Asian populations than in other regions. Survival rates were more favorable in younger individuals, with no differences in survival observed between the sexes.

Over the past 30 years, the prognosis of patients with gallbladder cancer has not improved significantly worldwide. There is an urgent need for new treatments for gallbladder cancer as well as simple and effective screening methods to improve the survival rate of gallbladder cancer.

For family caregivers, lung cancer surgery is an episodic and stressful event. Some family caregivers frequently lack the necessary skills for their roles, and they may experience psychological distress, which reduce their own quality of life whilst affecting the health outcomes of patients. However, research on perioperative support programs that focus on caregivers of patients with early-stage lung cancer is limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a perioperative support program for family caregivers of patients with early-stage lung cancer.

A single-blinded, parallel-group, pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted. Seventy family caregivers of patients with stage I or II lung cancer were recruited from March to May 2022 in the thoracic surgery department of a university-affiliated hospital in Changsha, China. The participants were randomised into the intervention group (n = 35) or control group (n = 35). The intervention consisted of four face-to-face intervention sessions during the hospital stay and two weekly telephone follow-up sessions after discharge, which aimed to improve caregivers' perioperative care knowledge and coping skills to reduce psychological distress and caregiver burden and to improve their quality of life. Feasibility was assessed by the rates of recruitment, attrition, time spent on completing the questionnaire and the duration of each session. Acceptability was evaluated using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Preliminary intervention effects were evaluated on primary (psychological distress) and secondary (caregiver burden, quality of life, coping style and social support) outcomes.

The feasibility of the program was established at a high recruitment rate of 89.7% and a low attrition rate of 10.0%. The participants were highly satisfied with the program. Although the psychological distress was reduced in the intervention group, the results were not statistically significant (P = 0.106, Cohen's d = - 0.28). No significant differences in caregiver burden, active coping, negative coping, social support and quality of life (P > 0.05 for all) were found between the two groups at 4 weeks after the intervention.

The perioperative support program may be feasible and acceptable for family caregivers of patients with early-stage lung cancer. The program provides caregivers with coping and communication skill training and psychoeducational strategies to help them face the perioperative challenges of caring for patients with early-stage lung cancer. Based on the promising results of this pilot study, we have conducted a large-scale randomised controlled trial to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.

This study was retrospectively registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Registration Date: February 25, 2022.

ChiCTR2200056965.

The prevalence and mortality rates of gastric carcinoma are disproportionately elevated in China, with the disease's intricate and varied characteristics further amplifying its health impact. Precise forecasting of overall survival (OS) is of paramount importance for the clinical management of individuals afflicted with this malignancy.

To develop and validate a nomogram model that provides precise gastric cancer prevention and treatment guidance and more accurate survival outcome prediction for patients with gastric carcinoma.

Data analysis was conducted on samples collected from hospitalized gastric cancer patients between 2018 and 2020. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors. A nomogram model was developed to predict gastric cancer patient outcomes. The model's predictability and discriminative ability were evaluated via receiver operating characteristic curves. To evaluate the clinical utility of the model, Kaplan-Meier and decision curve analyses were performed.

A total of ten independent prognostic factors were identified, including body mass index, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, albumin, globulin, neutrophil count, lactate dehydrogenase, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio. The area under the curve (AUC) values for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival prediction in the training set were 0.843, 0.850, and 0.821, respectively. The AUC values were 0.864, 0.820, and 0.786 for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival prediction in the validation set, respectively. The model exhibited strong discriminative ability, with both the time AUC and time C-index exceeding 0.75. Compared with TNM staging, the model demonstrated superior clinical utility. Ultimately, a nomogram was developed via a web-based interface.

This study established and validated a novel nomogram model for predicting the OS of gastric cancer patients, which demonstrated strong predictive ability. Based on these findings, this model can aid clinicians in implementing personalized interventions for patients with gastric cancer.

This study evaluated the predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. A total of 283 HCC cases from Hunan Provincial People's Hospital were included in the analysis, with 45 additional patients as external validation. The relationship between these indices and patient prognosis was further evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive performance of these indices for overall survival (OS) and to determine the optimal cutoff values. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for PNI, FAR, and NLR was 0.723, 0.857, and 0.872, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified hepatitis history, intraoperative blood transfusion, FAR, NLR, and PNI as independent prognostic factors (all P<0.05). The resulting prediction model demonstrated strong performance in both the training (C-index =0.917) and external validation (C-index =0.853) cohorts, with AUCs of 0.889 and 0.931 for 6-month and 1-year prediction in the validation set, respectively. These findings suggest that preoperative levels of peripheral blood PNI, FAR, and NLR are closely associated with the surgical prognosis of HCC patients. The prognostic prediction model developed based on these indices exhibits good predictive efficacy.

The lateral cervical lymph node positivity rate has been hypothesized to correlate with the recurrence risk in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. However, the extent of this association within the Chinese population remains understudied. This study seeks to elucidate the potential causal link between the lymph node positivity rate and DTC recurrence.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, examining clinical records of 4,731 DTC patients who received surgical treatment at the First Medical Center of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2015 to May 2020. The study variables encompassed demographic and clinical characteristics, including sex, age, tumor size, location, laterality, capsular invasion, lymph node metastasis counts, lymph node positivity rates, histological subtypes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis co-occurrence, and the timing of iodine-131 therapy post-surgery. After applying strict inclusion criteria, 1,074 patients were selected for analysis. Recurrence was defined as structural incomplete response (SIR), confirmed by imaging or histological means. The lymph node positivity rate was calculated as the proportion of positive lymph nodes to the total lymph node count.

Multivariate analysis revealed a nonlinear association between the lateral cervical lymph node positivity rate and post-treatment recurrence, with a significant threshold at 0.5. The recurrence risk was substantially elevated with a positivity rate below this threshold (HR: 27.48, 95% CI: 7.21-104.70, P<0.0001), while no significant association was observed above it (HR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02-1.57, P=0.119). Subgroup analysis within the high-risk cohort did not yield a significant association between the positivity rate and recurrence risk (HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.10-1.79, P=0.246).

In conclusion, this study identifies a nonlinear relationship between the lateral cervical lymph node positivity rate and the risk of DTC recurrence post-treatment. A positivity rate of less than 0.5 is positively associated with recurrence, while this association diminishes in significance among high-risk patients. This differs from the results previously reported. Further studies are needed to determine the potential mechanisms of the associations observed in observational studies.

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, with an increasing incidence rate, particularly among adolescents. Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), though less common than papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), presents greater diagnostic challenges, especially when differentiating from follicular adenoma (FA). Current diagnostic methods lack specificity, underscoring the need for a simple, cost-effective predictive model for FTC.This study aimed to develop a predictive scoring system based on routine blood biomarkers to distinguish between FTC and FA, facilitating early diagnosis and treatment.

A retrospective, single-center case-control study was conducted on patients diagnosed with FTC and FA at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from 2016 to 2022. Patients' demographic, clinicopathological characteristics, and preoperative blood biomarker data were analyzed. Statistical tests, including chi-square, t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U-tests, were used to compare biomarkers. Significant variables were included in univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, leading to the development of a scoring system. The model's performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

The study included 23 patients with FA and 26 patients with FTC. Seven blood biomarkers showed significant differences between the groups: ALB, DBIL, TBIL, LYM#, MCHC, RDW-SD, and WBC. Multivariate logistic regression identified ALB and WBC as key predictors, forming a scoring model (Score = 0.54 × ALB - 1.10 × WBC). The model exhibited strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.839), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.808 and 0.826, respectively.

The study developed a novel predictive model using routine blood biomarkers, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective tool for differentiating between FTC and FA. The model has significant clinical potential, providing a feasible alternative to conventional diagnostic techniques. Further multicenter studies and mechanistic investigations are warranted to validate and refine the model, enhancing its utility in clinical practice.

Previous studies have confirmed the phenomenon of anoikis resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Nevertheless, the prognostic significance of anoikis-related genes (ARGs) in NPC remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to create a predictive risk score using an ARGs signature for NPC patients and to investigate how this score relates to clinicopathologic features and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.

By using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we employed machine learning methods to discover prognostic ARGs and create a risk score. Key gene expression levels were validated through real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining.

Three differentially expressed ARGs (CDC25C, E2F1 and RBL2) with prognostic value were identified by the intersection of multiple machine learning algorithms. A risk score based on t 3-ARG feature was developed to stratify NPC patients into two distinct risk groups using the optimal model, Random Survival Forest. NPC patients with high-risk scores experienced notably shorter progression-free survival in comparison to those with low-risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk score served as an independent prognostic factor. The time-dependent ROC and decision curve analyses demonstrated the risk model's strong predictive accuracy and clinical utility. The low-risk score group exhibited features indicative of early clinical stage, immune activation, high immune checkpoint gene's expression, and low Epstein-Barr virus gene's expression. Functional analysis revealed enrichment of immune-related pathways in the low-risk group. Patients with high-risk scores were discovered to be unlikely to benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. Moreover, the expression of RBL2, E2F1, and CDC25C were significantly correlated with the expression of caspase family genes. Finally, the lower mRNA and protein expression of RBL2 were validated in NPC cell lines and tissues.

Our ARGs-based signature model shows promising results in predicting the prognosis of NPC patients and might be associated with immune cell infiltration.

This study aimed to analyze the risk factors and survival prognosis of local recurrence in stage II-III colorectal cancer (CRC) and develop a clinical risk calculator and nomograms to predict local recurrence and survival in treated patients.

Patients who underwent radical surgery between January 2009 and December 2019 at the China National Cancer Center were included. Multivariate nomograms and a clinical risk calculator based on Cox regression were developed. Discrimination was measured with an area under curve (AUC) and variability in individual predictions was assessed with calibration curves. We stratified patients into different risk groups according to the established model to predict their prognosis and guide clinical practice.

The clinical risk calculator incorporated six variables: tumor thrombus, perineural invasion, tumor grade, pathology T-stage, pathology N-stage, and whether more than 12 lymph nodes were harvested. Our clinical risk calculator provided good discrimination, with AUC values of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (0.764) and overall survival (OS) (0.815) in the training cohort and LRFS (0.740) and OS (0.730) in the test cohort. Calibration plots illustrated excellent agreement between the clinical risk calculator predictions and actual observations for 3- and 5-year LRFS and OS. Recurrence risk-stratified analysis showed that low-risk patients were more likely to undergo salvage radical surgery when recurrent disease existed.

The clinical calculator can better account for tumor and patient heterogeneity, providing a more individualized outcome prognostication. The model is expected to aid in treatment planning, such as resectability evaluation, and it can be used in postoperative surveillance (https://oldcoloncancer.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/).

To explore the dynamic changes, influencing factors, and relationships between resilience and social function in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and stomas at different postoperative stages, and to inform precise psychosocial rehabilitation interventions.

A longitudinal study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in eastern China from January 2021 to June 2023. Patients completed a self-designed socio-demographic questionnaire one month post-surgery, and the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Social Dysfunction Screening Scale (SDSS) at 1, 3, and 5 months post-surgery. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, Spearman correlation, group-based trajectory modeling, and binary logistic regression.

A total of 131 patients were included in the analysis. Resilience showed an initial increase followed by a decline, while social function consistently improved. A moderate negative correlation between social dysfunction and resilience was observed at all time points. Influencing factors for resilience and social function varied across different postoperative stages. Significant differences in resilience trajectories were observed based on education and family income. Resilience trajectories significantly impacted social function trajectories (OR 19.39, 95 % CI 2.46-152.91, P < 0.05).

This study identifies distinct trajectories of resilience and social function in patients with colorectal cancer and stomas. Low resilience is linked to severe social function deficits. Stage-specific interventions are crucial to enhance social adaptation and improve overall quality of life. Tailored support is needed throughout recovery to address the unique challenges faced by these patients.

The efficacy of a second radioactive iodine-131 (131I) treatment in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) who did not achieve an excellent response (ER) following initial 131I therapy remains controversy and the population that would derive limited benefit from it is currently unclear.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of the second 131I treatment in DTC patients with non-ER after the initial 131I therapy, and to identify potential risk factors associated with non-benefit of the second 131I treatment.

127 DTC patients who underwent two 131I treatments following thyroidectomy were included in this study, and the therapeutic response was evaluated after each 131I treatment. Beneficial treatment was defined as an improvement in therapy response grade (e.g. from indeterminate response to ER) after the second 131I treatment, while unbeneficial treatment was defined as no change or a downgrade in therapy response grade. The potential risk factors associated with the non-benefit of the second 131I treatment were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

Following the second 131I treatment, therapy responses of 55.12% (70/127) of patients were reclassified to a better grade indicating treatment benefit, while 44.88% (57/127) showed no change or were reclassified to a worse grade suggesting no benefit from treatment. The non-benefit of the second 131I treatment was significantly associated with potential risk factors including stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) level ≥ 11.46 ng/mL before the second 131I treatment, primary tumor size > 2 cm, status T2 or higher, N1b status and ATA high risk.

The study results demonstrated that more than half of DTC patients could potentially benefit from a second 131I therapy. However, over 40% of patients exhibited no benefit in response to the second 131I treatment, suggesting potential overtreatment for this subgroup. Therefore, clinicians should exercise meticulous and precise decision-making based on identified risk factors when considering the necessity of a second 131I treatment.

Gastric cancer remains one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of death in China. This study aims to describe the incidence, mortality, survival rates, and their changing trends of gastric cancer in Xiamen, China from 2011 to 2020.

Population-based cancer registry data were used to calculate the incidence, mortality, and survival rates of gastric cancer. The study population consisted of gastric cancer patients diagnosed from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020, and followed up until September 30, 2023. The relative survival of gastric cancer was calculated using period methods. The change in trends was analyzed using Joinpoint regression.

From 2011-2020, a total of 4716 new cases of gastric cancer and 3520 related deaths were reported. The crude incidence rate and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) were 21.82/100,000 and 16.74/100,000. The crude mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) were 16.29/100,000 and 12.30/100,000. The ASIR and ASMR in males (ASIR: 24.71/100,000, ASMR: 18.75/100,000) were both more than those in females (ASIR: 9.6/100,000, ASMR: 6.55/100,000). The observed 5-year survival rate was 25.83 %, with an age standardized survival of 27.60 %. The incidence and mortality of gastric cancer showed a decreasing trend, and the 5-year ARS between 2016 and 2020 (30.03 %, 95 %CI: 28.07-32.12 %) was higher than between 2011 and 2015 ( 24.79 %, 95 %CI: 22.53-27.27 %). Furthermore, the survival rate decreased with increasing age.

From 2011-2020, the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in Xiamen City have shown a decreasing trend, and the survival rate has significantly improved. Despite improved survival, the 5-year ARS remains low.

Circular RNA (circRNA), a subtype of noncoding RNA, has emerged as a significant focus in RNA research due to its distinctive covalently closed loop structure. CircRNAs play pivotal roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes, functioning through mechanisms such as miRNAs or proteins sponging, regulation of splicing and gene expression, and serving as translation templates, particularly in the context of various cancers. The hallmarks of cancer comprise functional capabilities acquired during carcinogenesis and tumor progression, providing a conceptual framework that elucidates the nature of the malignant transformation. Although numerous studies have elucidated the role of circRNAs in the hallmarks of cancers, their functions in the development of chemoradiotherapy resistance remain unexplored and the clinical applications of circRNA-based translational therapeutics are still in their infancy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of circRNAs, covering their biogenesis, unique characteristics, functions, and turnover mechanisms. We also summarize the involvement of circRNAs in cancer hallmarks and their clinical relevance as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, especially in thyroid cancer (TC). Considering the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers and the fascination of circRNA-based therapeutics, the "Ying-Yang" dynamic regulations of circRNAs in TC warrant vastly dedicated investigations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) are the receptors on the surface of T or B cell, which are crucial for recognizing tumor antigens. It is profound to establish a practical TCR/BCR-related gene signature prognostic model for the further diagnosis and treatment among HCC patients.

In this study, we categorized gene expression data of HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Altas and identified TCR related genes by the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Both the CIBERSORT algorithm and the TB tools were used to analyze the features and heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment.

Finally, an 8-gene prognostic model was successfully established and achieved the validation in both the International Cancer Genome Consortium and Nanfang Hospital cohorts. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median of the risk scores. We observed that tumor differentiation was worse while the fibrinogen concentration was higher in the high-risk group of patients. Both the number of unique TCR and BCR clonotypes and the expanded clones were higher in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group.

Together, our study screened a TCR/BCR-related signature prognostic model, which might turn into a beneficial and practical tool to solve the perplexities of the treatment, prognosis prediction and management for HCC patients.

To explore the lived experiences of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer enrolled in a patient-reported outcomes (PROs) management programme and to preliminarily understand how PROs management influences various aspects of patient care and overall quality of life.

A qualitative phenomenological study.

A national cancer care centre in Southwest China specialised in cancer care, with a comprehensive PROs management programme.

15 participants diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Five key themes emerged from our interviews, including enhanced communication with healthcare providers, attributed to the structured nature of PROs; increased perceived sense of care, with patients feeling more valued and heard; PROs management facilitated better treatment decision-making, with patients feeling more involved and empowered; improved communication with family members, aiding in better understanding and support; and varied perceptions of the impact on quality of life, with some noting improvements in specific aspects like symptom management, while others were uncertain about the overall benefit.

PROs management plays a significant role in improving communication between patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and their healthcare providers, enhancing patients' involvement in treatment decisions, and potentially improving family dynamics. However, the impact of PROs management on the overall quality of life of patients remains complex and individualised. The findings suggest that further research with a more diverse patient population is needed to fully understand the implications of PROs management in advanced cancer care.

Melanoma is highly aggressive, with brain metastasis being a significant contributor to poor outcomes. Immunotherapy has emerged as a crucial treatment modality for melanoma, particularly for addressing brain metastases. This review explores recent developments in immunotherapy for patients with melanoma brain metastasis, with such treatments encompassing immune checkpoint inhibitors and various immunotherapy combination approaches, such as dual immunotherapy, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy combined with targeted drugs, and immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy. This article also discusses existing treatment obstacles and potential future avenues for research and clinical practice.

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains a therapeutically challenging hematologic malignancy characterized by frequent relapse and disease progression. Angiogenesis regulated by non-coding RNAs plays a vital role in MM pathogenesis. Despite the potential clinical applications of tsRNAs, the specific mechanisms by which they contribute to MM progression, particularly through angiogenesis within the bone marrow microenvironment, remain elusive.

In this study, we focused on the role of exosomal tRF-1003 in MM progression. Serum and bone marrow samples from relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (R/RMM) and newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients were analyzed for tsRNA expression. Functional assays, including transwell migration, wound-healing assays, and in vivo tumor formation studies, were employed to assess the angiogenic potential of tRF-1003 in HUVEC. Mechanistic studies were conducted to understand how tRF-1003 modulates the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway through interaction with MAPK1.

We found that tRF-1003 was significantly upregulated in serum exosomes derived from R/RMM patients. Exosomal tRF-1003 was efficiently delivered to endothelial cells, leading to enhanced angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, tRF-1003 was shown to activate HIF-1α/VEGF signaling in endothelial cells by downregulating MAPK1 expression, thereby promoting angiogenesis. Overexpression of MAPK1 in endothelial cells partially reversed the angiogenic effects induced by exosomal tRF-1003.

Our findings reveal that exosomal tRF-1003 plays a pivotal role in MM angiogenesis by modulating the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway through MAPK1. These insights provide a novel perspective on the mechanisms driving MM progression and highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting tRF-1003 in managing multiple myeloma.

Wilms tumor 1 associated protein (WTAP) is a key RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylase, which is involved in gastric cancer (GC) development, but its pathogenic mechanism is not clear. This study aims to thoroughly explore the underlying molecular mechanism of WTAP-mediated m6A modification in GC pathogenesis. qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that significantly elevated WTAP expression in GC tissues and is related to advanced age, poorly differentiation, lymph node metastasis and high TNM stage. Overexpression and knockdown of WTAP could promote or inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro, furthermore, suppression of WTAP expression impeded the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. Utilizing RNA sequencing, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we identified MAP2K6 as direct downstream target of WTAP with m6A modification in GC. The interaction between WTAP and MAP2K6 was confirmed by MeRIP-qPCR, luciferase reporter assay, Co-IF and bioinformatics prediction. Immunofluorescence and rescue studies were performed to verify WTAP-mediated m6A modification promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells by positively regulating the target gene MAP2K6. This underscores the potential therapeutic significance of targeting the WTAP-MAP2K6 axis in combating GC occurrence and progression.