Clinical study of the characteristics of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the characteristics of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal cancer in order to provide evidence for the extent of lymph node dissection and the operation access.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study was performed on the specimens of 72 patients who underwent radical operation of right transthoracic approach and the features of lymph node metastasis were explored.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Lymph node metastases were found in 48 of 72 patients (66.7%). In 1495 lymph nodes dissected, metastases was identified in 181 lymph nodes (12.1%). The rate of lymph node metastasis in the right and left recurrent laryngeal nerve was 30.6% and 12.5% respectively. Lymph node metastasis was associated with tumor size and tumor invasion depth (both P<0.05), while tumor location and differentiation of tumor cells were not significant (both P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal carcinoma can be easily found in the right recurrent laryngeal nerve. The best surgical approach of thoracic esophageal carcinoma is the right transthoracic approach.</p>

Screening of molecular markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma by microarrays / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify molecular markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma by cDNA microarray technique.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>cDNA expression profiles were examined by microarrays of 6 surgical specimens of stage I lung squamous cell carcinomas. Those genes, either up-regulated or down-regulated in every specimen studied, were identified. The expression levels of nm23 and BRCA2 by the squamous cell carcinoma of the lung were further examined by immunohistochemical techniques.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 107 genes were identified, of which 26 were up-regulated and 81 were down-regulated in all six specimens. Immunohistochemical staining showed that, compared with normal lung tissues, the intensity of nm23 expression by the squamous cell carcinoma of lung was significantly increased while that of BRCA-2 was decreased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>cDNA microarrays can be used to identify gene expression profile of lung cancer, some of which may be used as markers of lung squamous cell carcinoma.</p>