Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Locally Advanced Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Terms of Downstaging and Resectability in a Tertiary Cancer Hospital

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in carcinoma stomach was introduced in an effort to eliminate micro-metastasis and to improve resectablity before surgery which improves R0 resection rates. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on downstaging and resectability rate in locally advanced gastric cancer. Material & Methods: This was a single-center quasi-experimental study conducted in the Department of Surgical Oncology in collaboration with the Departments of Medical Oncology, Radiation oncology, and Pathology at the National Institute of Cancer Research and hospital, Dhaka, which is a tertiary care cancer hospital in Bangladesh, between January 2021 and June 2022.Patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma stomach staged by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) were randomly included in this study by purposive sampling. Patients in Group I underwent upfront surgery Patients in Group II were started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, either XELOX or FLOT regimen. Surgery was done following the response assessment CECT. We assessed R0 resection rate, age, sex, comorbidities, tumour size, TNM stage and complications were compared between the two groups. Response to NACT was assessed in Group II. Results: The mean age of patients in groups 1 & 2 was 56 ± 11.06 and 55.70 ± 10.46 years of age respectively (p > 0.05). Majority of the respondents (55/74) were male and 19 patients (26%) were female. Male to female ratio was (24/37 &31/37) in group 1 and (31/37 & 6/37) groups respectively (p > 0.05). Out of 37 patients who received NACT, in 9 patients (24.32%) complete response was noted. Partial response was found in 20 cases (54.05%), p-value (<.0001) while a stable disease was reported in three (8.1%) cases. 5 patients (13.51%) had progressive disease. In the upfront surgery group, R0 resection was feasible in 16 (43.2%) cases, and in the NACT plus surgery group, R0 resection was done in 29 (78.4%) cases. In group 1, R1 resection was done in considerable numbers (19/37) compared to group 2 (5/37), P=0.001. Three patients (8.1%) in group 2 and one (2.7) in group 1 had irresectable lesions. Conclusion: In this study it can be concluded that neoadjuvant chemotherapy could downstage tumour and increase tumor resectability rate in patients with locally-advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the effect of this modality on patients’ overall survival. We await survival analysis to further validate the role of NACT.

Immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) prior to surgery and postoperative chemotherapy is one of the main standard therapies for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). On this basis, total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has been shown to improve disease-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival and complete response rates, whereas the 3-year distant recurrence rate is still above 20% and pathological complete response (pCR) is less than 30%. Long-term survival and adverse reactions remain to be improved. Currently, significant achivement has been obtained in immunotherapy. Application of immunotherapy in the treatment of rectal cancer remains to be urgently validated. In recent years, immunotherapy combined with preoperative chemoradiotherapy has been adopted for LARC in clinical trials. Besides, immunotherapy alone, especially programmed death-1 (PD-1) / programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor, has also been utilized to treat colon rectal cancer. Relevant research progress was reviewed in this article.

Research progress on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

For locally advanced (T 3-4/N +M 0) rectal cancer (LARC), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard treatment, which have been demonstrated to decrease the local recurrence rate and increase the tumor response grade. However, the distant metastasis remains an unresolved issue. Radiotherapy and immunotherapy can supplement each other and the combination of the two treatments has a good theoretical basis. Recently, multiple clinical trials are ongoing in terms of the combination of nCRT and immunotherapy in LARC. These trials have achieved promising short-term efficacy in both microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) and microsatellite stable (MSS) rectal cancers, which could further improve the rate of tumor response and rate of pathological complete response, increase the possibility of organ preservation and "watch and wait" approach. Large-scale clinical trials need to be performed in the future to demonstrate these findings and to improve long-term prognosis.

Exploration of feasible total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with surgery is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, which has been widely applied in clinical practice. Clinical efficacy has also been recognized by clinicians. However, even after the completion of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and subsequent surgical treatment, some patients still have local regional recurrence or distant metastasis in a short period of time. Among them, distant metastasis has become the main failure mode of patients undergoing surgery after neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, indicating that this treatment remains to be further improved. Based on the experience of patients with rectal cancer benefiting from total neoadjuvant therapy, the feasibility and implementation of total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer were discussed in this article.

The efficacy analysis of moderately hypofractionated IMRT combined with androgen deprivation therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and adverse reactions of moderately hypofractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC).Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 40 LAPC patients who were admitted in The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University during 2014-2020. The planning gross target volume (PGTV) dose for prostate gland and seminal vesicle gland was 64.8-70.0 Gy/25-28 f, 2.4-2.8 Gy/f and the dose of PGTVnd in 20 cases with positive pelvic lymph nodes was 60.0-64.4 Gy/25-28 f, 2.3-2.4 Gy/f. The dose of planning target volume (PTV) for the drainage area of pelvic lymph nodes was 45.0-50.4 Gy/25-28 f. The enrolled patients were treated with long-term ADT, including neoadjuvant, simultaneous, and adjuvant therapies. The efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated. The prognostic factors affecting the biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS) were analyzed.Results:The median follow-up time was 31 months. The 2- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 100% and 96.9%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year BFFS rates were 90%, 76.8% and 72%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 92.2%, 82.8% and 75.1%, respectively. Gleason (GS) score ( χ2=10.00, P < 0.05) and adjacent tissue invasion ( χ2=8.85, P<0.05) were prognostic factors related to BFFS for LAPC. Adjacent tissue invasion and GS 9-10 were independent poor prognostic factors. The incidence of acute urinary adverse reaction and rectal injury (grade≥2) was 7.5% and 20%, respectively. The incidence of late urinary adverse reaction and rectal injury (grade≥2) was 12.5% and 17.5%, respectively. Adverse reactions at grade 3-4 did not occur. Conclusions:The moderately hypofractionated IMRT combined with ADT is feasible for LAPC treatment, achieving satisfactory survival effects. 70 Gy/25-28 f, 2.5-2.8 Gy/f is a safe and effective moderate hypofraction scheme. Adjacent tissue invasion and GS score are prognostic factors related to BFFS for LAPC.

Advances in Treatment of Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma / 肿瘤防治研究

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most common malignant tumor of the genitourinary system. During disease progression, RCC can undergo local and/or distant metastasis, which seriously affects the prognosis of the patient. With the advancements in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for advanced RCC, treatment for locally advanced RCC has changed. Studies have focused on applying targeted therapy or immunotherapy in the perioperative period. This article aims to review progress on treatment of locally advanced RCC to offer references for novel treatment strategies.

A study on treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck with radiation along with cisplatin or gefitinib

Background: Cisplatin based Concurrent chemo-radiation (CTRT) is the corner stone for treatment of locally advanced head and neck carcinoma. Epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) expression by squamous cell carcinoma which is associated with cancer development and progression,leads to emergence of anti-EGFR agents as a therapeutic option. In this study we compare cisplatin based CTRT against gefitinib based CTRT in terms of disease control and acute toxicity profile. Material and Methods: Stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of Head and neck region (excluding nasopharynx) were randomised into two groups. Control group received conventionally fractionated radiotherapy of 66Gy in 33fractions, over six and half weeks with concurrent weekly cisplatin. Study group received same dose of radiation with concurrent daily oral Gefitinib. All patients were followed up weekly during the treatment and then 6-8 weeks after completion of treatment and thereafter 3 monthly. Results: Overall response rate (complete response + partial response) was comparable for both arms (75% vs 76.2%, p value-0.881). Radiation with cisplatin was associated with significantly higher skin (28.6% vs 15%,p value-0.037) and mucosal (23.8% vs 5%,p-value-0.047) toxicities. Gefitinib containing arm showed significantly higher grade 3 diarrhoea (10% vs 0%, p-value-0.01) and skin rash (6% vs 0%, p -value-<0.001).With a median follow-up of 12.5 months Disease free survival (DFS) was not significantly different between the arms(12 vs 13 months). Conclusion: Gefitinib based CTRT is non-inferior to cisplatin based CTRT for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck carcinoma with acceptable toxicity profile.

Terapia neoadyuvante total (TNT) en el manejo del cáncer de recto localmente avanzado

El manejo multimodal del cáncer de recto, localmente avanzado (LARC), se ha convertido en las últimas décadas en el estándar terapéutico de este tipo de tumores, logrando cifras de recidiva local global alrededor del 10%. Sin embargo, las tasas de sobrevida global (OS) y de sobrevida libre de enfermedad (DFS) no superan el 75% en la mayoría de las series, debido a las fallas a distancia. La investigación de nuevas terapias que logren un control efectivo de la enfermedad sistémica se ha focalizado en agregar a la radioterapia pélvica distintos esquemas de quimioterapia en la etapa preoperatoria, es decir, neoadyuvante. En esta revisión se discuten los distintos esquemas denominados genéricamente TNT (total neoadjuvant therapy), las ventajas y las limitaciones de este nuevo enfrentamiento del LARC, basado principalmente en los estudios prospectivos y aleatorizados disponibles a la fecha, con foco en los resultados en OS y DFS.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy has remained the mainstay of treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) for the past two decades. Although this regimen has reduced rates of local recurrence to 10% or less, rates of systemic failure are 20 to 30%, leading to a 5-year survival of 70-75%, at best. This situation has led to investigations into the use of total neoadjuvant therapy in the form of induction or consolidation chemotherapy. This review put the focus on final outcomes like overall survival and disease-free survival based on the available prospective and randomized studies about different schemes of TNT.

Predictors of toxicity after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced gall bladder cancer

Background: The present study evaluated the correlation of hepatobiliary toxicity and radiation dose received in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for locally advanced unresectable gall bladder cancers (LAGBC). Methods: Twenty-six patients with LAGBC, treated with NACRT (55–57 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks and weekly gemcitabine 300 mg/m2) within a phase II study, were included. Whenever feasible, surgery was performed after NACRT. Acute and late hepatobiliary toxicity was recorded. Treatment scans were retrieved to delineate central porto-hepatobiliary system (CPHBS), resected liver surface, segment IV B and V, and duodenum. The doses received by these structures were recorded and correlated with toxicity. Results: Of 26 patients, 20 (77%) had partial or complete response and 12 (46%) had R0 resection. At the median follow-up of 38 months, overall survival was 38%. Eight (30%) patients had post-treatment toxicity, of which most common was biliary toxicity (30%). A correlation was observed between the biliary leak and V45Gy CPHBS >50 cm3 (P = 0.070). Higher toxicity was observed in those with metallic stents (P = 0.072). Conclusion: The incidence of the biliary leak was 46%. CPHBS dose was found to correlate with biliary leaks. Restricting V45Gy CPHBS <50 cm3 and using plastic stent may facilitate a reduction in hepatobiliary toxicity in patients undergoing NACRT and surgery.

Consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) improves survival in responders to first?line chemotherapy (CT) in locally advanced gallbladder cancer (LA?GBC): A new standard of Care?

Introduction: Chemotherapy (CT) is the standard of care in advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC). Should locally advanced GBC (LA-GBC) with response to CT and good performance status (PS) be offered as consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) to delay progression and improve survival? There is a scarcity of literature on this approach in the English literature. We present our experience with this approach in LA-GBC. Materials and Methods: After obtaining ethics approval, we reviewed the records of consecutive GBC patients from 2014 to 2016. Out of 550 patients, 145 were LA-GBC who were initiated on chemotherapy. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen was done to evaluate the response to treatment, according to the RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) criteria. All responders to CT (PR and SD) with good PS but unresectable were treated with cCTRT. Radiotherapy was given to GB bed, periportal, common hepatic, coeliac, superior mesenteric, and para-aortic lymph nodes up to a dose of 45 to 54 Gy in 25 to 28 fractions along with concurrent capecitabine at the rate of 1,250 mg/m2. Treatment toxicity, overall survival (OS), and factors affecting OS were computed based on Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Results: The median age of patients was 50 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 43–56 years), and men to women ratio was 1:3. A total of 65% and 35% patients received CT and CT followed by cCTRT, respectively. The incidence of Grade 3 gastritis and diarrhea was 10% and 5%, respectively. Responses were partial response (PR; 65%), stable disease (SD; 12%), progressive disease (PD; 10%), and nonevaluable (NE; 13%) because they did not complete six cycles of CT or were lost to follow-up. Among PR, 10 patients underwent radical surgery (six after CT and four after cCTRT). At a median follow-up of 8 months, the median OS was 7 months with CT and 14 months with cCTRT (P = 0.04). The median OS was 57 months, 12 months, 7 months, and 5 months for complete response (CR) (resected), PR/SD, PD, and NE (P = 0.008), respectively. OS was 10 months and 5 months for Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >80 and <80 (P = 0.008), respectively. PS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.5), stage (HR = 0.41), and response to treatment (HR = 0.05) were retained as independent prognostic factors.

Clinical significance and prognostic value of fibrinogen in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of fibrinogen (FIB) in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for the clinical data of 114 patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma receiving non-surgical treatment in the Department of Head and Neck Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from May 2011 to May 2021. The FIB critical value was determined based on the median FIB level before induction chemotherapy, by which patients were divided into high-FIB and low-FIB groups. The ROC curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off value for other hematologic-related parameters such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets. Statistical methods were used to analyze the results. The enumeration data were analyzed by Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method. Survival curves for OS and PFS were plotted by Kalplan-Meier method and tested by Log-rank method. Prognostic factors were evaluated by Cox proportional hazard regression model.Results:There were 59 cases in the high-FIB group (FIB > 3.6 g/L) and 55 cases in the low-FIB group (FIB ≤ 3.6 g/L). The high FIB group had higher neutrophils, platelets, NLR, and PLR ( χ2= 7.84, 12.80, 15.04, 9.14; P<0.05) than the low FIB group. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were significantly longer in the low FIB group than those in the high-FIB group (62.9% vs. 39.6%; 46.9% vs. 25.8%), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the low FIB group significantly longer than those of the high-FIB group (63.3% vs. 40.3%; 48.1% vs. 26.2%). The univariate analysis showed that the OS and PFS in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were related to FIB, the application of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the efficacy of radiotherapy for lymph nodes. The multivariate analysis showed that FIB, the application of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the efficacy of radiotherapy for lymph nodes were independent prognostic factors of the OS [ HR (95% CI): 1.89 (1.08-3.31), 3.76 (1.12-12.65), 2.14 (1.09-4.21), P < 0.05]and PFS HR (95% CI): 1.92 (1.90-3.36), 3.93 (1.01-11.34), 2.15 (1.09-4.22), P < 0.05]of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions:Patients with low FIB receive high OS and PFS rates after induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. Therefore, FIB can be used as a prognostic factor in the evaluation of non-surgical treatment of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Long-term outcomes of watch&wait (W&W) after neoadjuvant treatment in patients with rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To compare the outcomes of watch&wait (W&W) strategy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who achieved complete clinical response (cCR) after neoadjuvant therapy, with those who obtained pathological complete response (pCR) after total mesorectal excision (TME).Methods:This is a retrospective cohort analysis study. Patients histologically proven with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma (stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ) who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were eligible between January 2014 and December 2019. In whom we included patients who had cCR offered management with W&W strategy after completing neoadjuvant therapy and follow-up ≥1 year (W&W group), and patients who did not have cCR but pCR after TME (pCR group). The primary endpoints were 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS), colostomy-free survival (CFS), disease-free survival (DFS), non-local regrowth disease-free survival (NR-DFS), and organ preservation rate. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis and log-rank test was performed. For comparative analysis, we also derived one-to-one paired cohorts of W&W versus pCR using propensity-score matching (PSM).Results:A total of 118 patients were enrolled, 49 of whom had cCR and managed by W&W, 69 had pCR, with a median follow-up period of 49.5 months (12.1-79.9 months). No difference was observed in the 3-year OS (97.1% vs. 96.7%) and 5-year OS (93.8% vs. 90.9%, P=0.696) between the W&W and pCR groups. Patients managed by W&W had significantly better 3-year and 5-year CFS (89.1% vs. 43.5%, P<0.001), better 3-year DFS (83.6% vs. 97.0%) and 5-year DFS (83.6% vs. 91.2%, P=0.047) compared with those achieving pCR. The 3-year NR-DFS (95.9% vs. 97.0%) and 5-year NR-DFS (92.8% vs. 97.0%, P=0.407) did not significantly differ between the W&W and pCR groups. Local regeneration occurred in six cases, and 87.7% of patients had successful rectum preservation in the W&W group. In the PSM analysis (34 patients in each group), absolutely better CFS (90.1% vs. 26.5%, P<0.001) was noted in the W&W group. A median interval of 17.5 weeks was observed for achieving cCR, while only 23.9% of patients achieved cCR within 5 to 12 weeks from radiation completion. Patients with short-course sequential chemoradiotherapy achieved cCR significantly later when compared with those with long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy (19.0 vs. 9.8 weeks, P<0.001). Conclusions:The oncological outcomes of W&W strategy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer are safe and effective, significantly improving the quality of life. Longer interval for cCR evaluation may improve rectal organ preservation rate.

A novel surgical option for artery-involving pancreatic cancer: sub-adventitial divestment technique / 中华消化外科杂志

Radical resection remains as the key treatment to improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, and arterial invasion hinders radical resection for locally advanced lesions. More accurate assessment of resectability and selection of appropriate surgical techniques depend on better understanding of the anatomy, histology, and tumor biology of pancreatic cancer invasion to the artery. Traditional radiology assessment for artery involvement, based on the circumference of involved arteries, is not equivalent to pathological artery invasion. The depth of arterial invasion is more important than the circumference in evaluating resectability. Results of morphological observa-tion on arterial structure shows that both the feasibility of sub-adventitial divestment technique (SDT) and the necessity of arterial resection depend on whether the external elastic lamina of artery is invaded. The SDT can provide an opportunity for radical resection for pancreatic cancer with arterial invasion, while avoiding the high mortality and incidence of complications caused by arterial resection. A more precise assessment of tumor invasion depth and biological behavior will provide a more reliable basis for surgical decision for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer with arterial invasion.

The 10-year outcome and prognostic factors of laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer: a CLASS multicenter study / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the 10-year outcome and prognostic factors of laparo-scopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer. Methods:The retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 652 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who were admitted to 16 hospitals from the multicenter database of laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery in the Chinese Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study (CLASS) Group, including 214 cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, 191 cases in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 52 cases in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, 49 cases in West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 43 cases in Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, 25 cases in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, 14 cases in the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, 12 cases in No.989 Hospital of PLA, 12 cases in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 10 cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 9 cases in the First People's Hospital of Foshan, 7 cases in Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, 7 cases in Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, 3 cases in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, 2 cases in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2 cases in Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, from February 2004 to December 2010 were collected. There were 442 males and 210 females, aged (57±12)years. All patients underwent laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) postoperative pathological examination; (3) postoperative recovery and complications; (4) follow-up; (5) prognostic factors analysis. Follow-up was conducted by outpatient examination and telephone interview to detect the tumor recurrence and metastasis, postoperative survival of patients up to March 2020. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3) or M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers or percen-tages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the rank sum test. The life table method was used to calculate survival rates and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves. Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were analyzed using the COX hazard regression model. Results:(1) Surgical situations: among 652 patients, 617 cases underwent D 2 lymph node dissection and 35 cases underwent D 2+ lymph node dissection. There were 348 cases with Billroth Ⅱ anastomosis, 218 cases with Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, 25 cases with Roux-en-Y anastomosis and 61 cases with other digestive tract reconstruction methods. Twelve patients had combined visceral resection. There were 569 patients with intraoperative blood transfusion and 83 cases without blood transfusion. The operation time of 652 patients was 187(155,240)minutes and volume of intraoperative blood loss was 100(50,150)mL. (2) Postoperative pathological examina-tion: the maximum diameter of tumor was (4.5±2.0)cm of 652 patients. The number of lymph node dissected of 652 patients was 26(19,35), in which the number of lymph node dissected was >15 of 570 cases and ≤15 of 82 cases. The number of metastatic lymph node was 4(1,9). The proximal tumor margin was (4.8±1.6)cm and the distal tumor margin was (4.5±1.5)cm. Among 652 patients, 255 cases were classified as Borrmann type Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 334 cases were classified as Borrmann type Ⅲ-Ⅳ, and 63 cases had missing Borrmann classification data. The degree of tumor differentiation was high or medium in 171 cases, low or undifferentiated in 430 cases, and the tumor differentiation data was missing in 51 cases. There were 123, 253 and 276 cases in pathological stage T2, T3 and T4a, respectively. There were 116, 131, 214 and 191 cases in pathological stage N0, N1, N2 and N3, respectively. There were 260 and 392 cases in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, respectively. (3) Postoperative recovery and complications: the time to postoperative first out-of-bed activities, time to postoperative first flatus, time to the initial liquid food intake, duration of postoperative hospital stay of 652 patients were 3(2,4)days, 4(3,5)days, 5(4,6)days, 10(9,13)days, respectively. Among 652 patients, 69 cases had postoperative complications. Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ, grade Ⅲa, grade Ⅲb, and grade Ⅳa complications occurred in 60, 3, 5 and 1 cases, respectively (some patients could have multiple complications). The duodenal stump leakage was the most common surgical complication, with the incidence of 3.07%(20/652). Respiratory complication was the most common systemic complication, with the incidence of 2.91%(19/652). All the 69 patients were recovered and discharged successfully after treatment. (4) Follow-up: 652 patients were followed up for 110-193 months, with a median follow-up time of 124 months. There were 298 cases with postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Of the 255 patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, there were 21 cases with distant metastasis, 69 cases with peritoneal metastasis, 37 cases with local recurrence, 52 cases with multiple recurrence and metastasis, 76 cases with recurrence and metastasis at other locations. The above indicators were 5, 9, 10, 4, 15 of the 43 patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years. There was no significant difference in the type of recurrence and metastasis between them ( χ2=5.52, P>0.05). Cases in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 62 and 193 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 23 and 20 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing a significant difference in pathological TNM staging between them ( χ2=15.36, P<0.05). Cases in pathological stage T2, T3, T4a were 42, 95, 118 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 9, 21, 13 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing no significant difference in pathological T staging between them ( Z=-1.80, P>0.05). Further analysis showed no significant difference in cases in pathological stage T2 or T3 ( χ2=0.52, 2.08, P>0.05) but a significant difference in cases in pathological stage T4a between them ( χ2=3.84, P<0.05). Cases in pathological stage N0, N1, N2, N3 were 19, 44, 85, 107 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, versus 12, 5, 18, 8 of the patients with the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years, showing a significant difference in pathological N staging between them ( Z=-3.34, P<0.05). Further analysis showed significant differences in cases in pathological stage N0 and N3 ( χ2=16.52, 8.47, P<0.05) but no significant difference in cases in pathological stage N1 or N2 ( χ2=0.85, 1.18, P>0.05). The median overall survival time was 81 months after surgery and 10-year overall survival rate was 46.1% of 652 patients. The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 59.6% and 37.5%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=35.29, P<0.05). In further analysis, the 10-year overall survival rates of patients in pathological TNM stage ⅡA, ⅡB, ⅢA, ⅢB and ⅢC were 65.6%, 55.8%, 46.9%, 37.1% and 24.0%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=55.06, P<0.05). The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in patholo-gical stage T2, T3 and T4a were 55.2%, 46.5% and 41.5%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=8.39, P<0.05). The 10-year overall survival rates of patients in patholo-gical stage N0, N1, N2 and N3 were 63.7%, 56.2%, 48.5% and 26.4%, respectively, showing a signifi-cant difference between them ( χ2=54.89, P<0.05). (5) Prognostic factors analysis: results of univariate analysis showed that age, maximum diameter of tumor, degree of tumor differentiation as low or undifferentiated, pathological TNM staging, pathological T staging, pathological stage N2 or N3, post-operative chemotherapy were related factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy ( hazard ratio=1.45, 1.64, 1.37, 2.05, 1.30, 1.68, 3.08, 0.56, 95% confidence interval as 1.15-1.84, 1.32-2.03, 1.05-1.77, 1.62-2.59, 1.05-1.61, 1.17-2.42, 2.15-4.41, 0.44-0.70, P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that maximum diameter of tumor >4 cm, low-differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, pathological TNM stage Ⅲ were independent risk factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy ( hazard ratio=1.48,1.44, 1.81, 95% confidence interval as 1.19-1.84, 1.11-1.88, 1.42-2.30, P<0.05) and postoperative chemotherapy was a independent protective factor for the 10-year overall survi-val rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic D 2 radical distal gastrec-tomy ( hazard ratio=0.57, 95% confidence interval as 045-0.73, P<0.05). Conclusions:Laparoscopic assisted D 2 radical distal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer has satisfactory 10-year oncologic outcomes. A high proportion of patients in pathological TNM stage Ⅲ, pathological stage T4a, pathological stage N3 have the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis ≤5 years, whereas a high proportion of patients in pathological TNM stage Ⅱ or pathological stage N0 have the time to postoperative recurrence and metastasis >5 years. Maximum diameter of tumor >4 cm, low-differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, pathological TNM stage Ⅲ are independent risk factors for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparos-copic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy is a independent protective factor for the 10-year overall survival rate of locally advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing laparos-copic D 2 radical distal gastrectomy.

Current status and prospect of perioperative treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer / 中华消化外科杂志

Gastric cancer is one of the common digestive tract malignant tumors. Locally advanced gastric cancer has a large tumor load, mostly small metastatic lesions, and a high risk of recurrence. The comprehensive treatment strategy of "radical operation with D 2 lymph node dissec-tion and perioperative treatment" has gradually become the standard treatment mode for locally advanced gastric cancer. In recent years, there have been breakthroughs in perioperative treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer by radiotherapy, targeted therapy and especially immunotherapy. In this article, the authors analyze the research progress of perioperative treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer at home and abroad, systematically describe the current status and prospect of perioperative treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced penile cancer: an updated evidence / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has shown promising results in patients with locally advanced penile cancer. However, no consensus exists on its applications for locally advanced penile cancer. Thus, it is unclear which kind of chemotherapy regimen is the best choice. Consequently, a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE was performed in March 2021 to assess the efficacy and safety of NAC for the treatment of patients with locally advanced penile cancer. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias in each study. This study synthesized 14 published studies. The study revealed that patients who achieved an objective response to NAC obtained a better survival outcome compared with those who did not achieve an objective response. In addition, the objective response rates (ORRs) and pathological complete response (pCR) rates were 0.57 and 0.11, respectively. The incidence of grade ≥3 toxicity was 0.36. Subgroup analysis found that the ORR and pCR of the taxane-platinum (TP) regimen group performed better than those of the nontaxane-platinum (NTP) regimen group (0.57 vs 0.54 and 0.14 vs 0.07, respectively). Moreover, the TP regimen group had more frequent toxicity than the NTP regimen group (0.41 vs 0.26). However, further studies were warranted to confirm the findings.

Research progress on radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

The current standard treatment modality for unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer is radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In this article, research progress on radiotherapy techniques, differences in radiotherapy dose and target volume, exploration in concurrent chemotherapy and immunotherapy was reviewed, aiming to provide reference and evidence for clinical treatment.

Relationship between lung immune prognostic and the prognosis of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiochemotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) and the prognosis of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) treated with radiochemotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for the clinical data of LA-NSCLC patients who received radiochemotherapy in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2013 to 2019. According to the hematologic test result of the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the patients were divided into three groups according to their LIPI scores, namely the good-LIPI group with dNLR ≤ 3 and LDH ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN), moderate-LIPI group with dNLR >3 or LDH > ULN, and poor-LIPI group with dNLR >3 and LDH > ULN. Moreover, the overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, the Log-rank test, and the Cox regression model.Results:A total of 238 patients were enrolled, and their median follow-up time was 37.1 months, median PFS 16.1 months, and median OS 30.6 months. The OS and PFS of the poor-LIPI group were significantly worse than those of the good- and moderate-LIPI groups ( χ2= 9.04, 2.88, P<0.05). The univariate analysis showed that the factors influencing OS included gender, pathological type, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, and LIPI ( χ2=6.10, 13.66, 10.58, 9.04, P<0.05), and the PFS was only affected by the LIPI ( χ2=2.88, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis suggested that EGFR mutations and LIPI were independent prognostic markers for OS ( HR = 1.31, 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03-1.67, 1.05-1.76; P<0.05). Conclusions:The LIPI is a potential prognostic indicator of radiochemotherapy in LA-NSCLC, and this result should be further confirmed by prospective studies.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Chemotherapy in Prevention and Treatment of Recurrence and Metastasis of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer After Radical Resection: A Meta-analysis / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) combined with chemotherapy in the prevention and treatment of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) by meta-analysis. Moreover, we evaluated the efficacy of TCM on the quality of life, immune indexes, and toxic and side effects during adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods The CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and other databases were searched by computer. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched. After literature screening and data extraction, Review Manager 5.3 software provided by Cochrane was used for meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined with chemotherapy could improve the KPS score and CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ index levels. The incidence rates of postoperative leucopenia, hemoglobin reduction, thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and neurotoxicity were reduced. In terms of postoperative QLQ-C30 score, abnormal liver function, and abnormal renal function, the incidence of TCM combined chemotherapy was similar to that of chemotherapy alone, with no statistical difference. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined chemotherapy could reduce the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative recurrence and metastasis rates and prolong the disease-free survival time. Conclusion Compared with chemotherapy alone in adjuvant chemotherapy, TCM combined chemotherapy could improve the immune level and KPS score of LACC patients after surgery, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, as well as reduce the recurrence and metastasis rate of LAGC after surgery and DFS could be improved.

Research Improvements and Related Hot Issues of Surgical Treatment on Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Surgical resection is one of the main steps in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. With the popularization of total mesorectal resection and laparoscopic minimally invasive techniques, related current research on surgical treatment has now entered a relatively high-level stage. In this article, we review the research frontiers of surgical treatment on rectal cancer, including reduction of trocars, specimen retrieval through natural orifices, robotic surgery, high definition/3D/indocyanine fluorescence green surgery, surgical approach and key surgery technology. Based on the current environment of evidence-based medicine, colorectal surgeons should adapt to the changes of the times, actively absorb cutting-edge scientific concepts and technologies and integrate them with surgical equipment and instruments, and carry out rigorous and innovative large-scale prospective clinical trials.