Prognostic Significance of Tumor Mutation Burden among Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Who Received Platinum-based Adjuvant Chemotherapy:An Exploratory Study

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of tumor mutation burden (TMB) among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Tumor tissue specimens after surgical resection were collected for DNA extraction. Somatic mutation detection and TMB analysis were conducted using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Recurrence status of the patients was assessed in the hospital during the adjuvant chemotherapy period, and long-term survival data of patients were obtained by telephone follow-up. Univariate analysis between TMB status and prognosis was carried out by survival analysis. A retrospective review of 78 patients with non-squamous NSCLC who received platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy showed a median disease-free survival of 3.6 years and median overall survival (OS) of 5.3 years. NGS analysis exhibited that the most common mutated somatic genes among the 78 patients were tumor suppressor protein p53 (TP53), epidermal growth factor receptor, low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1B, DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha and FAT atypical cadherin 3, and their prevalence was 56.4%, 48.7%, 37.2%, 30.7%, and 25.6%, respectively. TMB status was divided into TMB-L (≤ 4.5/Mb) and TMB-H (> 4.5/Mb) based on the median TMB threshold. Relevance of TMB to prognosis suggested that the median OS of patients with TMB-L was significantly longer than that of patients with TMB-H (NR vs. 4.6, P = 0.014). Higher TMB status conferred a worse implication on OS among patients with non-squamous NSCLC who received platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Correlation Between ERK1/2 Signal Transduction and Ovarian Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Ovarian cancer is one of the common tumors in female reproductive organs and accounts for about 4% of all malignant tumors in women. It is also the leading cause of death among various gynecological tumors. Surgery combined with chemotherapy is the frequently used treatment for ovarian. Chemotherapy resistance is one of the main reasons for the recurrence and poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Various components of the MAPK pathway, also known as the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade, are related to cancer, and ERK1/2 is an indispensable key site in this pathway. Continuous research has found that ERK1/2 is a "ferryman" involved in regulating the occurrence, development, and drug resistance mechanisms of ovarian cancer. This article briefly introduces the activation mechanism and pathway of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, summarizes its relationship to ovarian cancer, and emphasizes that ERK1/2 inhibitors may be a new treatment strategy with potential advantages in improving poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer.

Leveraging social networking sites for disease surveillance and public sensing: the case of the 2013 avian influenza A(H7N9) outbreak in China

We conducted in-depth analysis on the use of a popular Chinese social networking and microblogging site, Sina Weibo, to monitor an avian influenza A(H7N9) outbreak in China and to assess the value of social networking sites in the surveillance of disease outbreaks that occur overseas. Two data sets were employed for our analysis: a line listing of confirmed cases obtained from conventional public health information channels and case information from Weibo posts. Our findings showed that the level of activity on Weibo corresponded with the number of new cases reported. In addition, the reporting of new cases on Weibo was significantly faster than those of conventional reporting sites and non-local news media. A qualitative review of the functions of Weibo also revealed that Weibo enabled timely monitoring of other outbreak-relevant information, provided access to additional crowd-sourced epidemiological information and was leveraged by the local government as an interactive platform for risk communication and monitoring public sentiment on the policy response. Our analysis demonstrated the potential for social networking sites to be used by public health agencies to enhance traditional communicable disease surveillance systems for the global surveillance of overseas public health threats. Social networking sites also can be used by governments for calibration of response policies and measures and for risk communication.