Ovarian cancer with intestinal wall invasion and hyperamylasemia: a case report.

Numerous studies have suggested a robust association between amylase and ovarian cancer. however, few amylase-producing ovarian cancers have been reported because amylase is a rare product of ovarian cancer. A case of an elderly female patient with an upper abdominal unfitness, intestinal wall along with uterine adnexal invasion, and high serum and urinary amylase is summarized in this article. The patient was initially suspected of having a gastrointestinal tumor. Initial laboratory findings showed markedly significantly raised serum and urinary amylase levels. Imaging showed invasion of the intestinal wall and uterine adnexa, and histology of the specimen taken through the abdominal wall lump and electron colonoscopy showed ovarian cancer. The patient's blood amylase levels decreased to normal after 4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin. Following this, she underwent interval debulking surgery, which included total hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, great omentectomy, appendectomy, resection of pelvic and abdominal lesions, and partial rectal resection. Postoperative pathology and immunohistochemistry staining confirmed a diagnosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. This case suggests that in female patients, hyperamylasemia may indicate the presence of ovarian cancer. It is necessary to perform a multisite, multipoint histologic examination to identify the tumor's origin in patients with multiple sites of invasion.

Advances in hyperbaric oxygen to promote immunotherapy through modulation of the tumor microenvironment.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a relatively safe treatment method that has been used for a long time in the clinic. It has been proven that it can enhance the sensitivity of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy for cancer. However, there are few studies on hyperbaric oxygen and immunotherapy. In this article, we summarize that hyperbaric oxygen therapy regulates the tumor microenvironment through various pathways such as improving tumor hypoxia, targeting hypoxia-inducing factors, and generating reactive oxygen species. The change in the tumor microenvironment ultimately affects the curative effect of immunotherapy. Therefore, hyperbaric oxygen can influence immunotherapy by regulating the tumor microenvironment, providing a direction for the future development of immunotherapy.

The Interaction Between N6-Methyladenosine Modification and Non-Coding RNAs in Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common epigenetic modification of eukaryotic RNA, which can participate in the growth and development of the body and a variety of physiological and disease processes by affecting the splicing, processing, localization, transport, translation, and degradation of RNA. Increasing evidence shows that non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and circular RNA, can also regulate the RNA m6A modification process by affecting the expression of m6A-related enzymes. The interaction between m6A modification and non-coding RNAs provides a new perspective for the exploration of the potential mechanism of tumor genesis and development. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms and effects of m6A and non-coding RNAs in gastrointestinal tract cancers.

Analysis of N6-Methyladenosine Methylome in Adenocarcinoma of Esophagogastric Junction.

Background: From previous studies, we found that there are more than 100 types of RNA modifications in RNA molecules. m6A methylation is the most common. The incidence rate of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) at home and abroad has increased faster than that of stomach cancer at other sites in recent years. Here, we systematically analyze the modification pattern of m6A mRNA in adenocarcinoma at the esophagogastric junction. Methods: m6A sequencing, RNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis were used to describe the m6A modification pattern in adenocarcinoma and normal tissues at the esophagogastric junction. Results: In AEG samples, a total of 4,775 new m6A peaks appeared, and 3,054 peaks disappeared. The unique m6A-related genes in AEG are related to cancer-related pathways. There are hypermethylated or hypomethylated m6A peaks in AEG in differentially expressed mRNA transcripts. Conclusion: This study preliminarily constructed the first m6A full transcriptome map of human AEG. This has a guiding role in revealing the mechanism of m6A-mediated gene expression regulation.

Research and application of single-cell sequencing in tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance of circulating tumor cells.

Malignant tumor is a largely harmful disease worldwide. The cure rate of malignant tumors increases with the continuous discovery of anti-tumor drugs and the optimisation of chemotherapy options. However, drug resistance of tumor cells remains a massive obstacle in the treatment of anti-tumor drugs. The heterogeneity of malignant tumors makes studying it further difficult for us. In recent years, using single-cell sequencing technology to study and analyse circulating tumor cells can avoid the interference of tumor heterogeneity and provide a new perspective for us to understand tumor drug resistance.

Elevated homocysteine levels and risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether elevated homocysteine levels were a predictor of subsequent coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality, cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality in the general population by a meta-analysis. METHODS: In a systematic search conducted in the databases of PubMed and Embase prior to October 2013, we identified relevant prospective observational studies evaluating the association between baseline homocysteine levels and CHD mortality, cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in the general population. Pooled adjust risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated separately for categorical risk estimates and continuous risk estimates. RESULTS: Twelve studies with 23623 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Comparing the highest to lowest homocysteine level categories, CHD mortality increased by 66% (RR 1.66; 95% CI 1.12-2.47; P=0.012), cardiovascular mortality increased by 68% (RR 1.68; 95% CI 1.04-2.70; P=0.033), and all-cause mortality increased by 93% (RR 1.93; 95% CI 1.54-2.43; P<0.001). Moreover, for each 5 µmol/L homocysteine increment, the pooled RR was 1.52 (95% CI 1.26-1.84; P<0.001) for CHD mortality, 1.32 (95% CI 1.08-1.61; P=0.006) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1.27 (95% CI 1.03-1.55; P=0.023) for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated homocysteine levels are an independent predictor for subsequent cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality, and the risks were more pronounced among elderly persons.

Fulvestrant 250 mg versus anastrozole 1 mg in the treatment of advanced breast cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: Most patients with advanced breast cancer experience resistance to endocrine treatment and eventual disease progression. This meta-analysis was designed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of fulvestrant 250 mg with anastrozole 1mg in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. METHODS: Electronic literature databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, and Embase) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to August 2013. Only RCTs that compared fulvestrant 250 mg to anastrozole 1mg in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer were selected. The main outcomes were time to treatment failure (TTF), time to progression (TTP), duration of response (DOR), clinical benefit rate, and tolerability. RESULTS: Four RCTs covering 1,226 patients (fulvestrant, n=621; anastrozole, n=605) were included in the meta-analysis. Fulvestrant increased the DOR compared to anastrozole (HR =1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.51). There was no statistically significant difference between fulvestrant and anastrozole in terms of TTF (HR=1.02, 95%CI 0.89-1.17), complete response (RR=1.79, 95%CI, 0.93-3.43), and partial response (RR=0.91, 95%CI 0.69-1.21). As for safety, there was no statistical significance between the two groups for common adverse events. CONCLUSION: Fulvestrant 250 mg is as effective and well-tolerated as anastrozole 1mg treatment for advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose disease progressed after prior endocrine treatment. Thus, fulvestrant may serve as a reasonable alternative to anastrozole when resistance is experienced in breast cancer cases.

Meta-analysis of oral Chinese herbal medicine as an adjuvant treatment in relieving pain secondary to bone metastases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of oral Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in relieving pain secondary to bone metastases in patients. METHODS: The searched electronic literature databases included both English and Chinese articles published in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Wanfang database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (up to December 2012). The studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CHM plus conventional treatment with conventional treatment alone for patients with pain secondary to bone metastases. The outcomes were the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the pain-relief rate and adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 16 RCTs involving 1,008 patients were identified and analyzed. All of the included RCTs were associated with a moderate to high risk of bias. In the metaanalysis, CHM plus conventional treatment increased the pain-relief rate compared with the conventional treatment alone (OR, 2.59; 95% CI 1.95 to 3.45). In subgroup analysis, the pooled OR of the pain-relief rate of CHM plus conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment was 3.11 (95% CI 2.01 to 4.79) for CHM plus bisphosphonates, 2.24 (95% CI 1.33 to 3.78) for CHM plus analgesics, 2.28 (95% CI 1.09 to 4.79) for CHM plus radiotherapy, and 2.22 (95% CI 0.95 to 5.15) for CHM plus analgesics and bisphosphonates. The adverse events included nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fever, and constipation. No serious adverse events were reported in any of the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: CHM interventions appear to have beneficial effects on pain secondary to bone metastases in patients. However, published efficacy trials are small in size to draw any firm conclusions.