Comparison of clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between gallbladder mucinous adenocarcinoma and gallbladder adenocarcinoma: A propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder mucinous adenocarcinoma (GBMAC) is a rare subtype of gallbladder adenocarcinoma (GBAC), with limited knowledge of its survival outcomes from small case series and single-center retrospective analysis. AIM: To compare the clinicopathological characteristics of GBMAC with typical GBAC and its prognostic factors to gain insights into this field. METHODS: This study was conducted using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, including cases of GBMAC and typical GBAC diagnosed from 2010 to 2017. The Pearson chi-square test or Fisher exact test was used to examine the differences in clinicopathological features between these two cohorts. In addition, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to balance the selection biases. Univariate and multivariate Cox hazards regression analyses were performed to determine independent prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to assess the OS and CSS of GBMAC and typical GBAC patients. RESULTS: The clinicopathological and demographic characteristics of GBMAC were different from typical GBAC. They included a larger proportion of patients with unmarried status, advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, higher T stage, higher N1 stage rate and lower N0 and N2 stage rates (P < 0.05). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that surgery [OS: Hazard ratio (HR) = 2.27, P = 0.0037; CSS: HR = 2.05, P = 0.0151], chemotherapy (OS: HR = 6.41, P < 0.001; CSS: HR = 5.24, P < 0.001) and advanced AJCC stage (OS: Stage IV: HR = 28.99, P = 0.0046; CSS: Stage III: HR = 12.31, P = 0.015; stage IV: HR = 32.69, P = 0.0015) were independent prognostic indicators for OS and CSS of GBMAC patients. Furthermore, after PSM analysis, there was no significant difference between GBMAC and matched typical GBAC patients regarding OS (P = 0.82) and CSS (P = 0.69). CONCLUSION: The biological behaviors of GBMAC are aggressive and significantly different from that of typical GBAC. However, they show similar survival prognoses. Surgery, chemotherapy, and lower AJCC stage were associated with better survival outcomes. Further research is needed in the future to verify these results.

Postoperative recurarization after sugammadex administration in two patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy: case reports and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy plays a critical role in multidisciplinary therapy for a variety of malignant tumours. Although oncologists consider myocardial injury to be the most concerning side effect of chemotherapy, unique chemotherapy-mediated skeletal muscular damage has received attention recently. CLINICAL FEATURES: We report two unusual cases of postoperative delayed respiratory failure following administration of the recommended sugammadex dosage for patients undergoing lengthy operations with deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Based on clinical outcomes, especially the comparison of muscle imaging results in patients at different treatment time points, we concluded that NMB recurrence had a possible correlation with neoadjuvant chemotherapy-induced muscular damage. CONCLUSION: The early identification of neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic side effects on NMB could be instrumental for clinical safety, especially in cases of major surgery requiring deep NMB. Thus, the timing of NMB antagonism and the recommended dosage of sugammadex warrant special consideration in these patients. In addition to neuromuscular monitoring during the operation, a more extended and closer observation period in the postanesthesia care unit is warranted.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: La chimiothérapie néoadjuvante préopératoire joue un rôle crucial dans le traitement multidisciplinaire de diverses tumeurs malignes. Bien que les oncologues considèrent les lésions myocardiques comme l'effet secondaire le plus inquiétant de la chimiothérapie, des lésions musculosquelettiques spécifiques induites par la chimiothérapie ont récemment fait l'objet d'une attention plus précise. CARACTéRISTIQUES CLINIQUES: Nous signalons deux cas inhabituels d'insuffisance respiratoire postopératoire retardée suite à l'administration de la posologie recommandée de sugammadex chez des patient·es bénéficiant d'opérations prolongées avec blocage neuromusculaire (BNM) profond après une chimiothérapie néoadjuvante. Sur la base des résultats cliniques, en particulier de la comparaison des résultats d'imagerie musculaire chez les patient·es à différents moments du traitement, nous avons conclu que la récurrence du BNM avait une corrélation intéressante avec les lésions musculaires induites par la chimiothérapie néoadjuvante. CONCLUSION: L'identification précoce des effets secondaires de la chimiothérapie néoadjuvante sur le BNM pourrait jouer un rôle déterminant dans l'innocuité clinique, en particulier en cas de chirurgie majeure nécessitant un BNM profond. Ainsi, le moment de l'antagonisme du BNM et la posologie recommandée de sugammadex nécessitent une attention particulière chez ces patient·es. En plus du monitorage neuromusculaire pendant l'opération, une période d'observation plus longue et plus étroite en salle de réveil est justifiée.

Recent advances in targeted therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of 8% and a median survival of 6 mo. In PDAC, several mutations in the genes are involved, with Kirsten rat sarcoma oncogene (90%), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (90%), and tumor suppressor 53 (75%-90%) being the most common. Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 represents 50%. In addition, the self-preserving cancer stem cells, dense tumor microenvironment (fibrous accounting for 90% of the tumor volume), and suppressive and relatively depleted immune niche of PDAC are also constitutive and relevant elements of PDAC. Molecular targeted therapy is widely utilized and effective in several solid tumors. In PDAC, targeted therapy has been extensively evaluated; however, survival improvement of this aggressive disease using a targeted strategy has been minimal. There is currently only one United States Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted therapy for PDAC - erlotinib, but the absolute benefit of erlotinib in combination with gemcitabine is also minimal (2 wk). In this review, we summarize current targeted therapies and clinical trials targeting dysregulated signaling pathways and components of the PDAC oncogenic process, analyze possible reasons for the lack of positive results in clinical trials, and suggest ways to improve them. We also discuss emerging trends in targeted therapies for PDAC: combining targeted inhibitors of multiple pathways. The PubMed database and National Center for Biotechnology Information clinical trial website (www.clinicaltrials.gov) were queried to identify completed and published (PubMed) and ongoing (clinicaltrials.gov) clinical trials (from 2003-2022) using the keywords pancreatic cancer and targeted therapy. The PubMed database was also queried to search for information about the pathogenesis and molecular pathways of pancreatic cancer using the keywords pancreatic cancer and molecular pathways.

The safety of an MRI simulation-guided boost after short-course preoperative radiotherapy for unresectable rectal cancer (SUNRISE): interim analysis of a randomized phase II trial.

PURPOSE: The safety of an MRI simulation-guided boost after short-course preoperative radiotherapy (SCPRT) for unresectable rectal cancer is assessed with a planned interim analysis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients diagnosed with clinical stage T3-4 or regional lymph node-positive disease with positive mesorectal fascia or T4b disease evaluated by pelvic MRI were randomly assigned to the SCPRT-boost group (25 Gy in 5 fractions plus 4 Gy delivered to the gross tumor volume, followed by four cycles of chemotherapy) or preoperative chemoradiotherapy group (50 Gy in 25 fractions with concurrent chemotherapy). Then, patients received total mesorectal excision surgery after preoperative treatment. The primary endpoint was the R0 resection rate. The interim analysis was performed when 42 patients completed their assigned treatments. RESULTS: From October 2018 to November 2019, a total of 43 patients were enrolled, and 42 patients were included in the interim analysis. During preoperative therapy, grade 3 or above toxicities were observed in 10/21 (47.6%) patients in the experimental group, and 4/21 (19.0%) patients in the control group. A total of 17 (81.0%) and 13 (61.9%) patients in the experimental group and control group underwent surgery, respectively. Overall, 65.1% of the patients achieved R0 resection in the intention-to-treat analysis. Surgery-related adverse complications were observed in 2 patients (11.8%) in the experimental group and 1 patient (7.7%) in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the toxicity of an MRI simulation-guided boost after SCPRT for unresectable rectal cancer is acceptable. Thus, this clinical trial will be continued as planned.

Long-term survival of a patient with pancreatic cancer and lung metastasis: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death, given its poor prognosis and the limited benefits of traditional therapies. As tumors become more genetically disorganized as they progress, genetic mutations might become new markers for us to predict their behavior. Nowadays, many inhibitors can selectively target gene products as a form of targeted therapy, with some showing promise as treatment for various types of cancer. CASE SUMMARY: We describe a rare case of a PC patient with long-term survival of more than 8 yr. The patient was diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with BAP1 and PIK3CA gene mutations and Raf1 fusion and achieved partial response twice after treatment with apatinib in combination with chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: BAP1, PIK3CA mutations, and Raf1 fusion are rare in PDAC. Patients with these three gene alterations of PDAC may achieve long-term survival with apatinib. Further research in other contexts is needed to determine whether apatinib has ideal efficacy for PC treatment.

Clinical characteristics, medical service utilization, and expenditure for colorectal cancer in China, 2005 to 2014: Overall design and results from a multicenter retrospective epidemiologic survey.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in China, however, publicly available, descriptive information on the clinical epidemiology of CRC is limited. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with primary CRC during 2005 through 2014 were sampled from 13 tertiary hospitals in 9 provinces across China. Data related to sociodemographic characteristics, the use of diagnostic technology, treatment adoption, and expenditure were extracted from individual medical records. RESULTS: In the full cohort of 8465 patients, the mean ± SD age at diagnosis was 59.3 ± 12.8 years, 57.2% were men, and 58.7% had rectal cancer. On average, 14.4% of patients were diagnosed with stage IV disease, and this proportion increased from 13.5% in 2005 to 20.5% in 2014 (P value for trend < .05). For diagnostic techniques, along with less use of x-rays (average, 81.6%; decreased from 90.0% to 65.7%), there were increases in the use of computed tomography (average, 70.4%; increased from 4.5% to 90.5%) and magnetic resonance imaging (average, 8.8%; increased from 0.1% to 20.4%) over the study period from 2005 to 2014. With regard to treatment, surgery alone was the most common (average, 50.1%), but its use decreased from 51.3% to 39.8% during 2005 through 2014; and the use of other treatments increased simultaneously, such as chemotherapy alone (average, 4.1%; increased from 4.1% to 11.9%). The average medical expenditure per patient was 66,291 Chinese Yuan (2014 value) and increased from 47,259 to 86,709 Chinese Yuan. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing proportion of late-stage diagnoses presents a challenge for CRC control in China. Changes in diagnostic and treatment options and increased expenditures are clearly illustrated in this study. Coupled with the recent introduction of screening initiatives, these data provide an understanding of changes over time and may form a benchmark for future related evaluations of CRC interventions in China.

Unnecessity of lymph node regression evaluation for predicting gastric adenocarcinoma outcome after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been applied worldwide to improve the survival of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). The evaluation of histological regression in primary tumors is valuable for predicting prognosis. However, the prognostic effect of regression change in lymph nodes (LNs) remains unclear. AIM: To confirm whether the evaluation of regression change in LNs could predict the prognosis of GAC patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the histological regression of resected LNs from 192 GAC patients (including those with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We classified regression change and residual tumor in LNs into four groups: (A) true negative LNs with no evidence of a preoperative therapy effect, (B) no residual metastasis but the presence of regression change in LNs, (C) residual metastasis with regression change in LNs, and (D) metastasis with minimal or no regression change in LNs. Correlations between regression change and residual tumor groups in LNs and regression change in the primary tumor, as well as correlations between regression change in LNs and clinicopathological characteristics, were analyzed. The prognostic effect of regression change and residual tumor groups in LNs was also analyzed. RESULTS: We found that regression change and residual tumor groups in LNs were significantly correlated with regression change in the primary tumor, tumor differentiation, ypT stage, ypN stage, ypTNM stage, lymph-vascular invasion, perineural invasion and R0 resection status. Regression change and residual tumor groups in LNs were statistically significant using univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, but were not independent predictors. For patients who had no residual tumor in LNs, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 67.5% in Group A and 67.4% in Group B. For the patients who had residual tumors in LNs, the 5-year OS rates were 28.2% in Group C and 39.5% in Group D. The patients in Groups A+B had a significantly better outcome than the patients in Groups C+D (P < 0.01). No significant differences in survival were found between Groups A and B, or between Groups C and D. CONCLUSION: The existence of residual tumor in LNs, rather than regression change in LNs, is useful for predicting the prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in GAC patients. In practice, it may not be necessary to report regression change in LNs.

Comparison of 627 patients with right- and left-sided colon cancer in China: Differences in clinicopathology, recurrence, and survival.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have reported increased mortality for right-sided colon cancers; however, the results are conflicting for different stage tumors. We examined the differences in clinicopathology between right- and left-sided colon cancers and the relationships between colon cancer location (right- and left-side) and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). METHODS: We identified patients from 2005 to 2008 with stage II/III colon cancer who underwent surgery for curative intent. We explored the impact of the tumor location on the postoperative DFS and OS using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of 627 patients, 50.6% (317/627) had right-sided colon cancer. These patients were more likely to have weight loss, second primary tumor, elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), increased incidence of non-adenocarcinoma, more poorly differentiated tumors, vascular invasion, defective mismatch repair, and a lighter smoking history (P < 0.05). Right-sided colon cancer had a higher recurrence incidence compared with left-sided cancer (30.6% vs. 23.2%, P = 0.037), particularly with multiple metastatic sites in the first recurrence (17.5% vs. 5.6%, P = 0.020). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated a significant difference in the 5-year DFS rate between right- and left-sided cancers across all stages (68.1% vs. 75.2%, P = 0.043). However, there was no significant difference in the 5-year OS rate between the two groups (73.8% vs. 79.0%, P = 0.103). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that patients with left-sided colon cancer had a significantly better 5-year DFS and OS rates compared with those with right-sided disease at stage III (64.3% vs. 46.8%, P = 0.002; 69.5% vs. 53.5%, P = 0.006, respectively); there were no significant differences in the 5-year DFS and OS rates at stage II (85.2% vs. 85.9%, P = 0.819; 89.8% vs. 88.5%, P = 0.803, respectively). Adjusted Cox regression analysis showed no significant differences in the 5-year OS and DFS rates for stage II [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.203, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.605-2.391, P = 0.598; HR = 0.980, 95% CI: 0.542-1.774, P = 0.948, respectively] or all stages combined (HR = 0.867, 95% CI: 0.613-1.227, P = 0.421; HR = 0.832, 95% CI: 0.606-1.142, P = 0.255, respectively). However, stage III left-sided cancer had higher 5-year OS and DFS rates (HR = 0.626, 95% CI: 0.414-0.948, P = 0.027; HR = 0.630, 95% CI: 0.428-0.926, P = 0.019, respectively). CONCLUSION: We found that right- and left-sided colon cancers had significantly different clinicopathological characteristics. Right-sided colon cancer had a higher incidence of recurrence than left-sided disease. Patients with stage III right-sided colon cancer had a worse prognosis compared with those with stage III left-sided colon cancer.

CYP2A6 Polymorphisms Associate with Outcomes of S-1 Plus Oxaliplatin Chemotherapy in Chinese Gastric Cancer Patients.

Gastric carcinoma is a heterogeneous malignant disease involving genetic factors. To identify predictive markers for gastric cancer treatment in Chinese patients, we evaluated the association between polymorphisms of the gene encoding cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) and outcomes of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) chemotherapy treatment. Clinical data on 60 consecutive gastric cancer patients receiving SOX regimen were collected prospectively. We sequenced all exons of CYP2A6 and a total of 22 different polymorphisms were detected in the present study. Comprehensive analyses of these genetic polymorphisms were performed to determine their association with both safety and efficacy of SOX regimen. Our results showed that polymorphisms of CYP2A6 were associated with the safety and efficacy of SOX treatment. Among them, missense mutations CYP2A6 rs60823196 and rs138978736 could be possible risk factors (P<0.05) for severe diarrhea induced by SOX, whereas CYP2A6 rs138978736 could be a conceivable predictor for overall survival of patients treated with SOX adjuvant chemotherapy. Further large-scale randomized prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Prognostic Analysis of 102 Patients with Synchronous Colorectal Cancer and Liver Metastases Treated with Simultaneous Resection.

BACKGROUND: The liver is the most common site for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. Their removal is a critical and challenging aspect of CRC treatment. We investigated the prognosis and risk factors of patients with CRC and liver metastases (CRCLM) who underwent simultaneous resections for both lesions. METHODS: From January 2009 to August 2016, 102 patients with CRCLM received simultaneous resections of CRCLM at our hospital. We retrospectively analyzed their clinical data and analyzed their outcomes. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were examined by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 22.7 months; no perioperative death or serious complications were observed. Median OS was 55.5 months; postoperative OS rates were 1-year: 93.8%, 3-year: 60.7%, and 5-year: 46.4%. Median DFS was 9.0 months; postoperative DFS rates were 1-year: 43.1%, 3-year: 23.0%, and 5-year 21.1%. Independent risk factors found in multivariate analysis included carcinoembryonic antigen ≥100 ng/ml, no adjuvant chemotherapy, tumor thrombus in liver metastases, and bilobar liver metastases for OS; age ≥60 years, no adjuvant chemotherapy, multiple metastases, and largest diameter ≥3 cm for DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous surgical resection is a safe and effective treatment for patients with synchronous CRCLM. The main prognostic factors are pathological characteristics of liver metastases and whether standard adjuvant chemotherapy is performed.

Impact of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy on Survival in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated by Targeted Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy combined with α-interferon yields additional overall survival (OS) benefits. It is unclear whether mRCC patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI) will benefit from such cytoreductive nephrectomy either. The aim of the study was to identify variables for selection of patients who would benefit from upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy for mRCC treated with VEGFR-TKI. METHODS: Clinical data on 74 patients enrolled in 5 clinical trials conducted in Cancer Hospital (Institute), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2006 to January 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons between patient groups were performed by Chi-square test. A Cox regression model was adopted for analysis of multiple factors affecting survival, with a significance level of α = 0.05. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy followed by targeted therapy (cytoreductive nephrectomy group) and 23 patients were treated with targeted therapy alone (noncytoreductive nephrectomy group). The median OS was 32.2 months and 23.0 months in cytoreductive nephrectomy and noncytoreductive nephrectomy groups, respectively (P = 0.041). Age ≤45 years (P = 0.002), a low or high body mass index (BMI <19 or >30 kg/m2) (P = 0.008), a serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration >1.5 × upper limit of normal (P = 0.025), a serum calcium concentration >10 mg/ml (P = 0.034), and 3 or more metastatic sites (P = 0.023) were independent preoperative risk factors for survival. The patients only with 0-2 risk factors benefited from upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy in terms of OS when compared with the patients treated with targeted therapy alone (40.0 months vs. 23.2 months, P = 0.042), while those with more than 2 risk factors did not. CONCLUSIONS: Five risk factors (age, BMI, LDH, serum calcium, and number of metastatic sites) seemed to be helpful for selecting patients who would benefit from undergoing upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy.

Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of bronchopulmonary carcinoid: an analysis of 74 patients.

To investigate the initial symptoms, treatment, prognosis, and 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of patients with bronchopulmonary carcinoid, clinical and pathological data were collected retrospectively from 74 patients diagnosed with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumors at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, from January 2004 through December 2009. The data collected included age, initial symptoms, primary tumor sites, pathological types, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and the log-rank test was used for univariate analysis of prognostic factors. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for multivariate analysis. The 74 patients included 56 men and 19 women, and their average age was 56.07 years. The most common initial symptom was cough (51.35%), and the major lesion site was the left upper lobe of the lung (38.84%). Of the 59 patients (79.73%) who underwent surgery, most (76.27%) received a pulmonary lobectomy. The patients' 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 92.7, 80.3, and 71.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that both local lymphatic and distant metastases were prognostic factors (P<0.05), whereas multivariate analysis showed that the pathological type (typical carcinoid and atypical carcinoid) was an independent prognostic factor (P=0.006). These data indicate that cough is the major presenting symptom of patients with bronchopulmonary carcinoid and the left upper lobe of the lung is the most commonly involved site. Following treatment, mostly by pulmonary lobectomy, the 5-year survival rate is 71.9%. The pathological tumor type is an independent prognostic factor.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer in Chinese Adolescent Patients.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal adenocarcinoma rarely occurred in adolescent. Clinical feature and prognosis of this population are not clear until now. In addition, DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status may relate to the early disease occurrence. The present study aimed to perform a retrospective analysis of adolescent patients with colorectal cancer, including clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. METHODS: The medical records of 11,503 patients diagnosed as colorectal cancer in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1999 to December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Finally, 19 patients who were between 10 and 20 years old were selected as the study group. We summarized the clinicopathological characteristics, analyzed the association with prognosis and assessed the expression of MMR protein by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: The most common primary site was the right colon in 7 patients. Ten patients had Stage III colorectal cancer, 5 patients had Stage IV disease. Signet ring cell carcinoma was the most frequent pathological type (7/19). Deficient MMR was identified in 2 patients. The 5-year survival rate and median survival time were 23.2% and 26 months. Distant metastasis was identified as an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer in Chinese adolescents was very rare. The chinese adolecents with colorectal cancer were frequently diagnosed in the right colon, as Stage III/IV disease with signet ring cell carcinoma. The prognosis was relatively poor.

Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of Chinese patients with genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma is rarely reported in China. This retrospective analysis aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes of genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in a sample of Chinese patients. METHODS: Basic demographic and clinical data of 29 patients, who were diagnosed with genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma between January 2000 and December 2011, were retrieved and analyzed. RESULTS: In these patients, 25 were males and 4 were females with a median age of 12 years. Paratesticule was the most common lesion site, followed by the prostate, bladder, and vagina. The median tumor size was 5.80 cm. Six patients had clinically positive regional nodes. At the initial diagnosis, patients had a metastatic disease. According to the TNM staging classification for the IRS-IV, phase I lesions were detected in ten cases, phase II lesions in six cases, phase III lesions in four cases, and phase IV lesions in nine cases. The median survival of all patients was 63 (range from 6 to 118) months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for these patients were 93%, 83%, and 52%, respectively. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that staging and anemia were significant predictors of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that metastasis predicts a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy played an important role in comprehensive treatment. Palliative and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy could increase median survival time.

[Analysis of prognostic factors after radical resection in 628 patients with stage II or III colon cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinicopathologic factors related to recurrence and metastasis of stage II or III colon cancer after radical resection. METHODS: The clinical and pathological data of 628 patients with stage II or III colon cancer after radical resection from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2008 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: The overall recurrence and metastasis rate was 28.5% (179/628). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 70.3% and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 78.5%. Univariate analysis showed that age, smoking intensity, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, gross classification, histological differentiation, blood vessel tumor embolus, tumor gross pathology, multiple primary tumors, preoperative and postoperative serum concentration of CEA and CA19-9, and the regimen of adjuvant chemotherapy were correlated to recurrence and metastasis of colon cancer after radical resection. Multivariate analysis showed that regional lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, the regimen of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and preoperative serum concentration of CEA and CA19-9 were independent factors affecting the prognosis of colon cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Regional lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, elevated preoperative serum concentration of CEA and CA19-9, the regimen of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with single fluorouracil type drug are independent risk factors of recurrence and metastasis in patients with stage II-III colon cancer after radical resection.

[Neuroendocrine tumors: analysis of 252 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment status of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in our hospital. METHODS: Medical records of 252 patients with neuroendocrine tumors diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2009 were collected and retrospectively reviewed in this study. The clinicopathological data including age of onset, initial symptoms, primary site, pathological conditions (Sny, CgA, Ki-67), disease stage at diagnosis, treatment, and follow up were analyzed. RESULTS: The gender ratio M/F of the 252 cases was 1.9:1, with mean age of 55.2 years, and the high incidence was in age of 60-69 years. The tumors were located in the gastrointestinal tract (117 cases, 46.4%), broncho-pulmonary system (74 cases, 29.4%), other sites (61 cases, 24.2%) and unknown primary site (2 cases, 0.8%). Their first clinical symptoms vary, depending on the primary site. The common symptoms of primary rectal NETs were changes in bowel habits (29.3%) and diarrhea or constipation (17.5%), and most gastric NETs presented epigastric discomfort (86.4%). Most patients (71.4%) were diagnosed with stage I, II, III disease. Among the 252 cases, there were 110 carcinoids (43.7%), 108 neuroendocrine carcinomas (42.9%), 23 atypical carcinoids (9.1%), five neuroendocrine tumors (2.0%), four Merkel cell tumors (1.6%), and two composite carcinoids (0.8%). 206 patients (81.7%) received surgery, 39 (15.5%) received chemotherapy, and 31 cases (12.3%) were treated by palliative radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: This single-center retrospective analysis of data demonstrated that males have a higher incidence rate than females. The most common primary sites of NETs are the digestive tract and lungs. The initial symptoms of NETs are different depending on their primary sites. Good prognosis can be achieved in the majority of patients after surgery, chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy.

[Phase II clinical trial of docetaxel, platinum and S-1 for advanced gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile and to explore the role of docetaxel, S-1 plus cisplatin (DCS) or oxaliplatin (DOS) in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 45 patients with advanced gastric cancer were recruited. They received DCS or DOS at the discretion of investigators. Docetaxel was given intravenously at the dose of 60 mg/m² at d1, S-1 60 mg×m⁻²×d⁻¹ or 80 - 120 mg/d according to individual patient's area of body surface orally from d1 to d14 and cisplatin 30 mg/m² at d1, d2 or oxaliplatin 111 - 127 (median: 117) mg/m ²at d2. Each cycle was for 21 days. RESULTS: Forty-three patients received ≥ 1 complete cycle of DCS/DOS with a median cycle number of 5(range: 1 - 8). Among 42 patients evaluated for efficacy, the outcomes were partial response (n = 28), stable disease (n = 9) and progression (n = 5). The response rate was 66.7%. Progression-free survival (PFS) of 32 patients on chemotherapy alone was 7.1 months and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The most common grade 3/4 adverse effects included neutropenia (46.5%), thrombocytopenia (9.3%), vomiting (9.3%), nausea (7.0%) and diarrhea (4.7%). Ten of fourteen patients with advanced unresectable gastric cancer without clinically detectable distant metastases underwent surgical resection after a median of 4 (2-6) cycles of DCS or DOS and 9 (64.3%) had R0 resection. CONCLUSIONS: DCS/DOS is effective for advanced gastric cancer and in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. And the toxicities of DCS/DOS are manageable.

[Effect of arsenic pentaoxide on proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cell].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of arsenic pentaoxide (As2O5) on the proliferation and apoptosis of endothelial cells and compare the effect of As2O5 and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in vitro. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were incubated with or without As2O5 or As2O3 for a certain period. The proliferation profile of HUVEC was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method. The apoptosis of HUVEC was detected by microscopy and flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: As shown by MTT assay, the viabilities of HUVEC were (72.5 +/- 13.8)%, (52.9 +/- 6.2)%, (15.0 +/- 12.8)%, and (13.8 +/- 13.2)%, respectively, in 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/L As2O5 groups, of which the viabilities of HUVEC at 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/L of As2O5 were significantly lower than controls (P = 0.006, 0.007, and 0.008); however, the viability was not significantly different between 5.0 and 10.0 mg/L As2O5 groups (P = 0.119). In 1.0 mg/L As2O5 group, the cell viabilities were (88.4 +/- 6.3)%, (53.1 +/- 8.8)%, (30.7 +/- 7.9)%, and (16.3 +/- 4.6)%, respectively, at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, of which the cell viabilities at 48, 72, and 96 h were significantly lower than controls (P = 0.042, 0.025, and 0.012). As2O5-induced apoptosis of HUVEC was observed by phase contrast microscope and flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. After 48 hours of incubation, the IC50s of As2O5 and As2O3 were 1.1 and 0.3 mg/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As2O5 can inhibit the proliferation of HUVEC and the minimum effective concentration is 1 mg/L. Apoptosis is the main way that As2O5 induces the death of HUVEC. The inhibitory effect of As2O5 on HUVEC is weaker than that of As2O3.

[Clinical analysis of 81 cases with primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognostic factors in patients with primary small cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the esophagus. METHODS: Eighty-one esophageal SmCC patients were treated from 1999 to 2007 in our department, and their clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 81 patients, 52 (64.2%) were in limited stage (LS) and 23 (28.4%) in extensive stage (ES). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 55.6%, 6.2% and 2.5%, respectively, with a median survival time of 13.5 months for the whole group; 69.2%, 7.3% and 3.6%, respectively, with a median survival time of 15 months for the LS group; while only 25.2%, 0 and 0, respectively, with a median survival time of 6 months for the ES group. Multivariate analysis showed that disease stage, performance status, multidisciplinary comprehensive therapy and mode of treatment were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Esophageal small cell carcinoma is a rare but highly aggressive malignant tumor. Disease stage and performance status are important prognostic factors. Appropriate treatment may play a key role in improving the survival of the patients.