Case report: Quadruple primary malignant neoplasms including esophageal, ureteral, and lung in an elderly male.

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMNs) are defined as multiple tumors with different pathogenic origins. MPMNs are rare, but the morbidity rate is on the rise. With the development of anti-tumor treatments, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the overall survival of cancer patients has been significantly prolonged, leading to an increased number of patients with MPMNs. A crucial aspect of MPMNs management is deciding how to schedule further treatments according to individual tumor risk. This process involves a multidisciplinary physician team to ensure favorable outcomes. Herein we report a 60-year-old male who developed four different malignancies, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma, mediastinal small cell lung cancer, and left lung squamous cell carcinoma over 20 years and received appropriate treatment of each cancer with long survival.

PODN is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma was the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents. It was imperative to identify effective prognostic biomarkers for this cancer. This study was aimed to identify potential crucial genes of osteosarcoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: Identification of differentially expressed genes from public data gene expression profiles (GSE42352), functional and pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and module analysis, Cox regression and survival analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Totally 17 co-differential genes were found to be differentially expressed. These genes were enriched in biological processes, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) pathway of inflammatory immune response. PPI network was constructed with 63 differentially expressed genes that co-existed between the test set and the validation set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC value) was 0.855, which indicated that the expression of PODN had a good diagnostic value for osteosarcoma. Furthermore, Cox regression and survival analysis revealed 5 genes were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: PODN was regarded as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma, ACTA2, COL6A1, FAP, OLFML2B and COL6A3, can be used as potential prognostic indicators for osteosarcoma.

[Effect of water conservancy schistosomiasis control projects in rivers and estuaries connecting with the Yangtze River on Oncomelania snail control].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the water conservancy schistosomiasis control projects in rivers and estuaries connecting with the Yangtze River on Oncomelania snail control. METHODS: Three water conservancy schistosomiasis control projects of Laobianmin River, Panjia River and Bianmin River were chosen for the objects of the study. The concrete slope protection and the overflow dam, the concrete slope protection and the check sluice, and the simple concrete slope protection were built respectively in above mentioned three rivers. The changes of the area with snails and density of snails were investigated before and after the interventions, and the results were compared among the three projects. RESULTS: In the condition of the routine snail control with the molluscicide, the snails were eliminated in the main riverway of the Laobianmin River, but the snails still existed in the target protected area (tributaries of the river and irrigation areas); the snails were eliminated in the Panjia River and its irrigation areas; in the Bianmin River, the areas with snails dropped by 89.22% in the main river and still remained in the tributaries and irrigation areas after the project implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The sluice and overflow dam more contribute to control and eliminate snails in the project areas and the target protected areas in the rivers and estuaries connecting with the Yangtze River. The priority of consideration should be given to the water level control and prevention of snail spreading in the water level instability rivers connecting with the Yangtze River.

[Salvage surgical approach for patients with post-radiation local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate salvage surgical approaches and efficacy for post-radiation local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Thirteen patients with post-radiation local recurrent NPC underwent salvage surgical treatment by routes as transpalatal approach, nasal medial swing approach, maxillary swing approach and infratemporal fossa approach. All cases were followed up for 2 to 5 years. Analysis was done on the indications and efficacy of these 4 different approaching routes. RESULTS: No immediate operative complications occurred for all these 13 cases. Four patients with T1 and T2a operated via transpalatal approach and nasal medial swing approach survived more than 3 years. Five patients with T2b and T3 operated via maxillary swing approach. Among them, two patients died at second and 24th month after operation, one survived with tumor and died at 13rd month after operation, two were alive free of tumor for 2 and 4 years after operation. Four patients with T4 operated via infratemporal fossa approach. Among them, three died in 1 year, one was alive free of tumor for 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical approaches were decided by a comprehensive consideration of recurrent tumor site and invasive range to achieve the best operative site exposure with minimal traumatic damage.

[Modified type I thyroplasty for treating unilateral vocal cord paralysis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore a new surgical approach for treating unilateral vocal cord paralysis. METHODS: Five cases of unilateral vocal cord paralysis due to various causes were treated with modified type I thyroplasty. Laryngostroboscopy and electroglottography were performed before and after the operations. RESULTS: The vocal cords were shifted very close to the median line in all the 5 cases postoperatively as shown by laryngostroboscopy and electroglottography. Complete closure of the glottis was achieved. The patients had almost normal results of electroglottography, and the vocal sound nearly recovered normal or was significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Modified type I thyroplasty is effective, safe and easy in treating unilateral vocal cord paralysis.