An analysis of melanoma epidemic characteristics and distribution in the eastern Chinese city Ningbo from 2011 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis and increasing global incidence. Little is known about the burden of melanoma in eastern Chinese cities, as the results of previous studies are inconsistent or unclear. METHODS: In this study, we collected incidence rate data from the Ningbo National Health Information Platform, diagnostic data from the Ningbo Clinicopathological Diagnosis Center, and other relevant data from the Ningbo Bureau of Statistics to evaluate temporal trends and geographic variation in melanoma incidence and to analyze the relationship between melanoma incidence and medical resource availability. RESULTS: The incidence of melanoma in Ningbo has increased significantly in the past 8 years. In 2018, melanoma incidence in Ningbo was 521.67% higher than that in 2011, which was higher than the increase in the national rate. This may be a result of our study including early melanoma, which has a faster increase rate than invasive melanoma. The incidence rate of melanoma in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural districts. From 2011 to 2018, the incidence rate in rural districts increased by 794.15%, which was significantly higher than the incidence rate increase in urban areas (245.03%). CONCLUSIONS: All indicators relating to medical resources had a significant positive impact on melanoma incidence, indicating that the low incidence of melanoma is partly due to a lack of medical resources, which can lead to delayed treatment and increased disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Therefore, it is necessary to continue to strengthen investment in medical resources, especially in China's rural areas and western regions where medical resources are less available.

Port-site metastasis of unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma with ossification after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma (UGC) refers to cholecystectomy due to benign gallbladder disease, which is pathologically confirmed as gallbladder cancer during or after surgery. Port-site metastasis (PSM) of UGC following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rare, especially after several years. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old man presenting with acute cholecystitis and gallstones was treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy in July 2008. Histological analysis revealed unexpected papillary adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder with gallstones, which indicated that the tumor had spread to the muscular space (pT1b). Radical resection of gallbladder carcinoma was performed 10 d later. In January 2018, the patient was admitted to our hospital for a mass in the upper abdominal wall after surgery for gallbladder cancer 10 years ago. Laparoscopic exploration and complete resection of the abdominal wall tumor were successfully performed. Pathological diagnosis showed metastatic or invasive, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in fibrous tissue with massive ossification. Immuno-histochemistry and medical history were consistent with invasion or metastasis of gallbladder carcinoma. His general condition was well at follow-up of 31 mo. No recurrence was found by ultrasound and epigastric enhanced computed tomography. CONCLUSION: PSM of gallbladder cancer is often accompanied by peritoneal metastasis, which indicates poor prognosis. Once PSM occurs after surgery, laparoscopic exploration is recommended to rule out abdominal metastasis to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Ailanthone: A novel potential drug for treating human cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. In 2015, >8.7 million people died worldwide due to cancer, and by 2030 this figure is expected to increase to ~13.1 million. Tumor chemotherapy drugs have specific toxicity and side effects, and patients can also develop secondary drug resistance. To prevent and treat cancer, scientists have developed novel drugs with improved antitumor effects and decreased toxicity. Ailanthone (AIL) is a quassinoid extract from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Ailanthus altissima, which is known to have anti-inflammatory and antimalarial effects. An increasing number of studies have focused on AIL due to its antitumor activity. AIL can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis by up- or downregulating cancer-associated molecules, which ultimately leads to cancer cell death. Antitumor effects of AIL have been observed in melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder, lung, breast, gastric and prostate cancer and vestibular neurilemmoma. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first review to describe the antitumor mechanisms of AIL.

Clinical significance of the molecular heterogeneity of gastrointestinal stromal tumors and related research: A systematic review.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most commonly observed mesenchymal tumors of the digestive tract, and they originate from the interstitial cells of Cajal. GISTs can be divided into KIT/PDGFRA­mutant GISTs and wild­type GISTs based on the presence or absence of KIT/PDGFRA mutations. Wild­type GISTs can be divided into succinate dehydrogenase complex (SDH)­deficient GISTs and non­SDH­deficient GISTs. Downstream signaling pathways activated by these mutations serve a pivotal role in the development of GISTs and are associated with the biological behavior, including risk stratification, clinical prognosis and drug resistance. Accurate medical care requires accurate molecular diagnosis, which in turn prolongs the survival of patients with GISTs and makes GIST a chronic disease. At present, there is a lack of effective treatment for imatinib/sunitinib/regorafenib resistant patients and KIT/PDGFRA­WT GISTs, which is undoubtedly a major challenge for future research. The present review summarizes the molecular pathogenesis of GISTs and the progress of related research.