Risk factors for occult nodal metastasis in patients with stage ⅠA peripheral non-small cell lung cancer

Objective To study the risk factors of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in patients with ≤3 cm peripheral non small cell lung cancer. Methods From January 2000 to December 2010,a total of 281 patients with NSCLC [152 men and 129 women,aged (60. 31 ± 12. 13) years; ≤ 3 cm in diameter]underwent lobectomy or partial resection with systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy in hospital. Clinical data included age,gender,

Relationship between VEGF,EGF and Invasion,Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Cells

Objective： To investigate the relationship between expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, epidermal growth factor （EGF） and the biological properties of gastric cancer cells such as invasion and metastasis. Methods： RT-PCR was performed to semi-quantitatively detect the mRNA expressions of EGF, EGFR, VEGF and VEGFR in four kinds of gastric cancer cell lines BGC823, MGCS03, HGC27 and SGC7901, which were classified by their differentiation degree in our experiment. We obtained cell line growth curves from MTT assays. The migration of gastric cancer cells was observed under inverted phase contrast microscope. The changes of invasion and adhesion were detected by a Transwell assay. Results： The growth rates slowed down sequentially in MGC803, HGC27, BGC823 and SGC7901（P〈 0.05）. The ability of migration, invasion and adhesion were reduced sequentially, and the difference was significant. The expressions of EGF, EGFR, VEGF and VEGFR were significantly stronger in MGCS03 and HGC27 than in BGC823 and SGC7901 cells, and the difference was statistically significant（P〈0.05）. Conclusion： The expressions of VEGF and EGF had close relationship with the properties of migration, adhesion and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro. Thus, targeting VEGF and EGF may be a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer.

Factors predicting upstaging from clinical N0 to pN2a/N3a in breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND With sentinel node metastasis in breast cancer(BC)patients,axillary lymph node(ALN)dissection is often omitted from cases with breast-conserving surgery.Omission of lymph node dissection reduces the invasiveness of surgery to the patient,but it also obscures the number of metastases to non-sentinel nodes.The possibility of finding≥4 lymph nodes(pN2a/pN3a)preoperatively is important given the ramifications for postoperative treatment.AIM To search for clinicopathological factors that predicts upstaging from N0 to pN2a/pN3a.METHODS Patients who were sentinel lymph node(SLN)-positive and underwent ALN dissection between September 2007 and August 2018 were selected by retrospective chart review.All patients had BC diagnosed preoperatively as N0 with axillary evaluation by fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography and ultrasound (US)examination. When suspicious FDG accumulation was found in ALN, the presence of metastasiswas reevaluated by second US. We examined predictors of upstaging from N0 to pN2a/pN3a.RESULTSAmong 135 patients, we identified 1-3 ALNs (pN1) in 113 patients and ³4 ALNs (pN2a/pN3a) in22 patients. Multivariate analysis identified the total number of SLN metastasis, the maximaldiameter of metastasis in the SLN (SLNDmax), and FDG accumulation of ALN as predictors ofupstaging to pN2a/pN3a.CONCLUSIONWe identified factors involved in upstaging from N0 to pN2a/pN3a. The SLNDmax and numberof SLN metastasis are predictors of ≥ 4 ALNs (pN2a/pN3a) and predictors of metastasis to nonsentinelnodes, which have been reported in the past. Attention should be given to axillaryaccumulations of FDG, even when faint.

Clinical evaluation of serum concentrationsof intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with colorectal cancer

AIM： To investigate the correlation between the serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （sICAM-1） and the clinicopathologic features and to evaluate the possible prognostic significance of sICAM-1 concentration in colorectal cancer.METHODS： A total of 56 patients （mean age 57.3 years） having transitional cell carcinoma of the colorectal and 25 control patients （mean age 42.6 years） were enrolled in the study. The serum samples of the patients were obtained on the day before surgery. Sera were obtained by centrifugation, and stored at -80℃ until assay. Serum concentrations of ICAM-1 were measured with enzymelinked immunoassay. Differences between the two groups were analyzed by Student＇s t-test.RESULTS： No significant increase of serum slCAM-1 could be demonstrated in the Dukes A1 patients （352.63±61.82μg/L） compared to the control group （345.72±49.81 μg/L,/〉〉0.05）, Dukes A1 patients （352.63±61.82 μg/L）compared to Dukes A2,3 patients （491.17±86.36μg/L,P〈0.05）. Furthermore, the patients with Dukes B had significantly higher serum concentrations of sICAM-1 than those of the control group （496.82±93.04μg/L vs 345.72±49.81μg/L, P〈0.01）. Compared with Dukes A2,3,B colorectal cancer patients, patients with more advanced clinical stage （Dukes C and D） had higher levels of sICAM-1 （743.68±113.74 μg/L vs491.17±86.36μg/L and 496.82±93.04 μg/L, P〈0.001）. The difference was statistically significant in sICAM-1 levels between patients with positive lymph node status and those without lymph node involvement （756.25±125.57μg/L vs 445.62±69.18 μg/L, P〈0.001）.Patients with poorly differentiated colorectal cancer had a higher level of slCAIVl-1 than those with differentiated and highly differentiated cancer （736.49±121.97μg/L vs410.23±67.47 μg/L, P〈0.001）.CONCLUSION： In this study, serum ICAM-1 levels were found to be related to tumor presence, clinical stages,and grade. Increased ICAM-1 in patients with colorectal cancer which should be considered when the diagnostic and/or prognostic usefulness of soluble ICAM-1 is to be evaluated, sICAM-1 should prove useful for monitoring malignant disease stage and for evaluating the effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches for colorectal carcinomas.