Complete response of gallbladder cancer treated with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy combined with durvalumab:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Gallbladder cancer(GBC)is the most common and aggressive subtype of biliary tract cancer(BTC)and has a poor prognosis.A newly developed regimen of gemcitabine,cisplatin,and durvalumab shows promise for the treatment of advanced BTC.However,the efficacy of this treatment for GBC remains unclear.CASE SUMMARY In this report,we present a case in which the triple-drug regimen exhibited marked effectiveness in treating locally advanced GBC,thus leading to a long-term survival benefit.A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with locally advanced GBC,which rendered him ineligible for curative surgery.Following three cycles of therapy,a partial response was observed.After one year of combined therapy,a clinical complete response was successfully achieved.Subsequent maintenance therapy with durvalumab monotherapy resulted in a disease-free survival of 9 months for the patient.The patient experienced tolerable toxicities of reversible grade 2 nausea and fatigue.Tolerable adverse events were observed in the patient throughout the entirety of the treatment.CONCLUSION The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy with durvalumab was proven to be an effective treatment approach for advanced GBC,with manageable adverse events.Further research is warranted to substantiate the effectiveness of the combined regimen in the context of GBC.

Surgical management of adult hand macrodactyly in a 49-year-old patient:A case report

BACKGROUND Macrodactyly is a rare congenital malformation characterized by an increase in the size of all structures of a digit,accounting for less than 1%of all congenital upper extremity conditions.CASE SUMMARY We report a case involving a 49-year-old woman who presented for the first time with untreated,radial-sided hand macrodactyly.We performed soft tissue debulking,amputation,median nerve neurotomy and coaptation,and carpal tunnel release.At the 6-year follow-up,no significant growth was observed in the bone or soft tissue of the affected area.CONCLUSION Tissue overgrowth in patients with progressive macrodactyly can continue and progress excessively with age.Median nerve neurotomy and coaptation play a crucial role in preventing recurrence of the deformity.

Pathologic complete response to conversion therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma using patient-derived organoids:A case report

BACKGROUND For primary liver cancer,the key to conversion therapy depends on the effectiveness of drug treatment.Patient-derived tumor organoids have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy of conversion therapy by identifying individualtargeted effective drugs,but their clinical effects in liver cancer remain unknown.CASE SUMMARY We described a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who achieved pathologic complete response(pCR)to conversion therapy guided by the patientderived organoid(PDO)drug sensitivity testing.Despite insufficiency of the remaining liver volume after hepatectomy,the patient obtained tumor reduction after treatment with the PDO-sensitive drugs and successfully underwent radical surgical resection.Postoperatively,pCR was observed.CONCLUSION PDOs contributes to screening sensitive drugs for HCC patients to realize the personalized treatment and improve the conversion therapy efficacy.

Small cell lung carcinoma with KIF5B-RET fusion partially responded to the 4^(th)-line therapy with anlotinib:A case report

BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)exhibits a pronounced tendency for metastasis and relapse,and the acquisition of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy,leading to complexity in treatment outcomes.It is crucial to tackle these challenges by advancing targeted therapeutic approaches in ongoing research endeavors.Variant RET fusions have been reported in several solid tumors,but are rarely reported in SCLC.CASE SUMMARY We present the first case of a KIF5B-RET fusion in a 65-year-old male patient with SCLC.To date,the patient has received the 4th line chemotherapy with anlotinib for one year and has shown a sustained favorable partial response.According to the results of next generation sequencing,this SCLC patient harbors the KIF5BRET fusion,suggesting that RET fusion could serve as a promising molecular target for SCLC treatment.Next-generation sequencing(NGS)plays a critical rolein comprehensively assessing the genotype and phenotype of cancer.CONCLUSION NGS can provide SCLC patients with personalized and targeted therapy options,thereby improving their likelihood of survival.

Advanced cervix cancer patient with chemotherapy-induced grade IV myelosuppression achieved complete remission with cadonilimab:A case report

BACKGROUND The prognosis for patients with advanced metastatic cervix cancer(MCC)is poor,and this disease continues to pose a considerable therapeutic challenge.Despite the administration of first-line regimens consisting of cisplatin,paclitaxel,and bevacizumab,survival rates for patients with metastasis remain poor.The emergence of bispecific antibodies(BsAbs)offers a novel treatment option for patients diagnosed with MCC.CASE SUMMARY In this report,we present a patient with MCC who was treated with cadonilimab monotherapy at a dose of 6 mg/kg every two weeks after chemotherapy was proven to be intolerable.The patient exhibited a sustained complete response for a duration of 6 months,demonstrating an optimistic outlook.CONCLUSION This case illustrates the considerable efficacy of cadonilimab for treating advanced MCC.Therefore,BsAb therapy is a promising strategy for effectively treating patients with advanced MCC and should be considered as an option when patients are intolerant to standard chemotherapy.

Excellent response of severe aplastic anemia to treatment of gut inflammation: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Cumulative evidence suggests that the aberrant immune responses in acquired aplastic anemia(AA) are sustained by active chronic infections in genetically susceptible individuals. Recently, the constant source to trigger and sustain the pathophysiology has been proposed to come from the altered gut microbiota and chronic intestinal inflammation. In this case, our serendipitous finding provides convincing evidence that the persistently dysregulated autoimmunity may be generated, at least in a significant proposition of AA patients, by the altered gut microbiota and compromised intestinal epithelium.CASE SUMMARY A 30-year-old Chinese male patient with refractory severe AA experienced a 3-month-long febrile episode, and his fever was refractory to many kinds of injected broad-spectrum antibiotics. When presenting with abdominal cramps, he was prescribed oral mannitol and gentamycin to get rid of the gut infection. This treatment resulted in a quick resolution of the fever. Unanticipatedly, it also produced an excellent hematological response. He had undergone three episodes of recurrence within the one-year treatment, with each recurrence occurring 7-8 wk from the gastrointestinal inflammation eliminating preparations. However,subsequent treatments were able to produce subsequent remissions and consecutive treatments were successful in achieving durative hematological improvements, strongly indicating an etiological association between chronic gut inflammation and the development of AA. Interestingly, comorbid diseases superimposed on this patient(namely, psychiatric disorders, hypertension,insulin resistance, and renal dysfunction) were ameliorated together with the hematological improvements.CONCLUSION Chronic gut inflammation may be responsible for AA pathogenesis. The comorbidities and AA may share a common etiological association.

Application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib in occult breast cancer:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Occult breast cancer(OBC)is a special type of breast cancer presenting as axillary lymph node metastasis with undetectable primary lesions in the breast.Due to its low incidence and unique clinical manifestations,there is a lack of consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of OBC.We report a case of OBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib.The treatment was well tolerated,and the patient achieved a pathologic complete response.CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old woman presented with a lump in her right axillary area with no primary lesions in the breast.Pathological biopsy confirmed right axillary metastatic carcinoma.Immunohistochemical staining results were positive for progesterone receptor,cytokeratin 7,specific breast markers GATA3 and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15.Tumor cells were negative for estrogen receptor,human epidermal growth factor receptor-2,cytokeratin 5/6,cytokeratin 20,and villin.The patient was diagnosed with OBC,and she underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anlotinib.Mastectomy plus axillary lymph node dissection was performed.The patient achieved pathologic complete response with no residual invasive tumor cells in the breast or axillary lymph nodes.Postoperatively,she received adjuvant radiotherapy and endocrine therapy.CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and anlotinib had good efficacy and safety in the treatment of OBC and may be a new therapeutic option.

Sustained complete response to erlotinib in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck:A case report

BACKGROUND Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck(SCCHN) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling has been shown to be a critical component of therapeutic option. Herein, we report a case of durable complete response to erlotinib.CASE SUMMARY An 81-year-old Caucasian male who presented with metastatic poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of right cervical lymph nodes(levels 2 and 3). Imaging studies including(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(CT) and contrast-enhanced CT scan of neck and chest did not reveal any other disease elsewhere. Panendoscopic examination with random biopsy did not reveal malignant lesion in nasopharynx,oropharynx, and larynx. He underwent modified neck dissection and postoperative radiation. Within 2 mo after completion of radiation, he developed local recurrence at right neck, which was surgically removed. Two mo after the salvage surgery, he developed a second recurrence at right neck. Due to suboptimal performance status and his preference, he started erlotinib treatment.He achieved partial response after first 2 mo of erlotinib treatment, then complete response after total 6 mo of erlotinib treatment. He developed sever skin rash and diarrhea including Clostridium difficile infection during the course of erlotinib treatment requiring dose reduction and eventual discontinuation. He remained in complete remission for more than two years after discontinuation of erlotinib.CONCLUSION We report a case of metastatic SCCHN achieving durable complete response from erlotinib. Patient experienced skin rash and diarrhea toxicities which were likely predictors of his treatment response.

Extensive adhesion formation in a total knee replacement in the setting of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor:A case report

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs)are rare primary neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract,accounting for 1%to 2%of all gastrointestinal neoplasms worldwide.GISTs are frequently discovered incidentally during workup for other diagnosis or intestinal obstruction,as they can present with few or no symptoms.Simultaneously,GISTs confer a high degree of malignant transformation,with a progression in about 10%to 30%of cases.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old healthy female presented to our institution with complaints of right knee pain and limited passive and active motion in the setting of a previous right total knee arthroplasty(TKA).One year after TKA,the patient was incidentally diagnosed with a GIST,which was successfully removed.After removal,the patient continued to have limited range of motion of the right knee and subsequently underwent revision TKA.Intraoperatively significant fibrotic adhesions were found encapsulating the femoral and tibial components.The patient’s pain improved postoperatively,however,she continued to have decreased range of motion with difficulty ambulating.CONCLUSION We propose that this case may demonstrate a proinflammatory milieu arising from a GIST,which had a direct influence on the outcome of recent total knee arthroplasty.This proposed mechanism between neoplastic cytokinetic activity and adhesion formation could have implications on preoperative and postoperative orthopedic management of total knee arthroplasty.

Theoretical and numerical investigations on the headspace of cartridge cases considering axial deformation and movement

The cartridge case headspace is the axial clearance between the cartridge and bolt of an automatic weapon,and influences the reliability and security of the weapon.Accordingly,theoretical and numerical studies were conducted to analyze the dynamic response of cartridge cases during internal impact considering the initial radial clearances between the cartridge case and chamber.A theoretical model was proposed to predict the cartridge case headspace considering both the deformation and movement of the cartridge case and confirmed by the results of nonlinear finite element simulations.The differences between the results of the conventional static model and the dynamic model were then comprehensively evaluated.The effects of the angle between the cartridge and chamber,the cartridge case material,and the intermal impact pressure on the predicted headspace value were also analyzed.The dynamic response of the cartridge case predicted by the dynamic model was more accurate than that predicted by the conventional static model.The internal impact pressure,pressure change rate,and cartridge material were all found to affect the predicted headspace.

Scaphoid metastasis as the first sign of occult gastroesophageal junction cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND Metastatic tumors of the hand are very rare.They are usually late manifestations of massive advanced malignancies.However,a small portion of acrometastases are indications of occult primary cancer.Here,we report an extremely rare case in which a scaphoid bone lesion was the initial manifestation and was found to be a metastasis from gastroesophageal junction(GEJ)cancer.CASE SUMMARY A 57-year-old male patient presented with ongoing left wrist pain and swelling after trauma.He was initially misdiagnosed with infection of the scaphoid bone and treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.Further radiographic investigations showed a scaphoid pathological fracture,indicating a metastatic tumor derived from the GEJ and/or right lung malignancies.Gastroscopy failed to identify the pathology of the mass at the GEJ,which grew in an exophytic pattern.A lung puncture biopsy was not performed because the patient refused the procedure.To relieve his wrist pain and obtain a definite pathology,we resected the scaphoid lesion.Based on the clinical and pathological results,the patient was finally diagnosed with multiple metastases of advanced GEJ adenocarcinoma.He underwent chemotherapy and died 6 mo after his initial presentation.CONCLUSION Despite the rareness of the disease,orthopedic surgeons should consider the possibility of metastasis to the bones of the hand when patients complain of persistent and progressive pain in the hand.

Human menstrual blood-derived stem cells as immunoregulatory therapy in COVID-19:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by novel coronavirus 2019 in December 2019 has spread all around the globe and has caused a pandemic.There is still no current effective guidance on the clinical management of COVID-19.Mesenchymal stem cell therapy has been shown to be one of the therapeutic approaches to alleviate pneumonia and symptoms through their immunomodulatory effect in COVID-19 patients.CASE SUMMARY We describe the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Hangzhou to explore the role of human menstrual blood-derived stem cells(MenSCs)in the treatment of COVID-19.Moreover,we review the immunomodulation effect including nonspecific and specific immune functions of MenSCs for the therapy of COVID-19.CONCLUSION MenSCs can be helpful to find a promising therapeutic approach for COVID-19.

Successful multidisciplinary therapy for a patient with liver metastasis from ascending colon adenocarcinoma:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Liver metastasis is the most common form of distant metastasis in colorectal cancer,and the only possible curative treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases(CRLM)is hepatectomy.However,approximately 25%of patients with CRLM have indications for liver resection at the initial diagnosis.Strategies aimed at downstaging large or multifocal tumors to enable curative resection are appealing.CASE SUMMARY A 42-year-old man was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and liver metastases.Due to the huge lesion size and compression of the right portal vein,the liver metastases were initially diagnosed as unresectable lesions.The patient was treated with preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)consisting of 5-fluorouracil/Leucovorin/oxaliplatin/Endostar®.After four courses,radical right-sided colectomy and ileum transverse colon anastomosis were performed.Postoperatively,the pathological analysis revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with necrosis and negative margins.Thereafter,S7/S8 partial hepatectomy was performed after two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a pathologically complete response(pCR).Intrahepatic recurrence was detected more than two months after the operation,and the patient was then treated with TACE consisting of irinotecan/Leucovorin/fluorouracil therapy plus Endostar®.Subsequently,the patient was treated with aγ-knife to enhance local control.Notably,a pCR was reached,and the patient's overall survival time was>9 years.CONCLUSION Multidisciplinary treatment can promote the conversion of initially unresectable colorectal liver metastasis and facilitate complete pathological remission of liver lesions.

Cumulative logit model in the analysis of endometrial cancer under a matched pair case-control design

Background: Binary as well as polytomous logistic models are widely used for estimating odds ratios when the exposure of prime interest assumes unordered multiple levels under matched pairs case-control design. In our previous studies, we have shown that the use of a polytomous logistic model for estimating cumulative odds ratios when the outcome (response) variable is ordinal (in addition to being polytomous) under matched pairs case-control design. The cumulative odds ratios were estimated based on separate fitting of the model at each of the cutpoint level as compared to less than equal to that level. In this paper we propose an alternative method of estimating the cumulative odds ratios and reanalyze the Los Angeles Endometrial Cancer data in the context of dose levels of conjugated oestrogen exposure and development of endometrial cancer under the matched pair case-control design. Methods: In the present study, the cumulative logit model is fitted using a single multinomial logit model for the data. For this, the full maximum likelihood estimation procedure is adopted. A test for equality of the cumulative odds ratios across the exposure levels is proposed. Results: The analysis revealed that there is a strong evidence of risk for developing endometrial cancer due to oestrogen exposure above each of the three dose level as compared to less than equal to that level. The estimated values at the three cutpoint levels were found to be 6.17, 3.60 and 5.16 respectively. Conclusions: The odds of developing endometrial cancer are very high for the users of any amount of oestrogen, even if it is the least dose, as compared to the non-users.

Complete response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy in recurrent urothelial bladder carcinoma with HER2 gene amplification: A case report

BACKGROUND Targeted treatments may greatly affect the natural history of urothelial carcinoma based on their pharmacokinetics. A phase II trial has explored the combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy with the anti-HER-2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab in selected patients with metastatic bladder cancer, but it failed.CASE SUMMARY Here, we report a case of recurrent urothelial bladder carcinoma(UBC) in a patient who has undergone three operations, and further illuminate its diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis of UBC was rendered according to the pathological indices. Next-generation sequencing on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded(FFPE)tissue was also performed and suggested HER2 gene amplification in the FFPE tissue. Based on HER2 gene amplification in FFPE, the patient was treated with chemotherapy in combination with trastuzumab after his third surgery.Fortunately, the patient got a clinically complete remission to trastuzumab for 34 mo.CONCLUSION There is not enough clinical evidence for incorporating trastuzumab in routine treatment of UBC. This case hinted that recurrent UBC patients with HER2 gene amplification may benefit from targeted trastuzumab. Further studies are needed to further investigate the status of HER2 gene and better determine trastuzumab in the management of UBC.

Porocarcinoma in a palm reconstructed with a full thickness skin graft: A case report

BACKGROUND Porocarcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer that originates from sweat gland tumors.It is an aggressive malignant skin cancer that is difficult to diagnose clinically owing to its rarity and similarity to squamous cell carcinoma(SCC).CASE SUMMARY This case involved a 92-year-old woman,a farmer by profession,presented with an exophytic and verrucous mass on her left palm that had formed 2 years prior and caused chronic pain and frequent bleeding.Initially,the patient was diagnosed with SCC using a punch biopsy;however,a repeat biopsy with addi-tional immunohistochemical tests was performed for porocarcinoma.Ultimately,the patient was diagnosed with porocarcinoma and reconstruction was planned using a full-thickness skin graft.After treatment,the range of motion of the palm was preserved,and the aesthetic outcome was favorable.At 6 mo of follow-up,the patient was satisfied with the outcome.CONCLUSION Porocarcinoma is commonly misdiagnosed as SCC;therefore,clinicians should consider porocarcinomas when evaluating mass-like lesions on the hands.

A novel algorithm for evaluating cement azimuthal density based on perturbation theory in horizontal well

Cement density monitoring plays a vital role in evaluating the quality of cementing projects,which is of great significance to the development of oil and gas.However,the presence of inhomogeneous cement distribution and casing eccentricity in horizontal wells often complicates the accurate evaluation of cement azimuthal density.In this regard,this paper proposes an algorithm to calculate the cement azimuthal density in horizontal wells using a multi-detector gamma-ray detection system.The spatial dynamic response functions are simulated to obtain the influence of cement density on gamma-ray counts by the perturbation theory,and the contribution of cement density in six sectors to the gamma-ray recorded by different detectors is obtained by integrating the spatial dynamic response functions.Combined with the relationship between gamma-ray counts and cement density,a multi-parameter calculation equation system is established,and the regularized Newton iteration method is employed to invert casing eccentricity and cement azimuthal density.This approach ensures the stability of the inversion process while simultaneously achieving an accuracy of 0.05 g/cm^(3) for the cement azimuthal density.This accuracy level is ten times higher compared to density accuracy calculated using calibration equations.Overall,this algorithm enhances the accuracy of cement azimuthal density evaluation,provides valuable technical support for the monitoring of cement azimuthal density in the oil and gas industry.

Utility of positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan in detecting residual hepatocellular carcinoma post treatment:Series of case reports

BACKGROUND Multi-phase computed tomography(CT)or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)has been the standard of care for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)diagnosis for years.CASE SUMMARY We report a case series of four patients in whom positron emission tomographycomputed tomography(PET-CT)scan complemented the conventional CT/MRI scans in evaluating treatment response.In these four cases the conventional multi-phase CT and MRI failed to identify residual HCC disease post-treatment,while PET-CT complemented and aided in treatment response evaluation.In each case,the addition of PET-CT identified and located residual HCC disease,allowed retreatment,and altered medical management.CONCLUSION This case series suggests that PET-CT should perhaps play a role in the HCC management algorithm,in addition to the conventional contrast-enhanced multiphase scans.

Cryoablation for intrapulmonary bronchial cyst:A case report

BACKGROUND Bronchial cysts are congenital malformations usually located in the mediastinum,and intrapulmonary localization is very rare.Cryoablation is a novel therapeutic approach that promotes tumor necrosis and stimulates anti-tumor immune responses.CASE SUMMARY This article reports a case of a 68-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with an intrapulmonary bronchogenic cyst by computed tomography examination and pathology,and the patient subsequently underwent cryoablation therapy and achieved complete response with after 3 months of follow-up.CONCLUSION Intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts are very rare,cryoablation therapy is feasible,safe,and effective for intrapulmonary bronchial cysts.

Siblings with coronavirus disease 2019 infection and opposite outcome—the hemodialysis’s better outcome paradox:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a highly contagious infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus and has a unique underlying pathogenesis.Hemodialysis(HD)patients experience high risk of contamination with COVID-19 and are considered to have higher mortality rates than the general population by most but not all clinical series.We aim to highlight the peculiarities in the immune state of HD patients,who seem to have both immune-activation and immune-depression affecting their outcome in COVID-19 infection.CASE SUMMARY We report the opposite clinical outcomes(nearly asymptomatic course vs death)of two diabetic elderly patients infected simultaneously by COVID-19,one being on chronic HD and the other with normal renal function.They were both admitted in our hospital with COVID-19 symptoms and received the same treatment by protocol.The non-HD sibling deteriorated rapidly and was intubated and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit,where he died despite all supportive care.The HD sibling,although considered more“high-risk”for adverse outcome,followed a benign course and left the hospital alive and well.CONCLUSION These cases may shed light on aspects of the immune responses to COVID-19 between HD and non-HD patients and stimulate further research in pathophysiology and treatment of this dreadful disease.