Depression and anxiety among cancer patients visiting a tertiary care cancer hospital

BACKGROUND Cancer patients frequently experience psychological problems related to reactions to cancer diagnosis,cancer type and stage,treatment effects,recurrence,fear of end-of-life,survivorship,and financial burden.Depression and anxiety are both psychological and physiological disturbances among cancer patients.AIM To assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety among cancer patients attending a tertiary care cancer hospital.METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu Valley among 220 cancer patients aged from 18 years to 70 years.Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee of CiST College.Convenient sampling was used to interview patients with the standardized Patient-Health Questionnaire(PHQ-9)for Depression and Hospital Anxiety and Depression sub-scale(HADS-A)for anxiety.Epi-Data was used for data entry and transferred to SPSS Version 25 for analysis.RESULTS The study revealed that of 220 patients,most of the respondents belonged to the age group 51-60 years.More than half 131(59.6%)of the respondents were female,most of them had depression,and one-third had anxiety.Among the respondents,124(56.4%)had mild depression,70(31.8%)had moderate depression,and 3(1.3%)had severe depression;79(35.9%)had mild anxiety,64(29.1%)had moderate anxiety,and 4(1.8%)had severe anxiety.CONCLUSION Most respondents were depressed and one-third had anxiety.More than half and nearly one-third had mild and moderate depression,respectively,and nearly one-third had mild and moderate anxiety,which is higher than other studies.

Effects of Tongluo Jiedu prescription on immune function and oxidative stress in patients with oral cancer

BACKGROUND Oral cancer,which is caused by mucous membrane variation,represents a prevalent malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial region,posing a significant threat to patients’lives and safety.While surgical intervention stands as a cornerstone treatment for oral cancer patients,it carries the risk of incomplete treatment or high rates of postoperative recurrence.Hence,a multifaceted approach incorporating diverse treatment modalities is essential to enhance patient prognosis.AIM To analyze the application effect of Tongluo Jiedu prescription as adjuvant therapy and its influence on patient prognosis in patients with oral cancer.METHODS Eighty oral cancer patients in our hospital were selected and divided into the observation group and control group by a random number table.The control group was treated with continuous arterial infusion chemotherapy of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil.The observation group was additionally given Tongluo Jiadu prescription.The inflammatory stress level,peripheral blood T-cell subsets,and immune function of the two groups were subsequently observed.SPSS 21.0 was used for data analysis.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated lower levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein,and a higher level of tumor necrosis factor in comparison to the control group.After treatment,the immune function in the observation group was significantly better than in the control group.CONCLUSION Tongluo Jiedu prescription can improve the immune function and oxidative stress level of patients with oral cancer and accelerate the recovery process.

Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique

BACKGROUND Postoperative delirium,particularly prevalent in elderly patients after abdominal cancer surgery,presents significant challenges in clinical management.AIM To develop a synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-based model for predicting postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal cancer patients.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we analyzed data from 611 elderly patients who underwent abdominal malignant tumor surgery at our hospital between September 2020 and October 2022.The incidence of postoperative delirium was recorded for 7 d post-surgery.Patients were divided into delirium and non-delirium groups based on the occurrence of postoperative delirium or not.A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors and develop a predictive model for postoperative delirium.The SMOTE technique was applied to enhance the model by oversampling the delirium cases.The model’s predictive accuracy was then validated.RESULTS In our study involving 611 elderly patients with abdominal malignant tumors,multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for postoperative delirium.These included the Charlson comorbidity index,American Society of Anesthesiologists classification,history of cerebrovascular disease,surgical duration,perioperative blood transfusion,and postoperative pain score.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium in our study was 22.91%.The original predictive model(P1)exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862.In comparison,the SMOTE-based logistic early warning model(P2),which utilized the SMOTE oversampling algorithm,showed a slightly lower but comparable area under the curve of 0.856,suggesting no significant difference in performance between the two predictive approaches.CONCLUSION This study confirms that the SMOTE-enhanced predictive model for postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal tumor patients shows performance equivalent to that of traditional methods,effectively addressing data imbalance.

Effect of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction on painless gastroscopy and gastrointestinal and immune function in gastric cancer patients

BACKGROUND Painless gastroenteroscopy is a widely developed diagnostic and treatment technology in clinical practice.It is of great significance in the clinical diagnosis,treatment,follow-up review and other aspects of gastric cancer patients.The application of anesthesia techniques during manipulation can be effective in reducing patient fear and discomfort.In clinical work,the adverse drug reactions of anesthesia regimens and the risk of serious adverse drug reactions are increased with the increase in propofol application dose application dose;the application of opioid drugs often causes gastrointestinal reactions,such as nausea,vomiting and delayed gastrointestinal function recovery,after examination.These adverse effects can seriously affect the quality of life of patients.AIM To observe the effect of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction on gastrointestinal function,related complications and immune function in patients with gastric cancer during and after painless gastroscopy.METHODS A total of 106 patients with gastric cancer,who were selected from January 2022 to September 2022 in Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for painless gastroscopy,were randomly divided into a treatment group(n=56)and a control group(n=50).Before the examination,all patients fasted for 8 h,provided their health education,and confirmed if there were contraindications to anesthesia and gastroscopy.During the examination,the patients were placed in the left decubitus position,the patients were given oxygen through a nasal catheter(6 L/min),the welling needle was opened for the venous channel,and a multifunction detector was connected for monitoring electrocardiogram,oxygen saturation,blood pressure,etc.Naporphl and propofol propofol protocols were used for routine anesthesia.Before anesthesia administration,the patients underwent several deep breathing exercises,received intravenous nalbuphine[0.nalbuphine(0.025 mg/kg)],followed by intravenous propofol[1.propofol(1.5 mg/kg)]until the palpebral reflex disappeared,and after no response,gastroscopy was performed.If palpebral reflex disappeared,and after no response,gastroscopy was performed.If any patient developed movement,frowning,or hemodynamic changes during the operation(heart rate changes during the operation(heart rate increased to>20 beats/min,systolic blood pressure increased to>20%of the base value),additional propofol[0.propofol(0.5 mg/kg)]was added until the patient was sedated again.The patients in the treatment group began to take the preventive intervention of Modified ShengYangYiwei decoction one week before the examination,while the patients in the control group received routine gastrointestinal endoscopy.The patients in the two groups were examined by conventional painless gastroscopy,and the characteristics of the painless gastroscopies of the patients in the two groups were recorded and compared.These characteristics included the total dosage of propofol during the examination,the incidence of complications during the operation,the time of patients'awakening,the time of independent activities,and the gastrointestinal function of the patients after examination,such as the incidence of reactions such as malignant vomiting,abdominal distension and abdominal pain,as well as the differences in the levels of various immunological indicators and inflammatory factors before anesthesia induction(T0),after conscious extubation(T1)and 24 h after surgery(T2).RESULTS There was no difference in the patients’general information,American Society of Anesthesiologist classification or operation time between the two groups before treatment.In terms of painless gastroscopy,the total dosage of propofol in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the time of awakening and autonomous activity was significantly faster than that in the control group(P<0.05).During the examination,the incidence of hypoxemia,hypotension and hiccups in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of gastrointestinal function,the incidences of nausea,vomiting,abdominal distension and abdominal pain in the treatment group after examination were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of immune function,in both groups,the number of CD4+and CD8+cells decreased significantly(P<0.05),and the number of natural killer cells increased significantly(P<0.05)at T1 and T2,compared with T0.The number of CD4+and CD8+cells in the treatment group at the T1 and T2 time points was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),while the number of natural killer cells was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).In terms of inflammatory factors,compared with T0,the levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients in the two groups at T1 and T2 increased significantly and then decreased(P<0.05).The level of IL-6 at T1 and T2 in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The preoperative use of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction can optimize the anesthesia program during painless gastroscopy,improve the gastrointestinal function of patients after the operation,reduce the occurrence of examination-related complications.

Treatment strategies for patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health concern globally,ranking fifth in frequency and fourth in cancer-associated mortality1.In China,an estimated 396,500 new cases are diagnosed each year,and late-stage disease comprises more than 80%of cases2.Because of late diagnosis and heterogeneous characteristics,the prognosis of GC remains poor.For patients with advanced disease,traditional chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment,but its clinical outcomes are far from satisfactory,with a 5-year survival rate below 10%.

Diagnosis of malnutrition in cancer patients

Malnutrition is a common complication in patients with malignant tumors and adversely affects treatment and prognosis1.It has been reported that the global prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients with malignant tumors is approximately 70%2.Moreover,approximately 20%of cancer patient deaths are directly attributable to malnutrition3.According to the Investigation on Nutrition Status and its Clinical Outcome of Common Cancers(INSCOC)project4,the overall prevalence of malnutrition in Chinese inpatients with common malignant tumors is 80.4%.Of the 58.

Pre-existing cardiometabolic comorbidities and survival of middle-aged and elderly non-small cell lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND Both lung cancer and cardiometabolic diseases are leading causes of death in China,and they share some common risk factors.However,the prevalence and long-term effect of pre-existing cardiometabolic comorbidities(CMCs)on the survival of middle-aged and elderly lung cancer patients are still not clear.METHODS We consecutively recruited 3477 non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients between January 2011 and December 2018 from four cancer specialty hospitals in China.Univariable and multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to evaluate the risk factors associated with mortality.Hazard ratio(HR)for mortality and corresponding 95%CI were calculated.RESULTS The prevalence of CMCs was 30.0%in middle-aged NSCLC patients and 45.5%in elderly NSCLC patients.Log-rank analysis presented statistically significant differences in median survival time between patients with CMCs and without CMCs in both the middle-aged group(21.0 months vs.32.0 months,P<0.01)and the elderly group(13.0 months vs.17.0 months,P=0.01).Heart failure(HR=1.754,95%CI:1.436–2.144,P<0.001)and venous thrombus embolism(HR=2.196,95%CI:1.691–2.853,P<0.001)were independent risk factors for the survival of middle-aged NSCLC patients,while heart failure(HR=1.709,95%CI:1.371–2.130,P<0.001)continued to decrease overall survival in the elderly group.Hyperlipidemia may be a protective factor for survival in middle-aged group(HR=0.741,95%CI:0.566–0.971,P=0.030).CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate for the first time the prevalence and prognostic value of pre-existing CMCs in Chinese middle-aged and elderly NSCLC patients.

Role of circulating tumor cell clusters in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer receiving a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist: A pilot study

Dear Editor,Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men[1].Androgen deprivation therapy(ADT)has remained the primary treatment of metastatic-hormone-sensitive prostate cancer(mHSPC),providing a temporary disease control in the majority of patients.Despite initial ADT response,castration-resistance prostate cancer(CRPC)still develops.Previous study have attempted to determine possible biomarkers for poor prognosis in patients with CRPC[2].

Cancer risk in relatives of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers in a large series of unselected patients with breast cancer

Objective:The spectrum and risk of cancer in relatives of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers in the Chinese population have not been established.Methods:A family history of cancer in 9903 unselected breast cancer patients was retrospectively analyzed.BRCA1/2 status was determined for all patients and relative risks(RRs)were calculated to evaluate cancer risk in relatives of the patients.Results:The incidences of breast cancer in female relatives of BRCA1 carriers,BRCA2 carriers,and non-carriers were 33.0%,32.2%,and 7.7%,respectively.The corresponding incidences of ovarian cancer were 11.5%,2.4%,and 0.5%,respectively.The incidences of pancreatic cancer in male relatives of BRCA1 carriers,BRCA2 carriers,and non-carriers were 1.4%,2.7%,and 0.6%,respectively.The corresponding incidences of prostate cancer were 1.0%,2.1%,and 0.4%,respectively.The risks of breast and ovarian cancers in female relatives of BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers were significantly higher than female relatives of non-carriers(BRCA1:RR=4.29,P<0.001 and RR=21.95,P<0.001;BRCA2:RR=4.19,P<0.001 and RR=4.65,P<0.001,respectively).Additionally,higher risks of pancreatic and prostate cancers were noted in male relatives of BRCA2 carriers than non-carriers(RR=4.34,P=0.001 and RR=4.86,P=0.001,respectively).Conclusions:Female relatives of BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers,and male relatives of BRCA2 carriers are at increased risk for pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Attitudes and understanding of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer care:An exploratory study of patients’perspectives in Karachi,Pakistan

Objective:To evaluate the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM)modalities among patients with cancer in Karachi,Pakistan.Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to December 2021.Five hundred patients with cancer were invited to participate in the study.Electronic databases,namely,Google scholar,Publons,EMBASE,PubMed,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database,and ResearchGate was used for questionnaire designed.The self-administered survey included questions on demographic characteristics,education level,socio-economic conditions and information about CAM therapies,prevalence,effectiveness,and common CAM modalities.Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 22.Results:Out of the 500 invited patients,433(86.6%)successfully completed and returned the questionnaires.In contrast to patients who were with younger,highly educated,professionally active,higher income,and had advanced cancer,time since diagnosis,type of treatment,cancer types and family history are significantly associated with CAM use.The results showed that 59.8%of the participants were acquainted with complementary and/or alternative medicine and considered safe owing to its natural ingredients.The prevalence of CAM usage among cancer patients was 40.9%and the most widely used CAM modality was herbal medicine(27.7%)and dietary supplements(28.8%).Patients used CAM as a complementary therapy to improve the morphological parameter(28.2%),strengthen the immune system(6.8%),and to decrease the side effects of conventional treatment(18.1%).Most of the respondents get the information regarding CAM therapy from the electronic media(43.2%)and the family members(48%)rather than healthcare personnel.Conclusions:Participants used CAM modalities along with the conventional health care practices.Further multicentre studies should be conducted to provide information regarding the usage of CAM therapies and their eventual benefits in patients with cancer.

Survival benefit of younger gastric cancer patients in China and the United States:A comparative study

BACKGROUND The impact of racial and regional disparity on younger patients with gastric cancer(GC) remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic nomogram, and biological analysis of younger GC patients in China and the United States.METHODS From 2000 to 2018, GC patients aged less than 40 years were enrolled from the China National Cancer Center and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Biological analysis was performed based on the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Survival analysis was conducted via Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.RESULTS A total of 6098 younger GC patients were selected from 2000 to 2018, of which 1159 were enrolled in the China National Cancer Center, and 4939 were collected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Compared with the United States group, younger patients in China revealed better survival outcomes(P < 0.01). For race/ethnicity, younger Chinese cases also enjoyed a better prognosis than that in White and Black datasets(P < 0.01). After stratification by pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis(pTNM) stage, a survival advantage was observed in China with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ(all P < 0.01), whereas younger GC patients with stage Ⅱ showed no difference(P = 0.16). In multivariate analysis, predictors in China involved period of diagnosis, linitis plastica, and pTNM stage, while race, diagnostic period, sex, location, differentiation, linitis plastica, signet ring cell, pTNM stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were confirmed in the United States group. Prognostic nomograms for younger patients were established, with the area under the curve of 0.786 in the China group and of 0.842 in the United States group. Moreover, three gene expression profiles(GSE27342, GSE51105, and GSE38749) were enrolled in further biological analysis, and distinctive molecular characteristics were identified in younger GC patients among different regions.CONCLUSION Except for younger cases with pTNM stage Ⅱ, a survival advantage was observed in the China group with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ compared to the United States group, which might be partly due to differences in surgical approaches and the improvement of the cancer screening in China. The nomogram model provided an insightful and applicable tool to evaluate the prognosis of younger patients in China and the United States. Furthermore, biological analysis of younger patients was performed among different regions, which might partly explain the histopathological behavior and survival disparity in the subpopulations.

Effect of internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy

BACKGROUND Patients with colorectal cancer may need postoperative nursing to improve prognosis,and conventional nursing is not effective.Clinical research is needed to explore nursing methods that can more effectively improve postoperative conditions on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.AIM To explore the effect of internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.METHODS Data from 187 patients with colostomy treated in our hospital from May 2019 to March 2022 were collected and divided into three groups,A(n=62),B(n=62)and C(n=63),according to different intervention methods.Group A received internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care.Group B received internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care.Group C received usual care intervention.Complications were compared among the three groups.The stoma self-efficacy scale,Hamilton Anxiety Scale,RESULTS The complication rate of group A,B and C(16.13%,20.97%and 60.32%,respectively)was significantly different(all P<0.05).The incidence of complications in groups A and B was lower than that in group C,and there was no significant difference between groups A and B(P>0.05).After intervention,the scores of ostomy care,social contact,diet choice,confidence in maintaining vitality,confidence in self-care of ostomy,confidence in sexual life,confidence in sexual satisfaction and confidence in physical labor in the three groups were all higher than before intervention,and the scores of groups A and B were higher than those of group C,with statistical significance(P<0.05).The Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale scores of the three groups after intervention were lower than those before intervention.The scores of groups A and B were lower than those of group C,and the score of group A was lower than that of group B,all with statistical significance(all P<0.05).There was a statist-ically significant difference in cancer-induced fatigue among the three groups(P<0.05).After intervention,the scores of physical health,psychological health,social health and mental health of the three groups were lower than before the intervention.The scores of group A and B were lower than that of group C;and the score of group A was lower than that of group B,all with statistical significance(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION Internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care can effectively improve self-efficacy,bad mood,cancer-related fatigue and life quality of colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.

Quality of life of hospitalized patients after lung cancer operation and analysis of influencing factors

Objective:To explore the current status and influencing factors of quality of life in patients with lung cancer after surgery in a tertiary hospital in Hainan province.Methods:To investigate the influencing factors of quality of life of lung cancer patients after surgery in a tertiary hospital in Hainan province by cross‑sectional survey method.Results:The scores of insomnia,appetite loss,constipation and pain in 186 lung cancer patients after surgery in a tertiary hospital in Hainan Province were significantly higher than the reference value.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that older patients(>60 years)had lower scores in physical function domain(β=-0.193),and female patients had more appetite loss symptoms(β=0.245).Compared with other minority ethnic groups,Han ethnic group had lower scores in role function domain(β=0.179),more severe fatigue symptoms(β=-0.162),and higher general health level(β=0.166).Patients with employee medical insurance had lower scores of emotional function(β=0.194),cognitive function(β=0.281),the lowest score in social function(β=0.188),and severe pain in other parts(β=-0.227).Smokers had less cough symptoms(β=0.175)and more arm and shoulder pain symptoms(β=-0.21)than non‑smokers.Patients with secondhand smoke exposure had lower cognitive function scores(β=-0.158)and more obvious symptoms of oral ulcer(β=0.185).Patients who drank alcohol frequently(drinking frequency>1 time/day)had more severe cough symptoms(β=0.27).Patients with small number of children(0‑1)had milder cough symptoms(β=0.178).Patients who did not understand the disease had obvious symptoms of arm and shoulder pain(β=0.151).Patients with early pathological stage(stageⅠ‑Ⅱ)had more severe shortness of breath(β=-0.159)and pain(β=-0.181).The symptoms of appetite loss were more obvious in patients living in cities(β=0.192).The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy were more obvious(β=0.174).Patients who often consumed pickulated food had severe pain symptoms(β=-0.219),and pain in other parts was obvious(β=-0.149).Male patients had obvious alopecia symptoms(β=-0.306).Conclusion:Age,ethnicity,residence,type of medical insurance,number of children,pathological stage of lung cancer,smoking,second‑hand smoke exposure,alcohol consumption,and frequent consumption of pickled food were related to the quality of life of lung cancer patients in hospital after surgery.Medical staff and family members should pay attention to the emotional communication of patients during the treatment of lung cancer patients in hospital after surgery.Patients should avoid exposure to smoking,alcohol and second‑hand smoke,and reduce consumption of pickled food.

Summary of the Best Evidence for the Evaluation and Management of Chemotherapy-Related Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Patients

Objective: To summarize the best evidence for the evaluation and management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, so as to promote the standardized management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Methods: A computer search was conducted for all evidence on chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting interventions, including guidelines, expert consensus, best clinical practice information booklet, recommended practice, evidence summary, and systematic review. The search period is from April 30, 2022. After the literature quality evaluation, the evidence extraction and summary of the literature meeting the quality standards. Results: A total of 16 literatures were included, including 9 guidelines, 5 systematic reviews and 2 expert consensus papers. 46 pieces of best evidence on the assessment and management of chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients were summarized, including 6 aspects including risk assessment and management, non-drug management, drug management, multidisciplinary cooperation, education and training, and health education. Conclusion: This study summarized the current best evidence on the assessment and management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Clinical staff should apply evidence according to specific clinical scenarios, professional skills and patients’ wishes in order to reduce the degree and incidence of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients and improve the quality of care.

Study on the Influencing Factors of Chemotherapeutic-Related Taste Changes in Cancer Patients

Objective: To investigate the current situation of chemotherapy-related taste changes of cancer patients in Jingzhou area, and analyze the influencing factors of chemotherapy-related taste changes of cancer patients. Methods: In this study, 233 patients with malignant tumors who were confirmed by pathological examination and expected survival time of more than 6 months after admission to a tertiary general hospital in Jingzhou from January 2018 to October 2018 were selected by convenience sampling method. The Chinese version of The chemotherapy-induced Taste Alternation Scale (CiTAS) was used to investigate the baseline data and occurrence status, and multiple regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors. Results: In this study, 171 tumor patients experienced chemotherapy related taste changes, accounting for 73.4% (171/233);The vast majority of chemotherapy patients have different types and severity of taste changes;Multiple regression analysis showed that the duration of chemotherapy, the number of consecutive days of chemotherapy, and dry mouth were the main influencing factors for chemotherapy related taste changes in cancer patients (p Conclusion: Nursing personnel should pay attention to the occurrence of chemotherapy-related taste changes in tumor patients, and provide predictive nursing interventions to improve their taste experience for tumor patients who have a long course of chemotherapy, many consecutive days of chemotherapy, or have dry mouth conditions.

How to select gastric cancer patients suitable for immunotherapy?

Stomach cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide[1].There are approximately one million new cases of gastric cancer worldwide each year,with about 45%occurring in China[1].In China,the number of deaths from gastric cancer ranks second among all tumors each year[2],the majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced or late stage,making them ineligible for surgical treatment.Some of these patients can regain the opportunity for surgery through conversion therapy,while more patients can only receive comprehensive treatment with cytotoxic drugs,anti-metabolite drugs,DNA-targeting drugs,and targeted drugs[3].

Sex differences in the scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment in 19,528 cancer patients

Background:The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA)has been widely used to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients.The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in PG-SGA scores and the 7 domain scores of the PG-SGA in male and female cancer patients.Methods:This study was conducted at 72 hospitals from July 2013 to December 2018,a part of the Investigation on Nutritional Status and its Clinical Outcomes of Common Cancers.The PG-SGA was recorded to evaluate the nutritional status of patients.A total of 19,528 patients with 13 common malignancies were included in this study.Student t test and the χ^(2) test were applied to analyze the sex diferences in the 7 domain scores.The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the expression levels of symptom-related genes.Results:There were significant sex dfferences in the PG-SGA(P=0.032),notably in patients with gastric cancer(male vs female:9.09±4.86 vs 9.58±5.07,P=0.005)and esophageal cancer(9.64±4.90 vs 10.46±4.96,P=0.011)and the average total PG-SGA of female patients was slightly higher than that of male patients(7.64±4.98 vs 7.77±5.14).The differences were mainly related to the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores in the stratified analysis.Possible causes of the sex differences were the rates of nausea,vomiting,dry mouth,and other symptoms,in both gastric and esophageal cancer patients.Analysis of the TCGA database suggested that most of the related genes were sex neutral,except for genes related to dysphagia in gastric cancer(VEGFC was higher in female patients,VEGFA and VEGFB higher in male patients).Conclusions:There are sex differences in the PG-SGA scores in patients with various tumor types(female patients generally had higher scores than male patients),with differences mainly in the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores.The sex differences in PG-SGA scores might be due to the differences in the clinical manifestations of the disease,and further studies should be carried out to investigate other factors influencing the PG-SGA scores in cancer patients.This study provides basic data supporting the individualized nutritional treatment of cancer patients in clinical practice.

Validation And Reliability of Distress Thermometer in Chinese Cancer Patients

Objective：To examine the validation and reliability of the distress thermometer（DT） recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network（NCCN） in Chinese cancer patients.Methods：A total of 574 Chinese cancer patients from Beijing Cancer Hospital completed the detection of DT,the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale（HADS） and Symptom Checklist 90（SCL-90）,Receiver Operating Characteristic（ROC） curve and Area Under the Curve（AUC） were used to analyze the validation relative to HADS and SCL-90.The patients with DT≥4 and whose distress caused by emotional problems were interviewed with the MiNi International Neuro-psychiatric Interview（MINI）（Chinese Version 5.0）.This version was used to analyze cancer patients＇ psychological and Psychiatric symptoms during the cancer process;3.Another 106 cancer patients in rehabilitation stage and stable condition were asked to fill in DT two times,at the base time and after 7-10 days.Results：Data of ROC indicates that a DT cutoff score of 4 yielded AUC of 0.80 with a optimal sensitivity（0.80） and specificity（0.70） relative to HADS,and AUC of 0.83 with the greatest sensitivity（0.87） and specificity（0.72） against SCL-90.The DT also has acceptable test-retest reliability（r=0.800,P=0.000）;According to the interview results,the most common psychiatric problems cancer patients have adjustment disorder,depression,and anxiety.Conclusion：The data suggest that DT has acceptable overall accuracy and reliability as a screening tool for testing distress severity and specific problems causing distress in Chinese cancer patients.It is worth being used in oncology clinic,the rapid screening and interview could help caregivers to identify psychological and psychiatric problems of cancer patients and provide useful information for further treatment.

Preoperative selection of patients with colorectal cancerliver metastasis for hepatic resection

Surgical resection of colorectal liver metastases(CRLM) has a well-documented improvement in survival. To benefit from this intervention, proper selection of patients who would be adequate surgical candidates becomes vital. A combination of imaging techniques may be utilized in the detection of the lesions. The criteria for resection are continuously evolving; currently, the requirements that need be met to undergo resection of CRLM are: the anticipation of attaining a negative margin(R0 resection), whilst maintaining an adequate functioning future liver remnant. The timing of hepatectomy in regards to resection of the primary remains controversial; before, after, or simultaneously. This depends mainly on the tumor burden and symptoms from the primary tumor. The role of chemotherapy differs according to the resectability of the liver lesion(s); no evidence of improved survival was shown in patients with resectable disease who received preoperative chemotherapy. Presence of extrahepatic disease in itself is no longer considered a reason to preclude patients from resection of their CRLM, providing limited extra-hepatic disease, although this currently is an area of active investigations. In conclusion, we review the indications, the adequate selection of patients and perioperative factors to be considered for resection of colorectal liver metastasis.

Validation of nutritional risk index method against patientgenerated subjective global assessment in screening malnutrition in colorectal cancer patients

Objective：To validate malnutrition screening tool of nutrition risk index （NRI） against patent-generated subjective global assessment （PG-SGA） as a gold standard tool in colorectal cancer patients before radiotherapy.Methods：Nutritional status of 52 volunteer colorectal cancer patients with a mean age of 54.1±16.8 years who referred to radiotherapy center were assessed by PG-SGA （gold standard method） and NRI.Serum albumin levels of patients were determined by colorimetric method.A contingency table was used to determine the sensitivity,specificity,and predictive value of the NRI in screening patients at risk of malnutrition,in comparison with the PG-SGA in patients before radiotherapy.Results：The findings of PG-SGA and NRI showed that 52％ and 45％ of patients in our study were moderately or severely malnourished respectively.The NRI had a sensitivity of 66％ and a specificity of 60％ against PG-SGA.The positive predictive value was 64％ and the negative predicative value was 62％.The agreement between NRI and PG-SGA was statistically insignificant （kappa =0.267; P＞0.05）.Conclusions：The findings of present study showed that the prevalence of malnutrition was high in patients with colorectal cancer.Moreover,NRI method had low sensitivity and specificity in assessing nutritional status of patients with cancer.It seems that the combination of anthropometric,laboratory parameters and a subjective scoring system may be helpful tools in screening of malnutrition in cancer patients.