The growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma is different with different TNM stages at diagnosis

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) progresses fast and has a poor prognosis, but the growth rate in different TNM stages is not clear. The present study was to estimate the growth rate of HCC with different TNM stages at diagnosis. Methods: Baseline demographics and tumor characteristics were analyzed for 10145 patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results(SEER) Program-registered HCC. Multiple linear regression models were used for age adjustment with patient race, sex, marital status, and HCC grade. Results: The age at diagnosis was younger in Caucasians and males. The adjusted average age of patients with stage I HCC was 65.26 years. The adjusted age of patients with stage II, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC was-0.17,-0.25,-0.29, and-0.55 adjusted-year younger compared with patients with stage I HCC(all P < 0.001). The adjusted average age of patients with T1 was 65.26 years. The age adjustment was-0.17,-0.26, and-0.55 respectively(all P < 0.001) for T2, T3 or T4 tumors without distant metastases. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that the more advanced the HCC stage at diagnosis, the younger the age at diagnosis and the faster the HCC growth from tumor occurrence.

Prognostic significance of grade of malignancy based on histopathological differentiation and Ki-67 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Objective:Tumor cell malignancy is indicated by histopathological differentiation and cell proliferation.Ki-67,an indicator of cellular proliferation,has been used for tumor grading and classification in breast cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.However,its prognostic significance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)remains uncertain.Methods:Patients who underwent radical pancreatectomy for PDAC were retrospectively enrolled,and relevant prognostic factors were examined.Grade of malignancy(GOM),a novel index based on histopathological differentiation and Ki-67,is proposed,and its clinical significance was evaluated.Results:The optimal threshold for Ki-67 was determined to be 30%.Patients with a Ki-67 expression level>30%rather than≤30%had significantly shorter 5-year overall survival(OS)and recurrence-free survival(RFS).In multivariate analysis,both histopathological differentiation and Ki-67 were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS and RFS.The GOM was used to independently stratify OS and RFS into 3 tiers,regardless of TNM stage and other established prognostic factors.The tumor-nodemetastasis-GOM stage was used to stratify survival into 5 distinct tiers,and surpassed the predictive performance of TNM stage for OS and RFS.Conclusions:Ki-67 is a valuable prognostic indicator for PDAC.Inclusion of the GOM in the TNM staging system may potentially enhance prognostic accuracy for PDAC.

Analysis of vascular thrombus and clinicopathological factors in prognosis of gastric cancer:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world,and its prognosis is closely related to many factors.In recent years,the incidence of vascular thrombosis in patients with GC has gradually attracted increasing attention,and studies have shown that it may have a significant impact on the survival rate and prognosis of patients.However,the specific mechanism underlying the association between vascular thrombosis and the prognosis of patients with GC remains unclear.AIM To analyze the relationships between vascular cancer support and other clinicopathological factors and their influence on the prognosis of patients with GC.METHODS This study retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of 621 patients with GC and divided them into a positive group and a negative group according to the presence or absence of a vascular thrombus.The difference in the 5-year cumulative survival rate between the two groups was compared,and the relationships between vascular cancer thrombus and other clinicopathological factors and their influence on the prognosis of patients with GC were analyzed.RESULTS Among 621 patients with GC,the incidence of vascular thrombi was 31.7%(197 patients).Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the degree of tumor differentiation,depth of invasion,and extent of lymph node metastasis were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of vascular thrombi in GC patients(P<0.01).The trend of the χ^(2) test showed that the degree of differentiation,depth of invasion,and extent of lymph node metastasis were linearly correlated with the percentage of vascular thrombi in GC patients(P<0.01),and the correlation between lymph node metastasis and vascular thrombi was more significant(r=0.387).Univariate analysis revealed that the 5-year cumulative survival rate of the positive group was significantly lower than that of the negative group(46.7%vs 73.3%,P<0.01).Multivariate analysis revealed that age,tumor diameter,TNM stage,and vascular thrombus were independent risk factors for the prognosis of GC patients(all P<0.05).Further stratified analysis revealed that the 5-year cumulative survival rate of stage Ⅲ GC patients in the thrombolase-positive group was significantly lower than that in the thrombolase-negative group(36.1%vs 51.4%;P<0.05).CONCLUSION Vascular cancer status is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with GC.The combination of vascular cancer suppositories and TNM staging can better judge the prognosis of patients with GC and guide more reasonable treatment.

Validation and modification of the AJCC 8th TNM staging system for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a Chinese cohort:A nationwide pancreas data center analysis

Objective:To validate the 8 th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)staging system for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)in a Chinese cohort of radically resected patients and to develop a refined staging system for PDAC.Methods:Data were collected from the China Pancreas Data Center(CPDC)for patients with resected PDAC in 2016 and 2017,and cancer-specific survival(CSS)was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.Univariate and multivariate analyses based on Cox regression were performed to identify prognostic factors.The recursive partitioning analysis(RPA),Kaplan-Meier method,and log-rank test were performed on the training dataset to generate a proposed modification for the 8 th TNM staging system utilizing the preoperative carbohydrate antigen(CA)19-9 level.Validation was performed for both staging systems in the validation cohort.Results:A total of 1,676 PDAC patients were retrieved,and the median CSS was significantly different between the 8 th TNM groupings,with no significant difference in survival between stage IB and IIA.The analysis of T and N stages demonstrated a better prognostic value in the N category.Multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative serum CA19-9 level was the strongest prognostic indicator among all the independent risk factors.All patients with CA19-9>500 U/mL had similar survival,and we proposed a new staging system by combining IB and IIA and stratifying all patients with high CA19-9 into stage III.The modified staging system had a better performance for predicting CSS than the 8 th AJCC staging scheme.Conclusions:The 8 th AJCC staging system for PDAC is suitable for a Chinese cohort of resected patients,and the N category has a better prognostic value than the T category.Our modified staging system has superior accuracy in predicting survival than the 8 th AJCC TNM staging system.

The Relationship between Apoptosis and the Expression of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and the Clinical Stages in Gastric Carcinoma

The relationship between the apoptosis and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the clinical stages in gastric cancers was studied. By using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) technique and PCNA immunohistochemical staining, the apoptosis and the expression of PCNA in tissue of gastric carcinoma were assayed in situ, the index of apoptosis (AI), index of PCNA (PI) and the rate of AI/PI were calculated. AI and PI in gastric cancer tissues were (6.5±3.7) % and (49.8±15.9) % respectively, and the rate of AI/PI was 0.13±0.05, which were obviously different from those of normal gastric mucosa in paragastric cancer ( P <0.01). With the advanced TNM stages of gastric carcinoma, the AI was decreased, PI was increased and the rate of AI/PI decreased in gastric carcinoma. There was significant difference in them between the gastric cancer tissues and normal gastric mucosa in pericarcinoma in TNM stage Ⅱ to Ⅳ ( P <0.05). It was suggested that the decreased apoptotic cells and the increased proliferating cells were obviously related to the tumor genesis and tumor progression in gastric carcinoma. The AI, PI and the rate of AI/PI would become the prognostic factors in advanced gastric carcinoma.

Application of the revised Tumour Node Metastasis （TNM） staging system of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in eastern China： advantages and limitations

This study was designed to evaluate whether the revised 2010 Tumour Node Metastasis （TNM） staging system could lead to a more accurate prediction of the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma （RCC） patients. A total of 1216 patients who had undergone radical nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy for RCC from 2003 to 2011 were enrolled. All of the patients had pathologically confirmed clear cell RCC （ccRCC）. All cases were staged by both the 2002 and 2010 TNM staging systems after pathological review, and survival data were collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to evaluate cancer-specific survival （CSS） and progression-free survival （PFS） after surgery. Continuous variables, such as age and tumour diameter, were calculated as mean values and standard deviations （s.d.） or as median values. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test assessed differences between groups. Statistically significant differences in CSS and PFS were noted among patients in T3 subgroups using the new 2010 staging system. Therefore, the revised 2010 TNM staging system can lead to a more accurate prediction of the prognosis of ccRCC patients. However, when using the revised 2010 staging system, we found that more than 92% of patients （288/313） with T3 tumours were staged in the T3a subgroup, and their survival data were not significantly different from those of patients with T2b tumours. In addition, T2 subclassification failed to independently predict survival in RCC patients.

Carcinoembryonic antigen,carbohydrate antigen 199 and carbohydrate antigen 724 in gastric cancer and their relationship with clinical prognosis

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system with a high degree of malignancy.It usually develops insidiously without any specific symptoms in the early stages.As one of the diseases caused by abnormal gene changes,GC has abnormal expression of various oncogenes and products during its development.Tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)and carbohydrate antigen 724(CA724)are not expressed or lowly expressed in normal people,but significantly increased after carcinogenesis.Monitoring the changes in the levels of tumor markers such as CEA,CA199 and CA724 is conducive to early diagnosis and evaluation of the occurrence of some solid tumors.AIM To investigate the expression of CEA,CA199 and CA724 in GC and their correlation with clinical features,hoping to provide more effective markers for the early preventive diagnosis of GC.METHODS Of 87 patients with GC admitted to our hospital from September 2020 to December 2021 were included in the GC group,and another 80 healthy people who came to our hospital for physical examination with normal results during the same period were selected as the control group.The serum CEA,CA199,and CA724 levels were compared between the two groups,and the serum CEA,CA199,and CA724 levels were compared in patients with GC at different TNM stages,and the differences in the positive rates of CEA,CA199,and CA724 alone and in combination in detecting TNM stages of GC and GC were compared.In addition,the relationship between the levels of tumor markers CEA,CA199 and CA724 and the clinicopathological characteristics of GC patients was also analyzed.The relationship between the serum levels of CEA,CA199 and CA724 and the survival period of GC patients was analyzed by Pearson.RESULTS The serum levels of CEA,CA199 and CA724 in GC group were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.05).With the increase of TNM stage,the serum CEA,CA199 and CA724 expression levels in GC patients increased significantly,and the differences between groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).The positive rate of the CA724 single test was higher than that of CEA and CA199 single test(P<0.05).The positive rate of the three combined tests was 95.40%(83/87),which was higher than that of CEA,CA199 and CA724 single tests.The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The combined detection positive rates of CEA,CA199,and CA724 in stages I,II,III,and IV of GC were 89.66%,93.10%,98.85%,and 100.00%respectively,all of which were higher than the individual detection rates of CEA,CA199,and CA724.The differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in serum CEA,CA199 and CA724 levels between GC patients with different genders,smoking history and alcohol history(P>0.05).However,the serum CEA,CA199 and CA724 levels were significantly higher in GC patients aged≥45 years,TNM stage III-IV,with lymph node metastasis and tumor diameter≥5 cm than in GC patients aged<45 years,TNM stage I-II,without lymph node metastasis and tumor diameter<5 cm(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The expression levels of serum tumor markers CEA,CA199 and CA724 in patients with GC are high and rise with the increase of TNM stage.The levels of CEA,CA199 and CA724 are related to age,TNM stage,lymph node metastasis and tumor diameter.The combined detection of CEA,CA199 and CA724 is helpful to improve the diagnostic accuracy of GC with high clinical guidance value.

Identification of a three-gene prognostic signature for radioresistant esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is causing a high mortality rate due to the lack of efficient early prognosis markers and suitable therapeutic regimens.The prognostic role of genes responsible for the acquisition of radioresistance in ESCC has not been fully elucidated.AIM To establish a prognostic model by studying gene expression patterns pertinent to radioresistance in ESCC patients.METHODS Datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases.The edgeR,a Bioconductor package,was used to analyze mRNA expression between different groups.We screened genes specifically responsible for radioresistance to estimate overall survival.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to confirm whether the expression of those genes correlated with each other.Genes contributing to radioresistance and overall survival were assessed by the multivariate Cox regression model through the calculation ofβi and risk score using the following formula:∑^(n)_(i=1)βi×PSI.RESULTS We identified three prognostic mRNAs(cathepsin S[CTSS],cluster of differentiation 180[CD180],and SLP adapter and CSK-interacting membrane protein[SCIMP])indicative of radioresistance.The expression of the three identified mRNAs was related to each other(r>0.70 and P<0.05).As to 1-year and 3-year overall survival prediction,the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve of the signature consisting of the three mRNAs was 0.716 and 0.841,respectively.When stratifying patients based on the risk score derived from the signature,the high-risk group exhibited a higher death risk and shorter survival time than the low-risk group(P<0.0001).Overall survival of the low-risk patients was significantly better than that of the highrisk patients(P=0.018).CONCLUSION We have developed a novel three-gene prognostic signature consisting of CTSS,CD180,and SCIMO for ESCC,which may facilitate the prediction of early prognosis of this malignancy.

Staging accuracy of esophageal cancer by endoscopic ultrasound:A meta-analysis and systematic review

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the staging of esophageal cancer. METHODS: Only EUS studies confirmed by surgery were selected. Articles were searched in Medline and Pubmed. Two reviewers independently searched and extracted data. Meta-analysis of the accuracy of EUS was analyzed by calculating pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio. Pooling was conducted by both the Mantel-Haenszel method (fixed effects model) and DerSimonian Laird method (random effects model). The heterogeneity of studies was tested using Cochran’s Q test based upon inverse variance weights. RESULTS: Forty-nine studies (n = 2558) which met the inclusion criteria were included in this analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of EUS to diagnose T1 was 81.6% (95% CI: 77.8-84.9) and 99.4% (95% CI: 99.0-99.7), respectively. To diagnose T4, EUS had a pooled sensitivity of 92.4% (95% CI: 89.2-95.0) and specificity of 97.4% (95% CI: 96.6-98.0). With Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), sensitivity of EUS to diagnose N stage improved from 84.7% (95% CI: 82.9-86.4) to 96.7% (95% CI: 92.4-98.9). The P value for the χ2 test of heterogeneity for all pooled estimates was > 0.10. CONCLUSION: EUS has excellent sensitivity and specificity in accurately diagnosing the TN stage of esophageal cancer. EUS performs better with advanced (T4) than early (T1) disease. FNA substantially improves the sensitivity and specificity of EUS in evaluating N stage disease. EUS should be strongly considered for staging esophageal cancer.

Apparent diffusion coefficient by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as a sole biomarker for staging and prognosis of gastric cancer

Objective： To investigate the role of apparent diffusion coefficient （ADC） from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging （DW-MRI） when applied to the 7th TNM classification in the staging and prognosis of gastric cancer （GC）. Methods： Between October 2009 and May 2014, a total of 89 patients with non-metastatic, biopsy proven GC underwent 1.5T DW-MRI, and then treated with radical surgery. Tumor ADC was measured retrospectively and compared with final histology following the 7th TNM staging （local invasion, nodal involvement and according to the different groups -- stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ）. Kaplan-Meier curves were also generated. The follow-up period is updated to May 2016. Results： Median follow-up period was 33 months and 45/89 （51%） deaths from GC were observed. ADC was significantly different both for local invasion and nodal involvement （P〈0.001）. Considering final histology as the reference standard, a preoperative ADC cut-offof 1.80×10-3 mm^2/s could distinguish between stages I and Ⅱ and an ADC value of ≤1.36-10-3 mm^2/s was associated with stage Ⅲ（P〈0.001）. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that the survival rates for the three prognostic groups were significantly different according to final histology and ADC cut-offs （P〈0.001）. Conclusions： ADC is different according to local invasion, nodal involvement and the 7th TNM stage groups for GC, representing a potential, additional prognostic biomarker. The addition of DW-MRI could aid in the staging and risk stratification of GC.

Low-depth whole genome sequencing reveals copy number variations associated with higher pathologic grading and more aggressive subtypes of lung non-mucinous adenocarcinoma

Objective:Histology grade,subtypes and TNM stage of lung adenocarcinomas are useful predictors of prognosis and survival.The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between chromosomal instability,morphological subtypes and the grading system used in lung non-mucinous adenocarcinoma(LNMA).Methods:We developed a whole genome copy number variation(WGCNV)scoring system and applied next generation sequencing to evaluate CNVs present in 91 LNMA tumor samples.Results:Higher histological grades,aggressive subtypes and more advanced TNM staging were associated with an increased WGCNV score,particularly in CNV regions enriched for tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes.In addition,we demonstrate that 24-chromosome CNV profiling can be performed reliably from specific cell types(<100 cells)isolated by sample laser capture microdissection.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that the WGCNV scoring system we developed may have potential value as an adjunct test for predicting the prognosis of patients diagnosed with LNMA.

Log odds of positive lymph nodes is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma than N stage

BACKGROUND Signet ring cell carcinoma is a rare type of oesophageal cancer,and we hypothesized that log odds of positive lymph nodes(LODDS)is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma.AIM To explore a novel prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma by comparing two lymph node-related prognostic factors,log odds of positive LODDS and N stage.METHODS A total of 259 cases of oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy were obtained from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database between 2006 and 2016.The prognostic value of LODDS and N stage for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.The Akaike information criterion and Harrell’s C-index were used to assess the value of two prediction models based on lymph nodes.External validation was performed to further confirm the conclusion.RESULTS The 5-year cancer-specific survival(CSS)and 5-year overall survival(OS)rates of all the cases were 41.3%and 27.0%,respectively.The Kaplan-Meier method showed that LODDS had a higher score of log rank chi-squared(OS:46.162,CSS:41.178)than N stage(OS:36.215,CSS:31.583).Univariate analyses showed that insurance,race,T stage,M stage,TNM stage,radiation therapy,N stage,and LODDS were potential prognostic factors for OS(P<0.1).The multivariate Cox regression model showed that LODDS was an significant independent prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring carcinoma patients after surgical resection(P<0.05),while N stage was not considered to be a significant prognostic factor(P=0.122).Model 2(LODDS)had a higher degree of discrimination and fit than Model 1(N stage)(LODDS vs N stage,Harell’s C-index 0.673 vs 0.656,P<0.001;Akaike information criterion 1688.824 vs 1697.519,P<0.001).The results of external validation were consistent with those in the study cohort.CONCLUSION LODDS is a superior prognostic factor to N stage for patients with oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy.

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Correlation between MR Features and Pathological Tumor Grades

This study investigated the accuracy of MRI features in differentiating the pathological grades of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms（PNENs）. A total of 31 PNENs patients were retrospectively evaluated, including 19 cases in grade 1, 5 in grade 2, and 7 in grade 3. Plain and contrastenhanced MRI was performed on all patients. MRI features including tumor size, margin, signal intensity, enhancement patterns, degenerative changes, duct dilatation and metastasis were analyzed. Chi square tests, Fisher＇s exact tests, one-way ANOVA and ROC analysis were conducted to assess the associations between MRI features and different tumor grades. It was found that patients with older age, tumors with higher TNM stage and without hormonal syndrome had higher grade of PNETs（all P〈0.05）. Tumor size, shape, margin and growth pattern, tumor pattern, pancreatic and bile duct dilatation and presence of lymphatic and distant metastasis as well as MR enhancement pattern and tumor-topancreas contrast during arterial phase were the key features differentiating tumors of all grades（all P〈0.05）. ROC analysis revealed that the tumor size with threshold of 2.8 cm, irregular shape, pancreatic duct dilatation and lymphadenopathy showed satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing grade 3 from grade 1 and grade 2 tumors. Features of peripancreatic tissue or vascular invasion, and distant metastasis showed high specificity but relatively low sensitivity. In conclusion, larger size, poorlydefined margin, heterogeneous enhanced pattern during arterial phase, duct dilatation and the presence of metastases are common features of higher grade PNENs. Plain and contrast-enhanced MRI provides the ability to differentiate tumors with different pathological grades.

Application of imaging postprocessing of spiral CT in the staging of lung cancer

Objective： To evaluate the role of spiral CT imaging postprocessing techniques in preoperative TNM staging of lung cancer. Methods： 106 patients with pathologically confirmed lung cancer received spiral CT examinations with a new revised TNM staging method of lung cancer which was taken as criterion of diagnosis. The images were reconstructed by using different postprocessing techniques such as MPR, MIP, SSD, VR, and their TNM staging capabilities were assessed by using postprocessing imaging and the results with axial CT images were compared. Results： In T staging, the accurate rates of axial CT images in T1-T4 staging were 77.3%, 60.6%, 60.7%, and 60.3% respectively; for postprocessing images, the accurate rates were 86.4%, 90.9%, 89.3%, and 87.0% respectively, In N staging, the accurate rates of axial CT images were 84.6%, 68.1%, 63.6%, and 64.2% in N0-N3 staging, respectively; but they were 92.3%, 90.9%, 90.9%, and 85.7% in postprocessing images, respectively. The postprocessing images were superior to axial CT images in T1-T3 and N1-N3 staging of lung cancer but there were no significant differences in T1 and NO staging. For metastasis, the postprocessing images may be helpful for the TNM staging of lung cancer. Conclusion： The postprocessing techniques of the spiral CT could improve the accurate rates of TNM staging of lung cancer, and represent a useful complement to the axial CT.

Influence of lymph node micrometastasis on the staging system for gastric cancer

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lymph node micrometastasis on the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer and the necessity of integrating it into the gastric cancer staging system.Methods In total,241 patients with gastric cancer were included.Hematoxylin and eosin staining of lymph nodes was performed,and negative lymph nodes were evaluated by immunohistochemistry to detect micrometastases.Differences in survival rates between stages were evaluated.Results(1)A total of 78 patients(32.4%)had lymph node micrometastases.Compared with the group without micrometastases,the overall recurrence rate,lymph infiltration,vascular invasion,and nerve invasion rate in the micrometastasis group were significantly higher(P<0.05).(2)According to the standard N staging system,the rates of disease-free survival(DFS)for the N0,N1,N2,N3a,and N3b groups were 96.0%,84.0%,67.6%,59.0%,and 21.7%,respectively.There was no significant difference in survival between N2 and N3a.The cumulative survival curves for N2 and N3a intersected.(3)The N stage of 38 patients(15.8%)differed between the traditional system and the new N staging system reflecting micrometastasis.The DFS for N0,N1,N2,N3a,and N3b were 97.0%,86.3%,74.2%,65.4%,and 29.2%,respectively.There was no significant difference in survival between N2 and N3a,but the cumulative survival curves for N2 and N3a did not intersect.(4)Based on a Cox multivariate analysis,various independent risk factors for recurrence were identified(P<0.05).Conclusion Lymph node micrometastasis is an important risk factor for gastric cancer recurrence.Lymph node micrometastasis should be considered in TNM staging to determine prognosis and optimal treatment strategies.

Proposal and validation of a modified staging system to improve the prognosis predictive performance of the 8th AJCC/ UICC pTNM staging system for gastric adenocarcinoma: a multicenter study with external validation

Background:The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control(AJCC/UICC)pathological tumor-node-metastasis(pTNM)staging system may have increased accuracy in predicting prognosis of gastric cancer due to its important modifications from previous editions.However,the homogeneity in prognosis within each subgroup classified according to the 8th edition may still exist.This study aimed to compare and analyze the prognosis prediction abilities of the 8th and 7th editions of AJCC/UICC pTNM staging system for gastric cancer and propose a modified pTNM staging system with external validation.Methods:In total,clinical data of 7911 patients from three high-capacity institutions in China and 10,208 cases from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)Program Registry were analyzed.The homogeneity,discrimina-tory ability,and monotonicity of the gradient assessments of the 8th and 7th editions of AJCC/UICC pTNM staging system were compared using log-rank χ^(2),linear-trend χ^(2),likelihood-ratioχ2 statistics and Akaike information criterion(AIC)calculations,on which a modified pTNM classification with external validation using the SEER database was proposed.Results:Considerable stage migration,mainly for stage III,between the 8th and 7th editions was observed in both cohorts.The survival rates of subgroups of patients within stage IIIA,IIIB,or IIIC classified according to both editions were significantly different,demonstrating poor homogeneity for patient stratification.A modified pTNM staging system using data from the Chinese cohort was then formulated and demonstrated an improved homogeneity in these abovementioned subgroups.This staging system was further validated using data from the SEER cohort,and similar promising results were obtained.Compared with the 8th and 7th editions,the modified pTNM staging system displayed the highest log-rank χ^(2),linear-trend χ^(2),likelihood-ratio χ^(2),and lowest AIC values,indicating its superior discriminatory ability,monotonicity,homogeneity and prognosis prediction ability in both populations.Conclusions:The 8th edition of AJCC/UICC pTNM staging system is superior to the 7th edition,but still results in homogeneity in prognosis prediction.Our modified pTNM staging system demonstrated the optimal stratification and prognosis prediction ability in two large cohorts of different gastric cancer populations.

Tumor deposits in colorectal and gastric cancers

Tumor deposits(TDs),initially recognized in colorectal cancer(CRC),have been identified in various other cancer types,including gastric cancer(GC),rendering them a widely studied adverse prognostic factor in gastrointestinal malignancies.They have implications for the tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)staging of CRC patients in specific contexts.This review discusses the definition,diagnosis,origin,and prognostic significance of TDs in CRC and GC patients.The incorporation of TDs into the TNM staging system is anticipated to enhance staging precision,which is very important for making appropriate treatment decisions.Nevertheless,the origins of TDs and their relationship with preoperative cancer therapies remain elusive,ne-cessitating further investigation into this area.

Persistent increase and improved survival of stage I lung cancer based on a large-scale real-world sample of 26,226 cases

Background:Lung cancer prevails and induces high mortality around the world.This study provided real-world information on the evolution of clinicopathological profiles and survival outcomes of lung cancer,and provided survival information within stage I subtypes.Methods:Patients pathologically confirmed with lung cancer between January 2009 and December 2018 were identified with complete clinicopathological information,molecular testing results,and follow-up data.Shifts in clinical characteristics were evaluated usingχ^(2)tests.Overall survival(OS)was calculated through the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:A total of 26,226 eligible lung cancer patients were included,among whom 62.55%were male and 52.89%were smokers.Non-smokers and elderly patients took increasingly larger proportions in the whole patient population.The proportion of adenocarcinoma increased from 51.63%to 71.80%,while that of squamous carcinoma decreased from 28.43%to 17.60%.Gene mutations including EGFR(52.14%),KRAS(12.14%),and ALK(8.12%)were observed.Female,younger,non-smoking,adenocarcinoma patients and those with mutated EGFR had better survival prognoses.Importantly,this study validated that early detection of early-stage lung cancer patients had contributed to pronounced survival benefits during the decade.Patients with stage I lung cancer,accounted for an increasingly considerable proportion,increasing from 15.28%to 40.25%,coinciding with the surgery rate increasing from 38.14%to 54.25%.Overall,period survival analyses found that 42.69%of patients survived 5 years,and stage I patients had a 5-year OS of 84.20%.Compared with that in 2009-2013,the prognosis of stage I patients in 2014-2018 was dramatically better,with 5-year OS increasing from 73.26%to 87.68%.Regarding the specific survival benefits among stage I patients,the 5-year survival rates were 95.28%,93.25%,82.08%,and 74.50%for stage IA1,IA2,IA3,and IB,respectively,far more promising than previous reports.Conclusions:Crucial clinical and pathological changes have been observed in the past decade.Notably,the increased incidence of stage I lung cancer coincided with an improved prognosis,indicating actual benefits of early detection and management of lung cancer.

Impact of multidisciplinary team working on the management of colorectal cancer

Background The continual and rapid development of techniques which are used for diagnosis and treatment makes management of colorectal cancer more difficult depending on single discipline.Colorectal cancer multidisciplinary team （MDT） working model is recommended by UK and other countries,but there is little information on the impact of MDT working on management of colorectal cancer in China.The aim of this study was to assess the effect on management of colorectal cancer after the inception of an MDT.Methods A total of 595 consecutive colorectal cancer patients were referred to the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery,the pre-MDT cohort include 297 patients,recruited from January 1999 to November 2002,and the MDT cohort had 298 patients enrolled from December 2002 to September 2006.Information recorded included：TNM stage from histological reports,degree of differentiation,the number of examined lymph nodes and CT TNM staging performed or not,and its accuracy,including local and distant recurrence.Results The number of examined lymph nodes and the accuracy of TNM staging by CT in the MDT group were significantly more than those in pre-MDT group.CT TNM staging was more accurate in the MDT group compared to the pre-MDT group （P=-0.044）.The rate of tumor recurrence in the MDT group was lower than pre-MDT group （log-rank test,P 〈0.001）.Multivariate analysis revealed that age （P=0.001）,management after inception of the MDT （P=0.002）,degree of differentiation （P=0.003）,number of examined lymph nodes （P=0.002）,and TNM stage （P=0.000） were important factors that independently influence overall survival.Conclusions The inception of MDT working improved the diagnostic accuracy and overall survival of colorectal cancer patients.MDT working promoted communication and cooperation between disciplines and ensured high-quality diagnosis,evidence-based decision making,and optimal treatment planning.

Establishment and clinical application value of an automatic diagnosis platform for rectal cancer T-staging based on a deep neural network

Background:Colorectal cancer is harmful to the patient’s life.The treatment of patients is determined by accurate preoperative staging.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)played an important role in the preoperative examination of patients with rectal cancer,and artificial intelligence(AI)in the learning of images made significant achievements in recent years.Introducing AI into MRI recognition,a stable platform for image recognition and judgment can be established in a short period.This study aimed to establish an automatic diagnostic platform for predicting preoperative T staging of rectal cancer through a deep neural network.Methods:A total of 183 rectal cancer patients’data were collected retrospectively as research objects.Faster region-based convolutional neural networks(Faster R-CNN)were used to build the platform.And the platform was evaluated according to the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:An automatic diagnosis platform for T staging of rectal cancer was established through the study of MRI.The areas under the ROC curve(AUC)were 0.99 in the horizontal plane,0.97 in the sagittal plane,and 0.98 in the coronal plane.In the horizontal plane,the AUC of T1 stage was 1,AUC of T2 stage was 1,AUC of T3 stage was 1,AUC of T4 stage was 1.In the coronal plane,AUC of T1 stage was 0.96,AUC of T2 stage was 0.97,AUC of T3 stage was 0.97,AUC of T4 stage was 0.97.In the sagittal plane,AUC of T1 stage was 0.95,AUC of T2 stage was 0.99,AUC of T3 stage was 0.96,and AUC of T4 stage was 1.00.Conclusion:Faster R-CNN AI might be an effective and objective method to build the platform for predicting rectal cancer T-staging.Trial registration:chictr.org.cn:ChiCTR1900023575;http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=39665.