Comparative analysis of breast and lung cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments among rural and urban patients in Georgia

Objectives:Rural patients have poor cancer outcomes and clinical trial(CT)enrollment compared to urban patients due to attitudinal,awareness,and healthcare access differential.Knowledge of cancer survival disparities and CT enrollment is important for designing interventions and innovative approaches to address the stated barriers.The study explores the potential disparities in cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments in rural and urban breast and lung cancer patients.Our hypotheses are that for both cancer types,urban cancer patients will have longer 5-year survival rates and higher enrollment rates in clinical trials than those in rural counties.Methods:We compared breast and lung cancer patients’survival rates and enrollment ratios in clinical trials between rural(RUCC 4-9)and urban counties in Georgia at a Comprehensive Cancer Center(CCC).To assess these differences,we carried out a series of independent samples t-tests and Chi-Square tests.Results:The outcomes indicate comparable 5-year survival rates across rural and urban counties for breast and lung cancer patients,failing to substantiate our hypothesis.While clinical trial enrollment rates demonstrated a significant difference between breast and lung cancer patients at CCC,no significant variation was observed based on rural or urban classification.Conclusion:These findings underscore the need for further research into the representation of rural patients with diverse cancer types at CCC and other cancer centers.Further,the findings have considerable implications for the initiation of positive social change to improve CT participation and reduce cancer survival disparities.

Artificial intelligence in dentistry:Harnessing big data to predict oral cancer survival

BACKGROUND Oral cancer is the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide.Public knowledge in oral cancer risk factors and survival is limited.AIM To come up with machine learning(ML)algorithms to predict the length of survival for individuals diagnosed with oral cancer,and to explore the most important factors that were responsible for shortening or lengthening oral cancer survival.METHODS We used the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database from the years 1975 to 2016 that consisted of a total of 257880 cases and 94 variables.Four ML techniques in the area of artificial intelligence were applied for model training and validation.Model accuracy was evaluated using mean absolute error(MAE),mean squared error(MSE),root mean squared error(RMSE),R2 and adjusted R2.RESULTS The most important factors predictive of oral cancer survival time were age at diagnosis,primary cancer site,tumor size and year of diagnosis.Year of diagnosis referred to the year when the tumor was first diagnosed,implying that individuals with tumors that were diagnosed in the modern era tend to have longer survival than those diagnosed in the past.The extreme gradient boosting ML algorithms showed the best performance,with the MAE equaled to 13.55,MSE 486.55 and RMSE 22.06.CONCLUSION Using artificial intelligence,we developed a tool that can be used for oral cancer survival prediction and for medical-decision making.The finding relating to the year of diagnosis represented an important new discovery in the literature.The results of this study have implications for cancer prevention and education for the public.

Cancer survival statistics in China 2019-2021:a multicenter,population-based study

Background:A milestone goal of the Healthy China Program(2019-2030)is to achieve 5-year cancer survival at 43.3%for all cancers combined by 2022.To assess the progress towards this target,we analyzed the updated survival for all cancers combined and 25 specific cancer types in China from 2019 to 2021.Methods:We conducted standardized data collection and quality control for cancer registries across 32 provincial-level regions in China,and included 6,410,940 newly diagnosed cancer patients from 281 cancer registries during 2008-2019,with follow-up data on vital status available until December 2021.We estimated the age-standardized 5-year relative survival overall and by site,age group,and period of diagnosis using the International Cancer Survival Standard Weights,and quantified the survival changes to assess the progress in cancer control.Results:In 2019-2021,the age-standardized 5-year relative survival for all cancers combined was 43.7%(95%confidence interval[CI],43.6-43.7).The 5-year relative survival varied by cancer type,ranging from 8.5%(95%CI,8.2-8.7)for pancreatic cancer to 92.9%(95%CI,92.4-93.3)for thyroid cancer.Eight cancers had 5-year survival of over 60%,including cancers of the thyroid,breast,testis,bladder,prostate,kidney,uterus,and cervix.The 5-year relative survival was generally lower in males than in females.From 2008 to 2021,we observed significant survival improvements for cancers of the lung,prostate,bone,uterus,breast,cervix,nasopharynx,larynx,and bladder.The most significant improvement was in lung cancer.Conclusions:Progress in cancer control was evident in China.This highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to control and prevent cancer.

Cancer survival analysis on population-based cancer registry data in Zhejiang Province,China(2018-2019)

Objective:This is a comprehensive overview of long-term cancer survival in Zhejiang Province,China.Hybrid analysis,a combination of cohort and period analysis,has been proposed to derive up-to-date cancer survival estimates.Using this approach,we aimed to timely and accurately analyze the 5-year relative survival(RS)and net survival(NS)in cancer registries of Zhejiang Province,China.Methods:A total of 255,725 new cancer cases diagnosed during 2013-2017 were included in 14 cancer registries in Zhejiang Province,China,with a follow-up on vital status until the end of 2019.The hybrid analysis was used to calculate the 5-year RS and 5-year NS during 2018-2019 for overall and stratifications by sex,cancer type,region,and age at diagnosis.Results:During 2018-2019,the age-standardized 5-year RS and NS for overall cancer in Zhejiang was 47.5%and 48.6%,respectively.The age-standardized 5-year RS for cancers of women(55.4%)was higher than that of men(40.0%),and the rate of urban areas(49.7%)was higher than that of rural areas(43.1%).The 5-year RS declined along with age,from 84.4%for ages<45 years to 23.7%for ages>74 years.Our results of the RS and NS showed the similar trend and no significant difference.The top five cancers with top age-standardized 5-year RS were thyroid cancer(96.0%),breast cancer(84.3%),testicular cancer(79.9%),prostate cancer(77.2%),and bladder cancer(70.6%),and the five cancers with the lowest age-standardized 5-year RS were pancreatic cancer(6.0%),liver cancer(15.6%),gallbladder cancer(17.1%),esophageal cancer(22.7%),and leukemia(31.0%).Conclusions:We reported the most up-to-date 5-year cancer RS and NS in Zhejiang Province,China for the first time,and found that the 5-year survival for cancer patients in Zhejiang during 2018-2019 was relatively high.The population-based cancer registries are recognized as key policy tools that can be used to evaluate both the impact of cancer prevention strategies and the effectiveness of health systems.

Nomogram model including LATS2 expression was constructed to predict the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer after surgery

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.Prognostic assessments are typically based on the tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)staging system,which does not account for the molecular heterogeneity of this disease.LATS2,a tumor suppressor gene involved in the Hippo signaling pathway,has been identified as a potential prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer.AIM To construct and validate a nomogram model that includes LATS2 expression to predict the survival prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients following ra-dical surgery,and compare its predictive performance with traditional TNM staging.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 245 advanced gastric cancer patients from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University was conducted.The patients were divided into a training group(171 patients)and a validation group(74 patients)to deve-lop and test our prognostic model.The performance of the model was determined using C-indices,receiver operating characteristic curves,calibration plots,and decision curves.RESULTS The model demonstrated a high predictive accuracy with C-indices of 0.829 in the training set and 0.862 in the validation set.Area under the curve values for three-year and five-year survival prediction were significantly robust,suggesting an excellent discrimination ability.Calibration plots confirmed the high concordance between the predictions and actual survival outcomes.CONCLUSION We developed a nomogram model incorporating LATS2 expression,which significantly outperformed conven-tional TNM staging in predicting the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients postsurgery.This model may serve as a valuable tool for individualized patient management,allowing for more accurate stratification and im-proved clinical outcomes.Further validation in larger patient cohorts will be necessary to establish its generaliza-bility and clinical utility.

Clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with extra-nodal Hodgkin lymphoma: a 20-year retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database

Background:Hodgkin lymphoma refers to a malignancy of the lymphatic tissue.Extra-nodal Hodgkin lymphoma(ENHL)is a rare variant consisting of Hodgkin lymphoma occurring outside the lymphatic system.Studies investigating the epidemiology associated with ENHL are rare.Methods:618 ENHL cases were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)database(2000–2020).Demographics including sex,race/ethnicity,rural-urban continuum,age group(categorized as adolescent and young adult(AYA)if between years of 15 and 39,and adult if over the age of 40),and living status(alive/deceased)were examined,with survival status as the main outcome.Results:This study included 335 males(54.2%)and 283 females(45.8%).Of this total,47.9%were in the AYA group.In terms of ethnicity the distribution was 12.5%non-Hispanic Black,67.5%non-Hispanic White,5.2%non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander,and 14.9%Hispanic.Bivariate analyses evidenced significant differences in survival by age group with 91.6%in AYA vs.72.4%in adults(P<0.001)alive by the end of the study period.Multivariable analyses identified age as a key predictor of survival,as the AYA patients had a lower odds ratio for death(odds ratio=0.25,P<0.001).In addition,survival outcomes were also impacted by race,with non-Hispanic Blacks showing higher survival probabilities.Regarding treatment,27.0%of patients underwent surgery,with 10.2%receiving post-surgery radiation,reducing odds of mortality(odds ratio=0.32,P=0.046).Conclusion:The background research as such,tends to affirm that these two factors–age and race are quite crucial in the prognosis as well as management of ENHL.Compared to adults,AYA patients had significantly lower odds of death,while non-Hispanic Black individuals exhibited reduced survival probabilities.It should be noted that 27.0%of patients underwent surgery with 10.2%receiving post-operative radiation which led to decrease in mortality rates.Thus,these results reiterate the necessity for tailor-made treatment methods according to demographic characteristics to boost patient outcomes effectively.For better ENHL care,future studies could shed light on these disparities and improve treatment regimens as needed.

Incidental gallbladder cancer diagnosis confers survival advantage irrespective of tumour stage and characteristics

BACKGROUND Incidental gallbladder cancer(IGBC)represents 50%-60%of gallbladder cancer cases.Data are conflicting on the role of IGBC diagnosis in oncological outcomes.Some studies suggest that IGBC diagnosis does not affect outcomes,while others that overall survival(OS)is longer in these cases compared to non-incidental diagnosis(NIGBC).Furthermore,some studies reported early tumour stages and histopathologic characteristics as possible confounders,while others not.AIM To investigate the role of IGBC diagnosis on patients’overall survival,especially after surgical treatment with curative intent.METHODS Retrospective analysis of all patient referrals with gallbladder cancer between 2008 and 2020 in a tertiary hepatobiliary centre.Statistical comparison of patient and tumour characteristics between IGBC and NIGBC subgroups was performed.Survival analysis for the whole cohort,surgical and non-surgical subgroups was done with the Kaplan-Meier method and the use of log rank test.Risk analysis was performed with univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis.RESULTS The cohort included 261 patients with gallbladder cancer.65%of cases had NIGBC and 35%had IGBC.A total of 90 patients received surgical treatment(66%of IGBC cases and 19%of NIGBC cases).NIGBC patients had more advanced T stage and required more extensive resections than IGBC ones.OS was longer in patients with IGBC in the whole cohort(29 vs 4 mo,P<0.001),as well as in the non-surgical(14 vs 2 mo,P<0.001)and surgical subgroups(29 vs 16.5 mo,P=0.001).Disease free survival(DFS)after surgery was longer in patients with IGBC(21.5 mo vs 8.5 mo,P=0.007).N stage and resection margin status were identified as independent predictors of OS and DFS.NIGBC diagnosis was identified as an independent predictor of OS.CONCLUSION IGBC diagnosis may confer a survival advantage independently of the pathological stage and tumour characteristics.Prospective studies are required to further investigate this,including detailed pathological analysis and molecular gene expression.

Clonality: A New Marker for Gastric Cancer Survival

Continuous efforts have been made to identify molecular markers for the prognosis of gastric cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death accounting for 10% of cancer mortality worldwide （Ferlay et al., 2010; Chen et al., 2013）. Studies using candidate gene approach, GWAS （genome-wide asso- ciation study）, and expression profiling have reported markers significantly associated with gastric cancer survival （Luo et al., 2011; Kang et al., 2014; Song et al., 2014）, and these markers have contributed to the clinical prediction of patients＇ outcome. However, gastric cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease etiologically, clinically, and pathologically. In this sense, it is plausible that single markers like DNA sequence variation, or gene/microRNA expression cannot fully reflect the heterogeneous survival of gastric cancer.

Exclusive Hormonal Therapy in Breast Cancer in Elderly Women:Clinical Response and Survival over 10 Years

Breast cancer is the first cancer of women in the world and in France.In very elderly patients,the treatment options are often very limited.Neoadjuvant hormone therapy has shown similar or even better results than chemotherapy.This is why we decided to evaluate the clinical response following exclusive hormonal therapy and the 5,then 10 years survival in these very elderly women.This was a retrospective,longitudinal cohort-type study with descriptive and analytical purposes.The study population consisted of 59 patients,with an average age of 85 years.Fifteen(15,25%)of our patients had a complete clinical response after two years of treatment,16(27%)a partial clinical response,23(39%)lesion stabilization and 5(9%)cancer progression.The presence of metastasis at diagnosis increased the risk of cancer progression by 2.84.Overall 5-year survival was 72.5%,and breast cancer mortality 5.88%.The 10-year survival was 27.5%and breast cancer mortality 15%.In the age group 85 and over increased the risk of death by 3.25 in the first 10 years of treatment.The clinical response after 2 years was marked by a low rate of cancer progression.Mortality over 5 and 10 years was mostly related to patient comorbidities.

Laparoscopic complete mesocolic excisions for colonic cancer in the last decade:Five-year survival in a single centre

AIM To analyse clinical and long-term oncologic results after laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision(CME) for colonic cancer over a 10-year period.METHODS Consecutive patients who received laparoscopic CME at our hospital from 2007 to 2017 were prospectively registered and retrospectively analysed. In total, 341 patients were included with tumour-nodal-metastasis(TNM) stages 0-Ⅲ.RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 71.9 years. The median length of stay was 5 d. The mean lymph node harvest was 17.8. The mortality rate was 1.2%. Fifteen patients were reoperated on for anastomotic leaks. The local recurrence rate was 2.3%. Five-year TTR and cancer-specific survival CSS were 83.1% and 90.3%. The location of the tumour was not a significant variable for survival in unadjusted and adjusted survival analysis. TNM stage and anastomotic leaks were significant variables with respect to survival.CONCLUSION Laparoscopic CME results in acceptable complication rates and long-term oncologic results. It is important to avoid anastomotic leaks because of their negative effect on survival.

Progression-free survival as surrogate endpoint in advanced pancreatic cancer: meta-analysis of 30 randomized first-line trials

BACKGROUND：Progression-free survival（PFS）has not been extensively investigated as a surrogate for survival in the firstline treatments of pancreatic cancer.The aim of this review was to evaluate PFS as a potential surrogate endpoint for overall survival（OS）in advanced pancreatic cancer in trials comparing poly-chemotherapy to gemcitabine alone.DATA SOURCES： A systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted. The key words included randomized trial, first-line chemotherapy, pancreatic cancer, gemcitabine and poly-chemotherapy. Adjusted weighted linear regression was used to calculate Rs （Spearman＇s rank-order correlation coefficient） between PFS and post-progression survival （PPS） with OS （Rs） and between treatment effects on PFS and OS （RHR）. RESUEFS： A total of 30 trials including 8467 patients met the inclusion criteria. Correlation between the treatment effects on PFS and OS （RHR=0.78） and between the endpoint PFS and OS was high across all studies （Rs=0.75）. The slope of the re- gression line was 0.76±0.26, indicating that an agent produc- ing a 10% risk reduction for PFS will provide a 7.6%±2.6% risk reduction for OS. Correlation between PPS and OS was very strong （Rs=0.71） and accounted for more than 50% of the whole OS variability （R2=0.57）. CONCLUSION： Because of the robust correlation with OS and the potential influence of PPS caused by the second line therapies, it may be justified to consider PFS as a surrogate endpoint in trials evaluating new cytotoxic agents when gemcitabine is the control arm.

MULTIFACTORIAL ANALYSIS OF SURVIVAL IN BREAST CANCER

A multivariate analysis of 617 female patients with primary breast cancer treated by radical mastectomy between 1974 and 1981 was done. All patients were followed for more than five years. Survival was 76.6% and 64.7% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Eleven clinical and pathological factors were available for study. The data were analysed by Cox's proportional hazards regression model. A final set of five independent significant prognostic factors was obtained. In order of importance they were, clinical stage, age at diagnosis, axillary lymph node status, histologic type and size of the primary tumor. To test the time-varying effect of these factors using Cox's model, all except age reduced their prognostic impact significantly after five years, however, age was a powerful prognostic factor for long-term survival. A prognostic index based on the regression coefficients was constructed. This index can give a better prediction for patients' survival and can be taken as reference when formulating treatment protocols for breast cancer.

Five Year Survival Outcomes of Prospectively Recorded Cohort Data for Older Adults versus Younger Adults with Resected Primary Rectal Cancer

Background: Rectal cancer predominantly occurs in older adults. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of older adults (≥70 years) versus younger adults (<70 years) who had had a primary resection for stage I-IV rectal cancer. Methods: Consecutive patients who had resection of a primary rectal cancer between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010 were identified from a prospective database at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital and stratified into two age groups: <70 years and ≥70 years. Age-related differences in patients, cancer, and treatment characteristics were determined by Chi-square tests. 5-year Overall Survival (OS) and Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method and by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results: Of 714 included patients, the mean age was 65.8 years (range, 21 - 92 years). 407 (57%) patients were aged < 70 years and 307 (43%) were aged ≥ 70 years. Older age (>70 years) predicted more comorbidity (p < 0.001) and earlier stage (p = 0.01). Of the patients with stage III rectal cancer, older adults (>70 years), compared with younger adults (<70 years), received less neoadjuvant chemotherapy [7/86 (8.1%) vs 25/147 (17.0%), p = 0.058], less neoadjuvant radiotherapy [8/86 (9.3%) vs 42/147 (28.6%), p = 0.001] and less adjuvant chemotherapy [30/86 (34.9%) vs 117/147 (79.6%), p < 0.001]. Older age was associated with worse OS and CSS in stage III (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02 respectively). Adjuvant chemotherapy independently predicted improved OS (p < 0.001) and CSS (p = 0.008) regardless of age. Conclusion: Older adults who had had a resection of stage I-IV primary rectal cancer received less neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy and had worse OS and CSS than their younger counterparts.

Gastric cancer in Africa:Current management and outcomes

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and second most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Globally, gastric cancer poses a significant public health burden - both economically and socially. In 2008, the economic burden from premature cancer deaths and disability was $895 billion and gastric cancer was the second highest cancer responsible for healthy life lost. With the expected increase in cancer deaths and non-communicable diseases, these costs are expected to rise and impact patient care. World Health Organization, estimates a 15% increase in non-communicable disease worldwide, with more than 20% increase occurring in Africa between 2010 and 2020. Mali, West Africa, is ranked 15th highest incidence of gastric cancer worldwide at a rate of 20.3/100000, yet very scarce published data evaluating etiology, prevention or management exist. It is understood that risk factors of gastric cancer are multifactorial and include infectious agents (Helicobacter pylori, Epstein-Barr virus), genetic, dietary, and environmental factors (alcohol, smoking). Interestingly, African patients with gastric cancer are younger, in their 3rd-4th decade, and present at a late stage of the disease. There is sparse data regarding gastric cancer in Africa due to lack of data collection and under-reporting, which impacts incidence and mortality rates. Currently, GLOBOCAN, an International Agency for Research on Cancer resource, is the most comprehensive available resource allowing comparison between nations. In resource limited settings, with already restricted healthcare funding, data is needed to establish programs in Africa that increase gastric cancer awareness, curtail the economic burden, and improve patient management and survival outcomes.

Long-term survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) has the worst prognosis of all malignant tumors due to unavailable screening methods, late diagnosis with a low proportion of resectable tumors and resistance to systemic treatment. Complete tumor resection remains the cornerstone of modern multimodal strategies aiming at long-term survival. This study was performed to investigate the overall rate of long-term survival(LTS) and its contributing factors. Methods: This was a retrospective single-center analysis of consecutive patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) for PDAC between 2007 and 2014 at the St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed and evaluated for prediction of LTS with Cox regression analysis. Results: The overall rate of LTS after PD for PDAC was 20.4%(34/167). Median survival was 24 months regardless of adjuvant treatment. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels, tumor grade, lymph vessel invasion, perineural invasion and reduced general condition were significantly associated with LTS in univariate analysis( P<0.05). Serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, tumor grade, abdominal pain, male, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and duration of postoperative hospital stay were independent predictors of cancer survival in multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Cancer related characteristics are associated with LTS in multimodally treated patients after curative PDAC surgery.

PSA screening for prostate cancer： why so muc ：ontroversy？

Since prostate cancer reaches the advanced and non curable stage in the absence of any specific symptom or sign, it seems reasonable to diagnose this cancer at an early and curable stage. Screening by prostate-specific antigen （PSA） has been the common technology used. The last follow-up of the first two prospective and randomized screening studies for prostate cancer, namely the Quebec and ERSPC （European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer） clinical trials started in 1988 and 1991, respectively, have shown reductions of prostate cancer death of 62% （P〈0.002） and 21% （P〈0.001） （38% in the tenth and eleventh years of follow-up, P〈0.003）, respectively, while the PLCO （Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer） screening trial reported no benefit. It has been estimated, however, that 85% of men in the planned ＇non-screened＇ group of the US study have been screened. With such a serious flaw, the PLCO study does not have the statistical power to reach any valid conclusion. In the Quebec study, only 7.3% of men were screened in the control arm. The important benefit observed in the ERSPC study was achieved using a less than optimal 4-year PSA screening interval which misses a significant number of cancers while the Quebec study used the optimal 1-year interval. With proper information obtained from their physicians or otherwise using data collected only from the clinical trials having the required statistical power, men should be in a good position to decide about being or not being screened for prostate cancer.

The Role of NM23 in Patients with Colorectal Cancer:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the relationship between NM23 expression and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer. We searched Pub Med, EMBASE and Web of Science for relevant articles. The pooled odd ratios（ORs） and corresponding 95%CI were calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of NM23 expression in patients with colorectal cancer, and the association between NM23 expression and clinicopathological factors. In total, 2289 patients were pooled from 24 available studies. The incorporative OR combined by 16 studies with overall survival showed that high NM23 expression was associated with better overall survival（OR=0.67, 95%CI： 0.49–0.93, P=0.02, I2=56%, Ph=0.004）. And a new estimate without heterogeneity was produced when only combining high-quality studies（OR=0.70, 95%CI： 0.56–0.86, P=0.0007, I2=46%）. In disease free survival（DFS）, we also obtained a good prognosis（OR=0.30, 95%CI： 0.14–0.68, P=0.004）. Although we failed to find any significance in N status（P=0.10）, elevated NM23 expression was related to well tumor differentiation（OR=0.60, 95%CI： 0.44–0.820, P=0.001） and Dukes＇ A＆B（OR=0.55, 95%CI： 0.32–0.95, P=0.03）. These results indicated that over-expressed NM23 might be an indicator of good prognosis, well tumor differentiation and Dukes＇ A＆B of patients with colorectal cancer, but no significance was found in N status.

Lack of CD44 variant 6 expression in rectal cancer invasive front associates with early recurrence

AIM: To investigate the prognostic value of CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6), a membranous adhesion molecule, in rectal cancer. METHODS: Altogether, 210 rectal cancer samples from 214 patients treated with short-course radiotherapy (RT, n = 90), long-course (chemo) RT (n = 53) or surgery alone (n = 71) were studied with immunohistochemistry for CD44v6. The extent and intensity of membranous and cytoplasmic CD44v6 staining, and the intratumoral membranous staining pattern, were analyzed.RESULTS: Membranous CD44v6 expression was seen in 84% and cytoplasmic expression in 81% of the cases. In 59% of the tumors with membranous CD44v6 expression, the staining pattern in the invasive front was determined as "front-positive" and in 41% as "front-negative". The latter pattern was associated with narrower circumferential margin (P = 0.01), infiltrative growth pattern (P < 0.001), and shorter disease-free survival in univariate survival analysis (P = 0.022) when compared to the "front-positive" tumors. CONCLUSION: The lack of membranous CD44v6 in the rectal cancer invasive front could be used as a method to identify patients at increased risk for recurrent disease.

Effect of external beam radiotherapy on patency of uncovered metallic stents in patients with inoperable bile duct cancer

BACKGROUND： Although biliary decompression with metallic stenting is the preferred treatment for inoperable bile duct cancer（BDC）, maintenance of patency is still unsatisfactory.We tried to assess the effectiveness and safety of external beam radiotherapy（EBRT） for prolonging stent patency in patients having uncovered metallic stents.METHOD： We retrospectively reviewed 50 patients who received endoscopic stenting, of whom 18 received EBRT（RT group） and 32 did not（non-RT group）.RESULTS： No difference was found in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Although stent patency was longer in the RT group than that in the non-RT group（140.7±51.3 vs136.4±34.9 days, P=0.94）, the difference was not statistically significant. There were a lower rate of stent occlusion（27.8% vs50.0% of patients, P=0.12） and a longer overall survival（420.1 ±73.2 vs 269.1±41.7 days, P=0.11） in the RT group than in the non-RT group, and the difference again was not statistically significant. The development of adverse reactions did not differ（55.6% vs 53.1% of patients, P=0.91）. There was no serious adverse reaction in both groups（P=0.99）.CONCLUSIONS： EBRT did not significantly improve stent patency in patients with inoperable BDC having uncovered metallic stents. However, EBRT was safe. Future trials withrefined protocols for better efficacy are expected.

Meta-analysis of immunohistochemical expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α as a prognostic role in gastric cancer

AIM: To conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of hypoxia inducible factor-1&#x003b1; (HIF-1&#x003b1;) expression in gastric cancer.