Interdepartmental miscommunication regarding radiology:Addressing chronic challenges and exploring solutions

Effective communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are crucial for delivering high-quality patient care.Interdepartmental miscommunication poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems,potentially undermining the quality of healthcare services provided.In the same manner,communication barriers between referring physicians and radiologists can specifically affect radiology services and patient outcomes.This article attempts to put the spotlight on the ever-present chronic challenges of this issue and prompt readers to recognize the relevant potential pitfalls in their daily clinical practice.Practical solutions are explored and proposed,which should be tailored to the specific needs and issues that each individual institution may face.

Retrospective evaluation of lymphatic and blood vessel invasion and Borrmann types in advanced proximal gastric cancer

BACKGROUND The Borrmann classification system is used to describe the macroscopic appearance of advanced gastric cancer,and Borrmann typeⅣdisease is independently associated with a poor prognosis.AIM To evaluate the prognostic significance of lymphatic and/or blood vessel invasion(LBVI)combined with the Borrmann type in advanced proximal gastric cancer(APGC).METHODS The clinicopathological and survival data of 440 patients with APGC who underwent curative surgery between 2005 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS In these 440 patients,LBVI+status was associated with Borrmann typeⅣ,low histological grade,large tumor size,and advanced pT and pN status.The 5-year survival rate of LBVI+patients was significantly lower than that of LBVI– patients,although LBVI was not an independent prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis.No significant difference in the prognosis of patients with Borrmann typeⅢ/LBVI+disease and patients with Borrmann typeⅣdisease was observed.Therefore,we proposed a revised Borrmann typeⅣ(r-BorⅣ)as Borrmann typeⅢplus LBVI+,and found that r-BorⅣwas associated with poor prognosis in patients with APGC,which outweighed the prognostic significance of pT status.CONCLUSION LBVI is related to the prognosis of APGC,but is not an independent prognostic factor.LBVI status can be used to differentiate Borrmann typesⅢandⅣ,and the same approach can be used to treat r-BorⅣand Borrmann typeⅣ.

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MET-variant digestive tract tumors

The receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the MET gene plays an important role in various cellular processes such as growth,survival,migration and angiogenesis,and its abnormal activation is closely related to the occurrence and development of various tumors.This article reviews the recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of MET-variant digestive tract tumors.In terms of diagnosis,the application of next-generation sequencing technology and liquid biopsy technology makes the detection of MET variants more accurate and efficient,providing a reliable basis for individualized treatment.In terms of treatment,MET inhibitors such as crizotinib and cabotinib have shown good efficacy in clinical trials.In addition,the combination of immunotherapy and MET inhibitors also demonstrated potential synergies,further improving the therapeutic effect.However,the complexity and heterogeneity of drug resistance mechanisms are still one of the difficulties in current research.In the future,it is necessary to further deepen the understanding of the mechanism of MET variation and explore new combination treatment strategies to improve the overall survival rate and quality of life of patients.The diagnosis and treatment of MET-variant digestive tract tumors are moving towards precision and individualization,and have broad application prospects.

Envonalkib versus crizotinib for treatment-naive ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: a randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase III trial

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)rearrangements are present in about 5–6%of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)cases and associated with increased risks of central nervous system(CNS)involvement.Envonalkib,a novel ALK inhibitor,demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity and safety in advanced ALK-positive NSCLC in the first-in-human phase I study.This phase III trial(ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04009317)investigated the efficacy and safety of first-line envonalkib in advanced ALK-positive NSCLC cases.Totally 264 participants were randomized 1:1 to receive envonalkib(n=131)or crizotinib(n=133).Median independent review committee(IRC)-assessed progression-free survival(PFS)times were 24.87(95%confidence interval[CI]:15.64–30.36)and 11.60(95%CI:8.28–13.73)months in the envonalkib and crizotinib groups,respectively(hazard ratio[HR]=0.47,95%CI:0.34–0.64,p<0.0001).IRC-assessed confirmed objective response rate(ORR)was higher(81.68%vs.70.68%,p=0.056)and duration of response was longer(median,25.79[95%CI,16.53–29.47]vs.11.14[95%CI,9.23–16.59]months,p=0.0003)in the envonalkib group compared with the crizotinib group.In participants with baseline brain target lesions,IRC-assessed CNS-ORR was improved with envonalkib compared with crizotinib(78.95%vs.23.81%).Overall survival(OS)data were immature,and median OS was not reached in either group(HR=0.84,95%CI:0.48–1.47,p=0.5741).The 12-month OS rates were 90.6%(95%CI,84.0%–94.5%)and 89.4%(95%CI,82.8%–93.6%)in the envonalkib and crizotinib groups,respectively.Grade≥3 treatment-related adverse events were observed in 55.73%and 42.86%of participants in the envonalkib and crizotinib groups,respectively.Envonalkib significantly improved PFS and delayed brain metastasis progression in advanced ALK-positive NSCLC.