Degree Of Tumor Differentiation Research Articles

Characteristics of lymph node metastasis of right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To understand the characteristics and influencing factors of lymph node metastasis of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and to explore the reasonable range of lymph node dissection and the value of right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection. Methods: The clinicopathological data with thoracic ESCC were retrospectively analyzed, and the characteristics of lymph node metastasis along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve and its influencing factors were explored. Results: Eighty out of 516 patients had lymph node metastasis along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, the metastasis rate was 15.5%. Among 80 patients with lymph node metastasis along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, 25 cases had isolated metastasis to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node but no other lymph nodes. The incidence of isolated metastasis to the recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node was 4.8% (25/516). A total of 1 127 lymph nodes along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve were dissected, 115 lymph nodes had metastasis, and the degree of lymph node metastasis was 10.2%. T stage, degree of tumor differentiation and tumor location were associated with right paraglottic nerve lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). The lymph node metastasis rate along the right recurrent laryngeal in patients with upper thoracic squamous cell carcinoma (23.4%, 26/111) was higher than that of patients with middle (13.5%, 40/296) and lower (12.8%, 14/109) thoracic squamous cell carcinoma (P=0.033). In patients with poorly differentiated ESCC (20.6%, 37/180) the metastasis rate was higher than that of patients with moderately (14.6%, 39/267) and well-differentiated (5.8%, 4/69; P<0.05). The lymph node metastasis rate of patients with stage T4 (27.3%, 3/11) was higher than that of patients with stage T1 (9.6%, 19/198), T2 (19.0%, 16/84) and T3 (18.8%, 42/1 223; P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor location (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.41-0.90, P=0.013), invasion depth (OR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.11-1.92, P=0.007), and differentiation degree (OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.13-2.49, P=0.011) were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis along right recurrent laryngeal nerve of ESCC. Conclusions: The lymph node along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve has a higher rate of metastasis and should be routinely dissected in patients with ESCC. Tumor location, tumor invasion depth, and differentiation degree are risk factors for lymph node metastasis along right recurrent laryngeal nerve in patients with ESCC.

Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients With K-RAS Gene Mutation.

To investigate the relationship between K-RAS gene mutation and clinicopathological features and prognostic factors in lung adenocarcinoma. A total of 795 patients with lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed and tested for ten genes from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019, were reviewed. One hundred forty patients with K-RAS gene mutation lung adenocarcinoma were screened, of which 82 cases were included in this group, and complete follow-up data were obtained. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry was further performed, and the correlation between K-RAS mutation patients and clinicopathological features and related driver genes was analyzed. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier curve. The effects of clinicopathological features on patients' survival were analyzed by Cox univariate and multivariate analysis. The age of onset of 82 patients with K-RAS gene mutation lung adenocarcinoma was 46 to 89 years old, and the median age of onset was 69 years old. There were 64 male patients (78.05%) and 18 female patients (21.95%), including 68 smokers (82.93%). Tumor size: 2 to 5.5 cm, with an average tumor size of 3.5 cm. Histopathologic types: solid type in 60 cases (73.17%), micropapillary type in 2 cases (2.43%), and invasive mucinous type in 20 cases (24.39%). The degree of tumor differentiation: well-differentiated: 0 cases, moderately differentiated: 10 cases (12.20%), poorly differentiated: 72 cases (87.80%). Fifty cases (60.98%), 29 cases (35.37%), 29 cases (35.37%), 59 cases (71.95%), and 35 cases (42.68%) were complicated with nerve invasion, vascular invasion, visceral pleura invasion, lymph node metastasis, and distant organ metastasis, respectively. Among them, distant organ metastasis included 24 cases (68.57%) of bone metastasis and 11 cases (36.67%) of brain metastasis. Tumor Ki-67 proliferation index ≥50%: 54 cases (65.85%). Related driver gene mutations: There were 6 cases (7.31%) with a deletion mutation of exon 19 in EGFR or L858R mutation of exon 21 in EGFR, respectively. Immune factor PD-L1 ≥50%: 65 cases (79.27%). The patients were followed up for 402 to 1221 days, with a median follow-up of 612 days. Thirty-five cases died during the follow-up. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 100%, 62.20%, and 57.31%, respectively. Cox univariate analysis showed that the degree of tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, distant organ metastasis, Ki-67 index, deletion mutation of exon 19 in EGFR, and high expression of PD-L1 (≥50%) could all affect the prognosis of patients ( P < 0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that high expression of PD-L1 (≥50%) was an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with K-RAS gene mutation in lung adenocarcinoma. K-RAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor with high invasiveness and high mortality. The degree of tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, distant organ metastasis, Ki-67 index, deletion mutation of exon 19 in EGFR, and high expression of PD-L1 (≥50%) in patients with K-RAS mutation lung adenocarcinoma can affect the overall survival time of patients. The high expression of PD-L1 (≥50%) is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis (survival time).

Expression of tumor-associated macrophages and PD-L1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and construction of a prognostic model.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an inflammation-associated tumor involved in immune tolerance and evasion in the immune microenvironment. Immunotherapy can enhance the immune response of the body, break immune tolerance, and then recognize and kill tumor cells. The polarization homeostasis of M1 and M2 macrophages in tumor microenvironment (TME) is involved in the occurrence and development of tumors and has been considered a hot topic in tumor research. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in the polarity of TAM and affects the prognosis of HCC patients as a target of immunotherapy. To this end, efforts were hereby made to further explore the application value of PD-L1, M1 macrophages (CD86), and M2 macrophages (CD206) in the prognosis assessment of HCC, their correlation with immune cell infiltration in HCC tissues, and their bioenrichment function. The gene expression omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to analyze the expression of PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 in different tumor tissues. The correlation between the expression of PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 and the infiltration of immune cells was analyzed using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). The tissue specimens and clinicopathological data of hepatocellular carcinoma patients having undergone surgical treatment in our hospital were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the expression of PD-L1, CD86, and CD206, and analyze the relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients. Besides, nomogram was constructed to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients at 3 and 5years. Finally, the protein-protein interaction network information was analyzed using STRING database, and GO analysis and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis were performed to study the biological functions of PD-L1, CD86, and CD206. Bioinformatics analysis found that PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 were underexpressed in various tumor tissues including liver cancer, while the present immunohistochemical detection found that PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 were overexpressed in liver cancer tissues. Expressions of PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 were positively correlated with the infiltration level of immune cells in liver cancer, while the expression of PD-L1 was positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation. Meanwhile, the expression level of CD206 was positively correlated with gender and preoperative hepatitis, and patients with high expression of PD-L1 or low expression of CD86 had poor prognosis. AJCC stage, preoperative hepatitis, and the expression levels of PD-L1 and CD86 in cancer tissues were independent risk factors affecting survival of patients after radical hepatoma surgery. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that PD-L1 was significantly enriched in T cell aggregation and lymphocyte aggregation, and might be involved in the formation of T cell antigen receptor CD3 complex and cell membrane. Besides, CD86 was significantly enriched in positive regulation of cell adhesion, regulation of mononuclear cell proliferation, regulation of leukocyte proliferation, and transduction of T cell receptor signaling pathway, while CD206 was significantly enriched in type 2 immune response, cellular response to LPS, cellular response to LPS, and involvement in cellular response to LPS. In conclusion, these results suggest that PD-L1, CD86, and CD206 may be involved not only in the occurrence and development of HCC, but also in immune regulation, indicating the potential role of PD-L1 and CD86 as potential biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for prognosis assessment of liver cancer.

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: a clinicopathological and molecular genetic analysis of thirteen cases

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular features of primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS), and to analyze the correlation between KDR mutation and the clinicopathological features of PCAS. Methods: Thirteen cases of PCAS were collected at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2007 to December 2021. The clinicopathological features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and outcome were retrospectively analyzed. KDR mutation was detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and then the expression of KDR (VEGFR2) was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC), with review of relevant literatures. Results: There were eight males and five females with a mean age of 45 years. The primary tumor was in the right atrium in 10 cases, left atrium in two cases and right ventricle in one case. The histomorphology was mainly poorly differentiated angiosarcoma (11 cases), with highly pleomorphic spindle or round cells in solid sheets, brisk mitotic activity and extensive necrosis. Vascular lumen formation was observed in two cases of high to moderate differentiation, and biphenotypic differentiation was seen in five cases. IHC staining showed CD34, CD31, Fli1, ERG and vimentin were diffusely positive, pan-cytokeratin was positive, Ki-67 index ranged from 3% to 90%, which was positively correlated with the differentiation degree and grade of the PCASs (P<0.05). At the end of follow-up period, one patient was alive, two patients were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 10 patients had an average survival time of 4.6 months. Finally, NGS sequencing was performed on seven samples after screening, and the results showed that KDR and NF1 mutations were both present in three cases. VEGFR2 expression had no significant correlation with the differentiation degree and grade of PCAS (P>0.05), and it was not related to KDR mutation. Conclusions: PCASs mainly occur in the right atrium, and are mainly poorly differentiated. Ki-67 index is helpful to assess the degree and grade of tumor differentiation. The occurrence and development of PCAS may be related to the pathway involved in KDR mutation, but KDR mutation has no clear correlation with clinicopathological characteristics of PCAS, and immunohistochemical staining can not replace gene detection to determine whether the tumor had KDR mutation.

Radiomic applications in upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery.

Cross-sectional imaging plays an integral role in the management of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer, from initial diagnosis and staging to determining appropriate treatment strategies. Subjective imaging interpretation has known limitations. The field of radiomics has evolved to extract quantitative data from medical imaging and relate these to biological processes. The key concept behind radiomics is that the high-throughput analysis of quantitative imaging features can provide predictive or prognostic information, with the goal of providing individualised care. Radiomic studies have shown promising utility in upper gastrointestinal oncology, highlighting a potential role in determining stage of disease and degree of tumour differentiation and predicting recurrence-free survival. This narrative review aims to provide an insight into the concepts underpinning radiomics, as well as its potential applications for guiding treatment and surgical decision-making in upper gastrointestinal malignancy. Outcomes from studies to date have been promising; however, further standardisation and collaboration are required. Large prospective studies with external validation and evaluation of radiomic integration into clinical pathways are needed. Future research should now focus on translating the promising utility of radiomics into meaningful patient outcomes.

Prognostic Value for Perioperative Serum Total Cholesterol Level on Postoperative Long-Term Prognosis of Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Clinical Study

Cholesterol correlates with occurrence and progression of pancreatic cancer and has predictive value for postoperative prognosis in various cancers. Our study intended to reveal the relationship between perioperative serum total cholesterol (TC) level and postoperative prognosis of pancreatic cancer. We retrospectively analyzed the data of pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from January 2015 to December 2021. ROC curves between serum TC level at each time point and 1-year survival rate were drawn, from which study object and optimal cutoff value was determined. Patients were divided into low and high-TC groups, and perioperative data and prognosis were compared. Risk factors for poor postoperative prognosis were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. Overall survival rates at postoperative 1, 2 and 3 years in the low and high-TC groups were 52.9%, 29.4%, and 15.6% and 80.4%, 47.2%, and 33.8% (p = 0.005), respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed tumor differentiation degree (RR = 2.054, 95% CI: 1.396-3.025), pTNM stage (RR = 1.595, 95% CI: 1.020-2.494), lymph node metastasis (RR = 1.693, 95% CI: 1.127-2.544), and postoperative 4-week serum TC level (RR = 0.663, 95% CI: 0.466-0.944) as independent risk factors for prognosis of pancreatic cancer. We conclude that postoperative 4-week serum TC level has certain predictive value for long-term postoperative prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Surgical androgen deprivation therapy in advanced prostate cancer in patients of African descent: comparison of biochemical efficacy of bilateral total and subcapsular orchidectomy.

Surgical androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat advanced prostate cancer can be achieved either by bilateral total orchidectomy (BTO) or bilateral subcapsular orchidectomy (BSCO). However, biochemical and clinical equivalence between BTO and BSCO among native Africans is undocumented. To compare the biochemical response (testosterone and prostate specific antigen) in patients who had BTO and BSCO for advanced prostate cancer. A randomized single- blind study of 64 consenting patients that underwent either BTO or BSCO. Pre- and post-operative PSA and testosterone assays were done serially at intervals and compared between each treatment group. Each treatment group were similar with no statistically significant difference in terms of age (p= 0.449) or degree of tumor differentiation (p =0.714). Neither median testosterone (p= 0.515) nor the mean pre-operative PSA differ between the two groups (p = 0.482). Also, similar trends were noticed post operatively except at the 2nd month when a statistically significant difference was recorded (p = 0.003). The two techniques of orchidectomy were effective in accomplishing androgen deprivation. They produced similar biochemical (testosterone and PSA) response.

PREDICTION AND STUDY OF THE OCCURRENCE OF CERVICAL CANCER RECURRENCE

Cervical cancer has been found to have increased morbidity and mortality in women around the world. Despite complex treatment according to stratification, the risk of relapse is observed in up to 40% of patients Purpose of the study: - Improving the result of early diagnosis of recurrence of cervical cancer stump after complex treatment, by determining the value of the immune response by immunohistochemical markers in combination with the results of complex research methods Materials and methods: - The basis of the research work was a retrospective analysis of the results of the examination and complex treatment of 87 patients with cervical cancer who were treated and treated at the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Center of Oncology and Radiology of Uzbekistan, as well as in its Samarkand Regional Branch from 2012 to 2017. All patients underwent complex treatment of 4 courses of polychemotherapy according to the scheme fluorouracil + cisplatin, laparotomy, extended hysterectomy according to Wertheim type and combined radiation therapy of the small pelvis according to the BOX type. All patients were divided into 2 groups. The first control group consisted of 32 (36.8%) patients with cervical cancer who underwent complex treatment in various sequences, without relapse for three years. The second group included 55 (63.2%) patients with the same diagnosis, but in whom, after complex treatment, an early relapse was detected at the preclinical stage. Results: - In the study of intense infiltrate with lymphoid follicles, it was mainly observed with the degree of tumor differentiation G-3 and G-4, which amounted to 21 (80.7%) patients in the relapse group, while in the control group in 19 (61%) which significantly higher (p≤0.05). In group 1, negative expression was noted in highly and moderately differentiated tumors 9 (29%). With low and undifferentiated tumors, moderate and high expression of VEGF (50%) was noted, with further observation in these patients, locoregional recurrence was noted. In the second group, where there was a relapse of the cervical stump by histological examination, high expression with G-4 was noted in 8 (30.7%), and with G-3 moderate expression in 6 (23%) cases. Low intensity was observed only in 1 (3.8%) G1.As can be seen in Table 4.2, negative expression during relapse, i.e. the absence of lymphoid Conclusions: - Based on our research, differences in cellular immunity play a significant role. In patients without relapses, an increased cellular density of T3DM and T20 was observed, and in patients with relapses and severe course of the disease, low lymphoid density. We should note that in our study, the strongest predictor of prognosis is the number of CD3 + cells per mm 2.

Characteristics of small pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and risk factors for invasion and metastasis.

The number of people with small pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) (tumors with a diameter less than or equal to 2cm) is gradually increasing, but the selection of treatment strategy is still controversial. Our aim was to characterize small pNETs with a poor prognosis and to define the impact of aggressive small pNETs on survival and the risk factors for the development of invasive disease. Patients with pNETs diagnosed between 2004 and 2019 and a tumor diameter of 2cm or less were selected from the SEER Registry. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to identify the factors affecting patient survival, and binary logistic regression was used to identify the associated risk factors. A total of 3261 patients with pNETs were enrolled in the study. Both older and younger patients benefited from surgery. Regional invasion occurred in 10% of the patients, and distant metastases occurred in 9% of the patients, but in both categories, those who underwent surgery had better survival outcomes than those who did not. There was no difference in survival between patients with a tumor diameter of 1-2 cm and those with a tumor diameter of less than 1cm, and there was no difference in survival between patients with functional and nonfunctional small pNETs. However, the survival of patients with pNETs in the head of the pancreas was worse than that of patients with tumors in other parts of the pancreas. Survival was worse in elderly patients and in those with poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumors. Lymphatic metastasis, regional invasion, and distant metastasis all worsened the prognosis of patients. The presence or absence of neuroendocrine function, the degree of tumor differentiation, and the location of the tumor were associated with the risk of lymphatic metastasis and regional invasion; the risk factors for distant metastasis were associated with the degree of differentiation and tumor location. The pNETs ≤ 2cm in diameter could be still aggressive, and patient prognosis worsens after invasive disease develops. Attention to the characteristics of aggressive tumors can improve patient survival.

Diagnostic Value of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 Combined with Tumor Markers in Cervical Cancer

Background: To investigate the diagnostic value of SMARCE1, cysteine-rich secreted protein 3 (CRISP3) combined with tumor markers in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 80 patients with cervical lesions who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2020 to March 2022 were selected and divided into control group (chronic cervicitis, n = 30) and observation group (cervical cancer, n = 50). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression levels of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 in cervical tissue of the two groups of subjects, and the relationship between the expression of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 in cervical cancer tissue and the clinicopathological data of the patients was analyzed. In addition, the serum tumor marker levels of the two groups of subjects were detected, and the diagnostic value of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 combined with tumor markers in cervical cancer was analyzed. The female sexual function index (FSFI) and the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G) score were used to evaluate female sexual function and quality of life. Results: The positive expression rates of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in the positive expression of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 among cervical cancer patients with age, lymph node metastasis and tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification stage (p &gt; 0.05), and the lower the degree of tumor differentiation, the higher the positive expression rate of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 proteins (p &lt; 0.05). The serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125 and CA153 in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). The results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) values of SMARCE1, SMARCE1 + tumor markers, CRISP3, CRISP3 + tumor markers, SMARCE1, CRISP3 combined with tumor markers for the diagnosis of cervical cancer were 0.760, 0.851, 0.739, 0.810, and 0.944, respectively. Conclusions: SMARCE1 and CRISP3 are expressed in patients with cervical cancer, and CEA, CA125, and CA153 are expressed at high levels in the serum of patients with cervical cancer. The combined detection of SMARCE1 and CRISP3 combined with tumor markers has high clinical diagnostic value for cervical cancer.

Ubiquitin‑conjugating enzymes as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for digestive system cancers (Review).

Digestive system cancers are the leading cause of cancer‑related death worldwide due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. The current treatment methods include surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endoscopic treatment, and the precisely targeted therapy of digestive system cancers requires to be further studied. The ubiquitin‑proteasome system is the main pathway for protein degradation in cells and the ubiquitin‑conjugating enzymes (E2s) have a decisive role in the specific selection of target proteins for degradation. The E2s have an important physiological role in digestive system cancers, which is related to the clinical tumor stage, differentiation degree and poor prognosis. Furthermore, they are involved in the physiological processes of digestive system tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, stemness, drug resistance and autophagy. In the present article, the progress and achievements of the E2s in gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed, which may provide early screening indicators and reliable therapeutic targets for digestive system cancers.

Establishment and validation of a predictive model of recurrence in primary hepatocellular carcinoma after resection.

In recent years, nomogram prediction models have been widely used to evaluate the prognosis of various diseases. However, studies in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are limited. This study sought to explore the risk factors of recurrence of patients with primary HCC after surgical resection and establish a nomogram prediction model. The data of 424 patients with primary HCC who had been admitted to the Wuhan Third Hospital were retrospectively collected. The patients were followed-up for 5 years after surgery. The patients were divided into the recurrence group (n=189) and control group (n=235) according to whether the cancer recurred after surgery. The differences in the clinical characteristics between the two groups were analyzed. The risk factors of recurrence after surgical resection of primary HCC were also analyzed, and a prediction model was then established using R4.0.3 statistical software. There were significant statistical differences between the two groups in terms of the tumor size, systemic immune-inflammation (SII) index, the number of lesions, tumor differentiation degree, ascites, vascular invasion, and portal vein tumor thrombus (P<0.05). The multivariate regression analysis showed that multiple foci, poorly differentiated tumors, ascites, vascular invasion, and portal vein tumor thrombus were risk factors for the recurrence of primary HCC in patients after surgical resection (P<0.05). The data set was randomly divided into a training set and verification set. The sample size of the training set was 297, and the sample size of the verification set was 127. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the training set was 0.866 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.824-0.907], and the area under the ROC curve of the validation set was 0.812 (95% CI: 0.734-0.890). The Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness-of-Fit Test was used to test the model with the validation set (χ2=11.243, P=0.188), which indicated that the model had high value in predicting the recurrence of primary HCC after surgical resection. This model had high value in predicting the recurrence of primary HCC in patients after surgical resection. This model could assist clinicians to assess the prognosis of patients. Intensive treatment for high-risk patients might improve the prognosis of patients.

Effect of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognosis of patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy*

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on the prognosis of patients with ypT0-3N0 rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods The study participants were 110 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Thirty-four patients did not receive postoperative AC treatment, and the other 76 patients received postoperative AC treatment. The differences in the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the two groups were compared. Results Age was an important determinant of the patients’ decision to undergo postoperative treatment. Patients who did not receive AC treatment were significantly older than those who received AC treatment (P &lt; 0.05). The tumor location (distance above anal margin) in the AC group was significantly larger than that in the non-AC group (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the 5-year DFS and OS between the two groups. Postoperative AC did not significantly improve the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer. Age, tumor differentiation, and the number of resected lymph nodes were independent factors affecting the OS of patients (P &lt; 0.05). Older patients, patients with lower degree of tumor differentiation, and patients with &lt;12 resected lymph nodes showed worse prognosis (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion Patients with rectal cancer whose ypT0-3N0 stage is reduced after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, especially those without adverse prognostic factors, do not need AC after surgery.

Programmed death ligand-1 expression and its association with the degree of differentiation and the presence of necrosis in non-small cell lung carcinoma

The mechanisms underlying the expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are not yet fully clarified. In this study, surgical resections of 730 lung cancer patients with diagnosed NSCLC were analyzed. Results of PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (using clone 22C3) were correlated with clinicopathological variables including the degree of tumor differentiation and the presence of confluent areas of coagulative necrosis. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry was analyzed in tumor cells, whereas PD-L1 positivity was defined as membranous staining in ≥1 of tumor cells. A significantly higher proportion of PD-L1 positive cases was noted in poorly differentiated (grade 3) adenocarcinomas compared to better differentiated (grade 1 and grade 2) subtypes (63.8% vs. 28.7%; p<0.001). Contrary to this, better differentiated (keratinizing) and less differentiated (non-keratinizing) squamous cell carcinoma subtypes were found to have a similar proportion of PD-L1 positive cases (51.4% vs. 55.8%; p=0.570). High levels of PD-L1 expression significantly correlated with the presence of necrosis in NSCLC: seventy-nine of 109 NSCLC cases with the presence of necrosis were PD-L1 positive compared to 256 out of 621 NSCLC without necrosis (72.5% vs. 41.2%; p<0.001). High PD-L1 expression was not positively correlated with age, gender, and advanced T stage but a significant association between PD-L1 positivity and higher N stage was observed (p<0.001) in NSCLC patients. In conclusion, the proportion of PD-L1 positive cases is higher only in poorly differentiated NSCLC of the adenocarcinoma type. A significantly higher overall rate of PD-L1 positive cases was noted in NSCLC with the presence of necrosis. Further investigation is suggested to elucidate the intricated interconnections between the plethora of hypoxic biomarkers and immunological factors in different types and subtypes of NSCLC.

Effects of Casein Kinase 2 Alpha Subunit on the Proliferation, Invasion and Migration of Pancreatic Cancer PANC-1 Cells via the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Pathway

The researchers aimed to evaluate the functions of casein kinase 2 alpha subunit (CK2a) expression silencing in influencing pancreatic cancer (PC) PANC-1 cells from the aspects of invasion, proliferation and migration. As PC-1, PC PANC-1 and SW1990 cells exhibited significantly reduced CK2a mRNA expression level in contrast to normal pancreatic cells HPDE6-C7, while PC tissues displayed raised expression level compared with adjacent tissues (P&lt;0.05). CK2a mRNA expression had significant correlations with nerve infiltration, lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation degree and tumor-node-metastasis stage. After interfering with the expression of CK2a in PANC-1 cells, p-PTEN had elevated expression, while p-Akt473, p-GSK-3β, p-c-Raf, p-Akt308, p-PDK1, Snail and Vimentin, βcatenin had significantly down-regulated expressions, impeding cell growth, decreasing the number of healing wounds and invading cells. Moreover, the transplanted tumors were inhibited in terms of growth. For PC PANC-1 cells, their metastasis, proliferation and invasion were modulated by CK2a probably through regulating the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway that targeted epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

INCIDENCE OF UTERINE SARCOMA IN IVANO-FRANKIVSK REGION

Uterine sarcoma (US) is a rare disease characterized by an aggressive course and poor prognosis, accounting for 3–7% of malignant neoplasms of the uterus.&#x0D; The goal. Study the incidence of uterine sarcoma in Ivano-Frankivsk region and to analyze the clinical and morphological characteristics of the tumor.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Our research is based on clinical observations at the Municipal Non-Profit Institution “Precarpathian Clinical Oncology Center of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council” for the period from 2010 to 2021.&#x0D; The results. The analyzed data showed that the number of patients with uterine sarcoma was: stage I – 51.61%, stage II – 25.8%, stage III – 6.45%, and stage IV – 16.15%. Special attention should be paid to the observation of 48 patients with stages I, II uterine sarcoma (pT1-2NOMO).&#x0D; The peak incidence of uterine sarcoma in women is observed in the age group of 40-59 years (60.4%).&#x0D; The most common histological type is leiomyosarcoma, which accounts for 66.67%. Due to the different pathogenesis of the development of mesenchymal tumors, their clinical characteristics also differ. Leiomyosarcoma of the uterus is most often detected in the age group of 40-59 years (43.75%), but for endometrial stromal sarcomas, the peak incidence falls on the age group of 50-81 years, and it is 22.9%.&#x0D; In patients with leiomyosarcoma stage I, the distribution of histological grading is almost the same for G1, G2 – 28.1% and 25%. In stage II leiomyosarcoma, G2 prevails – 18.75%. For endometrial stromal sarcoma, in contrast to leiomyosarcoma, G3 prevails for stage I and II, which is 38% and 25%, respectively.&#x0D; In most patients with uterine sarcoma, an unencumbered oncology history was observed. Indicators of tumor markers (CA125, REA) for most patients with stage I-II uterine leiomyosarcoma were normal, for 66.67%.&#x0D; Conclusions. Most often, uterine sarcoma occurs in women of perimenopausal and menopausal age; the peak incidence of uterine leiomyosarcoma is in the age group of 40-59 years. The peak incidence in women with endometrial stromal sarcoma was observed in the age group of 50-81 years. Most cases are diagnosed at stage I of the disease, and the most common histological type of all uterine sarcomas is leiomyosarcoma. Endometrial stromal sarcoma is the second histological type of spreading, which in world practice demonstrates the advantage of detecting a low degree of malignancy G1-2. In our clinical study, in stages I-II, the frequency of detection, corresponding to the degree of tumor differentiation, G3 prevails. Among patients with stage I leiomyosarcoma, women with normal BMI prevailed (20.83%); with stage II, women with excess body weight and obesity (Class III) prevailed, which amounted to 25%. The majority of patients with stage I endometrial stromal sarcoma had excessive body weight, which amounted to 36.4%. Women with obesity of Class I predominated in stage II endometrial stromal sarcoma – 27.3%. Non-aggravated oncology history was characteristic for majority of patients with uterine sarcoma. 87.5% of women with stages I, II leiomyosarcoma and 73% of patients with stages I, II endometrial stromal sarcoma had non-aggravated oncology history. In most patients with uterine sarcoma and those who had more than three pregnancies, uterine leiomyoma in the anamnesis was found. Indicators CA125, CEA for most patients with leiomyosarcoma were normal.

Predictive markers of immunotherapy in cervical cancer

Study of PD-L1 expression in squamous and adenosquamous cell cervical cancer (CC) by immunohistochemical (IHC) method, assessment of the relationship between PD-L1 tumor status and its clinical and morphological characteristics, TILs, MSI/dMMR, and HPV tumor status. Surgical material was obtained from 41 patients with CC, on which the expression of PD-L1, proteins of the MMR system and p16 was studied by the IHC method, the TILs index was determined. Positive PD-L1 status was found in 51.2% of the studied CC samples. In the study sample, the level of PD-L1 expression depended on the severity of lymphoid infiltration of the tumor (p=0.038), it was shown that a positive PD-L1 status of CC can be expected with a TILs value greater than or equal to 50%. The age of the patients, the histological variant of the tumor, the pT and pN stage, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, and the HPV status did not statistically significantly affect the level of PD-L1 expression, however, there was an association between the PD-L1 status and the grade of CC malignancy (p=0.027). The presence of the MSI/dMMR phenomenon was detected in a small percentage of carcinomas (4.9%), the PD-L1 status of these tumors was determined as positive. A positive PD-L1 status is determined in a significant number of cases of CC, regardless of most of the studied clinical and morphological characteristics; there is a statistically significant relationship between PD-L1 expression and the degree of tumor differentiation and TILs. It has been shown that CC with the MSI/dMMR phenomenon is characterized by a positive PD-L1 status. The authors consider it necessary to study the expression of PD-L1 in patients with cervical carcinomas in order to determine the possibility of prescribing personalized therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Investigation of the mutational status of the FGFR3 gene in urothelial bladder carcinoma

To study the somatic mutational status of the FGFR3 gene in urothelial bladder cancer (BC) and evaluate its relationship with the clinical and morphological characteristics of the tumor, deficiency of the DNA mismatch repair (dMMR), PD-L1 tumor status, and immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of the p16 protein. Surgical material of 40 patients with BC, on which the mutational status of the FGFR3 gene was studied using the molecular genetic method, as well as the MMR status, PD-L1 and p16 expression by the IHC method. FGFR3 mutations, such as G370C, S249C, S371C/Y373C, R248C, were detected in 35.0% of the studied BC samples. FGFR3 status did not depend on the gender and age of patients, as well as on the degree of tumor lymphoid infiltration (TILs). Statistically significant differences were found in the analysis of FGFR3 status depending on the histological structure and degree of tumor differentiation, as well as on the pT stage. The FGFR3 status of BC was not associated with the IHC expression of the studied proteins of the MMR system, as well as with the PD-L1 status. Higher levels of PD-L1 expression were demonstrated by BC tumor cells, in which no aberrations in FGFR3 were detected. There was no significant association between p16 status and the presence of FGFR3 mutations, but for FGFR3-positive carcinomas, the basal pattern of p16 staining by IHC was noted. A positive somatic mutational status of the FGFR3 gene was statistically significantly more common in the group of papillary low-grade non-muscle-invasive BC, demonstrating basal p16 IHC staining. In the study sample, there was no statistically significant relationship between the FGFR3 status of BC and gender and age differences, TILs, MMR status, PD-L1 status (SP142 and 22C3), and p16 status. The results of the study indicate the need to determine the FGFR3 status in patients with BC for further prescription of personalized therapy.

Clinical Value of Serum miR-106a in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Human Papillomavirus-Positive Cervical Cancer

Introduction: Cervical cancer (CC) is a prevailing malignant tumor in women, mainly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study investigated miR-106a expression in the serum of HPV-positive CC patients and estimated its value in diagnosis and prognosis. Methods: We enrolled 120 CC patients as study subjects, with another 80 healthy women as controls. Clinical baseline data and clinicopathological indexes including age, tumor size, differentiation degree, FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) were recorded. Serum miR-106a expression was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to estimate the efficacy of miR-106a in diagnosing CC or HPV-positive CC. Under a 5-year follow-up, patient survival was recorded, and the impact of miR-106a on overall survival rate was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. The logistic regression model was used to analyze whether miR-106a was an independent prognostic factor for HPV infection in CC patients. Results: Serum miR-106a was upregulated in CC patients and the level >1.365 assisted the CC diagnosis. miR-106a expression in HPV-positive CC patients was elevated relative to HPV-negative CC patients, and serum miR-106a level >1.300 distinguishing HPV positive and HPV negative. HPV positivity was linked with tumor differentiation degree, FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and SCC-Ag in CC patients, but not with age and tumor size. High expression of miR-106a in HPV-positive CC patients increased the risk of poor prognosis, and miR-106a expression is an independent prognostic factor for HPV infection in CC patients. Conclusion: High expression of miR-106a assists in the diagnosis of HPV-positive CC and predicts poor prognosis.

The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of mTOR and p-mTOR expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has a crucial role in carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, cellular proliferation, and metastasis; however, its significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains contentious. Consequently, this study aims to assess the clinicopathological and prognostic importance of mTOR/p-mTOR expression in NSCLC. Literature retrieval was undertaken by searching English databases PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library as well as Chinese databases CNKI, Wan Fang, and VIP for full-text publications that satisfied our eligibility criteria up to November 2021. STATA 12.0 was used to conduct statistical analysis (STATA Corporation, College Station, TX). This meta-analysis includes a total of 4683 patients from 28 primary publications. mTOR/p-mTOR expression was associated with sex (OR = 0.608, 95% CI: 0.442-0.836), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.084, 95% CI: 1.437-3.182), and CEA (OR = 1.584, 95% CI: 1.135-2.209), but not with age, histological type, depth of tumor invasion, distant metastasis, TNM stage, differentiation degree, tumor size, or smoking. In addition, the expression of mTOR/p-mTOR is related to shorter overall survival in NSCLC patients (HR = 1.415, 95% CI: 1.051-1.905). Positive mTOR/p-mTOR expression was substantially correlated with unfavorable conditions on the sex, lymph node metastases, and CEA levels. mTOR/p-mTOR may indicate a bad prognosis for NSCLC. The current findings must be confirmed and changed by other high-quality research employing a multivariate analysis on bigger sample size.