Although surgical resection with curative intent is the main therapy for both primary and metastatic lung tumors, about 80% of lung cancers cannot be removed by surgery. Because most patients with unresectable lung cancer only receive limited benefits from traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, many novel local treatment modalities have emerged including local ablation therapy. The Minimally Invasive Treatment of Lung Cancer Branch, Professional Committee of Minimally Invasive Treatment of Cancer of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and Committee on Tumor Ablations, Chinese College of Interventionalists have organized multidisciplinary experts to develop guidelines for this treatment modality. These guidelines aim at standardizing thermal ablation procedures, describing the indications for candidates, assessing outcomes, and preventing postablation complications.

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Purpose: The purpose of the study is to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of ground-glass opacity (GGO)–lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: From December 2013 to June 2017, a total of 51 patients (22 males and 29 females, mean age of 69.4 ± 10.1 years) were included in this study, with 51 lung adenocarcinoma lesions showing GGO (mean long-axis diameter of 18.7 ± 6.05 mm). They received a total of 52 sessions of percutaneous computed tomography-guided (CT-guided) MWA. First, lung adenocarcinoma with GGO was histologically defined by needle biopsy under the guidance of CT. Second, the efficacy of CT-guided MWA was analyzed, including the feasibility, safety, 3 years local progression-free survival (LPFS), 3 years disease-specific survival, and 3 years overall survival (OS). Final, complications after MWA were also summarized. Results: The technical success rate was 100%, without MWA procedure-related death. At the median follow-up period (27.02, range: 7–45 months), the rates of 3 years LPFS, cancer-specific survival, and OS were 98%, 100%, and 96%, respectively. The complications after MWA included pneumothorax (48.1%, 25/52), hemoptysis (28.8%, 14/52), pleural effusion (23.1%, 12/52), and pulmonary infection (7.7%, 4/52). Conclusions: CT-guided percutaneous MWA was a feasible, safe, and effective therapeutic approach for treating GGO–lung adenocarcinoma.

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This is a review about long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and cervical cancer, especially the crucial regulating role played by lncRNAs on cervical cancer. LncRNAs are a big family with popular investigation in the last years. LncRNAs, as its noncoding proteins, once were considered to be useless RNAs without much more concern. However, much more attention was paid with the unique relationships between lncRNAs and disease. Especially, lncRNAs were evaluated and found its modifying and regulating functions in the process of cancer development. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of certain lncRNAs which are crucial for cervical cancer, find their mechanisms, and provide more possible direction for following evaluations including the point for target treatment.

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Objective: The objective of the study was to perform the control study between the electrocardiogram (ECG)-guided tip positioning and traditional radiological confirmation method in peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) placement; the accuracy and applicability of ECG-guided tip positioning were investigated. It aimed to expand the scope of PICC applications. Methods: From March 2016 to August 2017, 101 cases of patient with tumor admitted to the hospital were included in this study. The control study was performed before and after PICC placement. The tip positioning of PICC placement was performed under the guidance of bedside ECG system. The X-ray confirmation was applied for confirmation. Several parameters were observed, including positioning accuracy, success rate of primary catheterization, incidence of ectopic catheter, average catheterization time, and incidence of complications. Results: Position accuracy was 100%. The success rate of primary catheterization was 99%. The incidence of ectopic catheter was 1%. Average catheterization time was (49.59 ± 21.45) min. Incidence of postoperative complications within 1 week was 4%. Conclusion: ECG-guided PICC tip positioning was safe and accurate. Success rate of catheterization could be improved. ECG-guided PICC tip positioning can be applied as an alternative approach for patients with P-wave fluctuations.

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Aim: The aim of this is study is to assess the efficacy and safety of conversion capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) in Chinese patients with potentially resectable colorectal liver metastases (CLMs). Patients and Methods: Thirty patients (median age 57.5 years) with potentially resectable CLMs were treated with XELOX in a single-arm, open-label, nonrandomized, multicenter clinical trial. Results: The objective response rate in the 30 patients was 40% (95% confidence interval: 22.7%–59.4%), and the rate of conversion to resectable CLMs was 43.3%. Patients who underwent liver resection (n = 11) had a longer median progression-free survival and overall survival than those who did not. XELOX showed an acceptable safety profile. Conclusion: XELOX may effectively convert potentially resectable CLM into resectable CLM, providing survival benefits with a favorable safety profile. Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT 00997685.

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Objective: Esophagectomies are associated with high mortality and various complications. Previous studies reported on the short-term outcomes were heterogeneous and inconsistent in comparing minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with traditional open esophagectomy (OE). The objective of this study is to compare the short-term outcomes between MIE and OE calculated using Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) which incorporates all complication severities. Materials and Methods: We did expertise-based randomized controlled trial from September 2014 to October 2015. A total of 144 patients with resectable cancer were randomly selected to be treated by OE or MIE. The CCI was calculated using the Clavien-Dindo classification grade of all postoperative complications collected. Demographic characteristics, preoperative clinical assessment, postoperative complications, and CCI of patients were compared between both groups. Results: Among the 144 patients included in this study, 97 underwent OE and 47 underwent MIE. Demographics, preoperative clinical assessment, and inpatient mortality in both cohorts were almost identical. Eighty-four patients (86.6%) of OE group and 26 patients (55.3%) of MIE group suffered from complications. A significant difference was observed in blood transfusion (P = 0.04), moderate and severe pain (P < 0.01), and diarrhea (P = 0.03) between two groups. There was an obvious statistical significance of CCI between OE and MIE groups (P = 0.036). Conclusions: The CCI is a promising scoring system that could be used to assess the severity of complications after esophagectomy. MIE could improve the short-term outcomes by reducing some mild and moderate complications.

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Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic effects of urine PCA3 mRNA level in patients with prostate cancer (PC). Methods: Twenty four patients with pathologically confirmed PC, 40 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 13 patients with urolithiasis were recruited in this study. The urine level of PCA3 mRNA was determined with real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared among the three groups. With the reference parameter of urine PCA3 mRNA, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated. Results: The mRNA level in urine of PC, BPH and urolithiasis were 60.2 ± 32.2, 17.1 ± 12.9, and 6.2 ± 3.1, respectively, indicating that mRNA level in PC was significantly higher than that of in other two groups (P < 0.05). The AUC was 0.90 while the sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% and 79.2% with the cutoff value of 33.86. Conclusion: The urine PCA3 mRNA could be a biomarker for diagnosing patients with PC.

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Objectives: It is well-documented that obesity participated in the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Leptin is closely associated with obesity. This study is aimed to investigate the relationship between leptin level and RCC susceptibility and progression. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the association between leptin level and RCC susceptibility and progression. The studies were retrieved from electronic databases during January 1990–September 2017 with keywords. The qualified studies were screened with inclusion and exclusion criteria. A random effects model was applied to calculate the pooled standard mean differences and the corresponding confidence intervals. Results: Ten studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. The serum leptin level in male RCC was significantly lower than that of in female RCC in overall populations, Asians, and Caucasians while no marked difference was noted between genders in the plasma samples. Plasma leptin level in Stage I–II RCC was significantly higher than that in the Stage III-IV. In addition, no significant difference was observed between following parameters, including RCC and non-RCC, clear and non-clear RCC, Grade I–II and Grade III-IV RCC, M0 and M1 RCC, N0 and N1 RCC, and size <4 cm and size >4 cm RCC. No evidence of publication bias was observed. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that serum leptin level was lower in men with RCC than in women with RCC. Leptin level may not be related to the risk and progression of RCC. However, more studies should be performed in the future.

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Background: Adoptive immunotherapy (AIT) has been adopted as an adjuvant treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after curative therapy. However, the outcomes of AIT remain controversial. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the safety and efficacy of AIT with the recurrence rate and mortality. Materials and Methods: We identified eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that adopted AIT to HCC after curative treatments. A meta-analysis was carried out to assess the recurrence rate and mortality. Results: Eight RCTs with 964 patients were included in the study. The overall analysis showed that AIT treatment can not only decrease the 1-year (risk ratio [RR] =0.59, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.48–0.72, P < 0.00001), 2-year (RR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.60–0.79, P < 0.00001), and 3-year (RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.74–091, P = 0.0001) recurrence, but also decrease the 1-year (RR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.30–0.62, P = 0.00001), 2-year (RR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.46–0.74, P < 0.00001), and 3-year (RR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.73–0.99, P = 0.03) mortality. The results also indicate that the group of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells showed lower pooled RR values compared to the group of cytokine-induced killer cells among every subgroups. However, the AIT treatment failed to affect the 5-year recurrence rate and mortality (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This review provides available evidences that AIT, especially the treatment of LAK, can be used to decrease the early recurrence and mortality of postoperative HCC but may not the long term.

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Aims: Several studies suggested that promoter methylation of human mutL homolog 1 (hMLH1) was associated with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, other studies did not indicate the same results. To derive a more comprehensive estimation of the association between hMLH1 methylation and CRC risk, we conducted a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: We searched in the PubMed, EMBASE, and WanFang Medicine databases. The strength of the associations was measured by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 47 studies with 4296 cases and 2827 controls were included. A statistically significant association between hMLH1 methylation and CRC risk was found (OR = 9.25; 95% CI, 5.65–15.53; P < 0.001). The heterogeneity was significant (P < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis of race, Asian and Caucasian with hMLH1 methylation had increased CRC risk (OR = 12.19; 95% CI, 7.02–23.42; P < 0.001 and OR = 6.38; 95% CI, 2.17–19.64; P < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis of sample source, only the sample from tissue showed increased CRC risk (OR = 10.46; 95% CI, 6.12-17.90; P < 0.001). The Egger's test did not find publication bias (P = 0.176). Conclusions: In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that hMLH1 methylation was associated with an increased CRC risk.

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Objective: This study aimed to explore the risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and survival analysis for cirrhosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in treating portal hypertension. Materials and Methods: A retrospective database review was performed, including 106 patients (33 females and 73 males; aged 26–68 years with mean age of 55.3 ± 9.1 years) who received TIPS for treating recurrent gastroesophageal variceal bleeding or refractory ascites with portal hypertension. All the patients were recruited from the Interventional Oncology Department at Beijing Ditan Hospital between October 2008 and December 2011. The TIPS was successfully performed on all involved patients by puncturing at the right branch of portal vein via right hepatic vein. After TIPS, the patients were consecutively followed up at the outpatient clinic. The patients were examined by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen every 3 months for 3 years, for detecting the occurrence of malignant nodules and early HCC. The post-TIPS medical database was reviewed with univariate and multivariate analysis to identify the risk factors for new nodules retrospectively. Results: The overall incidence of HCC was 38.7% (41/106). The multivariate analysis showed that an increased odds ratios (OR) of HCC was observed in the complication of portal hypertension (OR, 0.396; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.171–0.918; P = 0.031) and preoperative cirrhosis classification (OR, 0.060; 95% CI, 0.021–0.175; P = 0.000). P < 0.05was considered statistically significant. After TIPS, the cumulative probabilities of survival time for patients with cirrhosis at 1, 2, and 3 years were 100%, 68%, and 61%, respectively (log rank test, P = 0.18). The cumulative incidence of new nodules was significantly lower among patients with refractory ascites than those with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Specifically, the survival rates of patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage at years 1, 2, and 3 were 100%, 65%, and 51%, respectively, compared to 100%, 88%, and 85% corresponding to patients with refractory ascites (P = 0.009). The cumulative incidence of HCC was significantly lower in cirrhosis patients with CT identified grade III than those with grade IV. At years 1, 2, and 3, the survival rates of cirrhosis patients with CT identified grade IV were 96%, 22%, and 20%, respectively, compared to 100%, 98%, and 90% in controls (P = 0.012). Conclusions: The identification of clinical variables associated with increased risks of HCC may be useful for selecting appropriate candidates for TIPS. Results suggested that the patients with cirrhosis of CT identified grade IV and with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage might be relevant to increased odds of HCC after TIPS.

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Objective: This study was aimed to explore the expression level of long noncoding RNA H19 in the plasma of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its clinical significance. Methods: A total of 66 NSCLC patients (case group) and 31 patients with benign lung disease (control group) admitted from February 2015 to February 2017 were included in this study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was applied to examine the relative expression level of long noncoding RNA H19 in the plasma of the two groups. The relationship between H19 expression and clinical, pathological features was explored. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to evaluate the clinical value of plasma H19 as a tumor marker in the auxiliary diagnosis of NSCLC. Results: The relative expression levels of plasma H19 inpatients from NSCLC group and benign lung disease group were 5.62 ± 2.02 (ΔCt) and 7.74 ± 2.75 (ΔCt), respectively. The NSCLC group presented with significantly higher levels than that of the benign disease group (P < 0.05). According to the median of relative expression level of 5.54, the plasma H19 of NSCLC patients was classified into low expression group ≥5.54 (n = 34) and high expression group <5.52 (n = 32). The relationship between the patients' clinical, pathological features, and the expression level of H19 was analyzed. The expression of H19 was not significantly correlated with the gender, age, clinical staging, tumor diameter, and pathological type of the patients (P_all > 0.05). With the serum H19 as a diagnosis reference, the diagnostic sensitivity of NSCLC was 67.74%, and the specificity was 63.08%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.73, and the diagnostic cutoff value was 6.62. Conclusion: Plasma level of H19 in NSCLC patients was significantly increased, which could be applied as a serological marker for the auxiliary diagnosis of NSCLC.

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Purpose: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of Spica prunellae on proliferation and apoptosis of lung cancer cells in vitro. Materials and Methods: The cell viability was determined with the CCK8 assay and the apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry. Western blotting was applied to detect the protein level of caspase-3 expression. Results: It was observed that Spica prunellae could promote the apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of A549 in vitro. The analysis of Western blotting showed that the expression level of proapoptosis protein caspase-3 was generally unchanged, whereas the level of activated caspase-3 was significantly increased. Conclusion: The results indicated that the growth of lung cancer cells A549 might be inhibited with Spica prunellae through activating the proapoptotic protein caspase-3 and inducing cellular apoptotic pathway.

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Objectives: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The ABO blood group antigens are chemical constituents on the surface of red blood cells and various epithelial cells. Several studies have described the association of ABO blood types with multiple types of human cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the incidence of NPC and ABO blood groups. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the files of 1136 pathologically confirmed patients with NPC and 1024 cancer-free healthy controls, including the information of serologically determined blood group. The distribution of blood groups between patients with NPC and the control group was determined. The Chi-square test was applied to assess the distribution of age, gender, smoking, family history, and ABO blood groups between the NPC and the controls. Pearson's correlation was performed to evaluate the correlation between ABO blood groups and clinical stages. Results: There was no significant difference in age, smoking, family history, and ABO blood group between patients with NPC and the control group (P > 0.05). ABO blood groups were also not associated with NPC stages (P = 0.506). However, the proportion of males with NPC was higher than that of control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The blood group types were not associated with increased risk of NPC and NPC stages in a population of Southern China.

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Aims: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and analyze the relationship of HPV infectious status to clinicopathologic characteristics of invasive cervical carcinoma (ICC) in Zhejiang Province. Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients diagnosed with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IA to IV ICC, treated at our institutions between January 2007 and December 2008 were enrolled. The associations between the clinicopathologic parameters and the HPV status were assessed by the Pearson Chi-square test. Results: Out of 1169 patients, 1072 (91.70%) patients had detectable HPV, the HPV-positive rate seemed to be higher as the severity of pathology increased and preferred to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). HPV-16/-58/-18/-52 was the most prevalent types found in Zhejiang Province. HPV-16 was preferred to SCC (P = 0.049), while HPV-58 seemed to be more likely in non-SCC (P = 1.18E-6), deep stromal invasion (DSI)-positive (P = 0.001), lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI)-positive (P = 4.84E-6), and lymph node metastasis (LNM)-positive (P = 7.98E-4). HPV-52 was more common in surgery patients who were beyond 35 years old (P = 0.02), as well as in DSI-positive (P = 0.014) patients. However, there were no significant differences regarding HPV-58 to any clinicopathologic parameters. Conclusions: HPV-16/-18/-58/-52 was the most commonly identified types in Zhejiang Province, which contributed for vaccine development. Furthermore, HPV-16 was preferred to SCC, while HPV-58 seemed to be more likely in non-SCC, DSI-positive, LVSI-positive, and LNM-positive patients, and HPV-52 was more common in surgery patients who were beyond 35 years old, as well as in DSI-positive patients.

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Background: The exact pathogenic mechanism of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is still unclear. Objective: we aimed to screen key genes associated with AS using differential expression network (DEN), and further to reveal the molecular mechanism of AS. Materials and Methods: First, the gene expression data of AS were recruited and preprocessed. Meanwhile, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Then, the DEN including the differential interactions and the nondifferential interactions were constructed, and the hub genes were determined according to degree centrality analysis of nodes. Finally, pathway enrichment analysis was conducted on these genes contained in the DEN to further to determine the importance of the hub genes. Results: A total of 20,102 genes were obtained and 145 DEGs which including 99 upregulated genes and 46 downregulated genes were identified. Then, a DEN which contained 434 differential interactions and 2 nondifferential interactions were constructed. In the following, four hub genes which were USP7, hepatoma-derived growth factor, EP300, and split hand/foot malformation type 1 (SHFM1) were screened out. None of them was DEGs. Finally, the hub genes of EP300 and SHFM1 were enriched in the pathways of prostate cancer and adherens junction and proteasome pathway, respectively. Conclusions: Compared to the traditional differential genes methods, DEN is a more useful and comprehensive method to conduct on the AS. We predict that these genes (such as EP300 and SHFM1) could be chosen as novel predictive markers for AS.

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Objective: The tumor inhibition by magnetic fields (MFs) has been reported in many in vivo and in vitro studies, while clinical trials have been rare. This report aimed to evaluate the improvement of survival and general symptoms in advanced cancer patients treated with MFs. Subjects and Methods: In this study, we investigated 21 patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) treated with 420 r/min, 0.4-T low-frequency rotary MFs. The treatment area encompassed the primary tumor sites, metastatic sites, and metastatic lymph nodes. In addition, the patients were treated 2 h per day, 5 days per week for 6–12 weeks. The toxicity pilot human study was approved by the competent ethical committee. Toxicity and side effects were assessed according to the WHO criteria. The changes of general symptoms were analyzed during low-frequency rotary MFs treatment and 2 weeks after the end of therapy. Electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, physical examination, blood cell count and complete blood chemistry, biochemical, and kidney function tests were performed before and after the end of the treatment. All 21 patients were followed up by outpatient service or telephone interview. Results: Our results demonstrated that low-frequency rotary MFs improved abdominal pain in 9/21 (42.9%), nausea/vomiting in 4/21 (19.0%), weight loss in 11/21 (52.4%), ongoing blood loss in 2/21 (9.5%), physical strength in 5/21 (23.8%), and sleep quality in 4/21 (19.0%) patients. No severe toxicity and side effect were observed in our trial. The median survival time was 8.0 months (95% confidence interval, 5.190–10.810). The 1-year survival rate was 25.8%. Conclusion: Low-frequency rotary MFs may prolong survival and improve general symptom of AGC patients, as an effective, well-tolerated, and safe treatment choice.

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Aim of Study: Results on the association of Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) susceptibility from the present reports are still debating. This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association of VDR ApaI (rs7975232), BsmI (rs1544410), TaqI (rs731236), and Fok1 (rs2228570) gene polymorphisms with RCC risk. Materials and Methods: The association studies were recruited from PubMed on May 1, 2016, and eligible reports were extracted and data were synthesized using meta-analysis method. Result: Six investigations were included into this meta-analysis for the relationship between VDR gene polymorphism and RCC susceptibility. In this meta-analysis, the ApaI A allele, AA genotype, aa genotype, and Fok1 FF genotype were associated with RCC susceptibility in Asians. However, VDR BsmI and TaqI gene polymorphisms were not associated with the RCC risk in Asians, Caucasians, and overall populations. Furthermore, Fok1 gene polymorphism was not associated with the RCC risk in Caucasians and overall populations. Conclusion: ApaI gene polymorphism and Fok1 FF genotype were associated with RCC susceptibility in Asians.

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Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between expression of CD133 protein and the clinicopathological features of patients with osteosarcoma. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 28 cases of osteosarcoma in our hospital from 2007 to 2016, as well as 21 cases of osteochondroma in the same period as control group. The expression of CD133 protein in paraffin specimens of two groups of patients was detected with immunohistochemistry SP assay. Results: CD133-positive staining was observed in the cytoplasm or cell membrane. The positive rate of CD133 protein expression in osteosarcoma tissue was significantly higher than that of in osteochondroma (60.7% vs. 19.0%), with statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). The patients of osteosarcoma were followed up for 11–94 months, and the median survival time was 47 months. During follow-up period, there were 16 cases of lung, spine, or retroperitoneal metastasis. At the end of the follow-up, 15 cases were dead and 13 cases were still alive. Distant metastasis and Enneking staging were significantly correlated with CD133-positive expression in osteosarcoma patients (P < 0.05), and the proportion of CD133-positive expression was high in both distant metastasis and Enneking staging. The median disease-free survival time was 21 and 32 months for CD133-positive and CD133-negative expression patients with osteosarcoma, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). However, the median survival time of the CD133-positive and CD133-negative expression groups was 46 and 49 months, without statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of CD133 protein in patients with osteosarcoma was significantly high and related to the distant metastasis, which may be a potential prediction biomarker for poor prognosis of osteosarcoma patients.

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Purpose: A survival benefit may be associated with the positive control of extrahepatic lymph node metastasis (LNM) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no standard treatment exists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) brachytherapy (BT) of LNM of HCC, especially in patients with multiple lymph nodules or repeated lymph node recurrence. Materials and Methods: From June 2007 to July 2016, clinical and imaging data of 22 patients were collected at our center. According to the treatment planning system, 37 BT targets were treated by seed implantation with computed tomography (CT)-guidance. The radioactive treatment-related adverse events and surgical complications were recorded. The BT target therapeutic response was evaluated by the RECIST. The median survival time and rates were evaluated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Twenty-two patients were enrolled (median age: 48 years; 90.9% males), and 58 lymph node areas were diagnosed as metastatic. The incidence of LNM was high in porta hepatis (33.9%) and right para-aortic nodes (14.2%), and lower incidence rates were observed in other areas. The median imaging follow-up time was 12 months (inter-quartile range 5.5–20.5), the complete response was 29, the partial response was 5, the stable disease was 2, the progressive disease was 1, and the local response rate was 91.8%. The median survival time from the beginning of BT was 25 months. The 1, 2, and 3-year overall survival rates were 64.3%, 43.4%, and 27.1%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival rate from the time of HCC diagnosis was 31.1%. No BT-induced acute morbidity according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria was reported. After 5.5 months, one patient diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer underwent gastroduodenoscopy. The surgical complications included mild pancreatitis in 3 patients and stomach bleeding and pneumothorax in 1 patient. Conclusion: CT-guided ¹²⁵I BT treatment of LNM of HCC presented good local control rates and controllable complications. It is a safe and effective palliative treatment for patients with LNM of HCC. Further study is needed to evaluate its long-term safety and efficacy.

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Objective: To determine the optimal approach for estimating the length of gross tumor and involvement of the lymph nodes with ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) in esophagogastric junction carcinoma (EGJC). The result was verified with pathologic examination. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with diagnosed and untreated EGJC were enrolled. The length of the gross tumor was measured using different approaches with PET/CT: Standardized uptake value (SUV) 1.5–5.5 in intervals of 1.0 and 10%–50% of maximum SUV (SUV_max) on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in intervals of 10%. The results were expressed as L_1.0–L_5.0, and L_10%–L_50%, respectively. The pathological length of gross tumor (L_path) was calculated based on the shrinkage ratio of primary tumor. The measurable lymph nodes were measured on PET/CT preoperatively, labeled during operation, and examined for pathology. Results: L_path was 6.87 ± 2.25 cm, L_30% and L_2.5 were 6.61 ± 1.76 cm and 7.56 ± 1.89 cm, respectively. L_30% was closer to L_path than other % SUV_max, L_2.5 was closer to L_path than other absolute SUV thresholds. The diagnostic performance of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT for lymph nodes was best at the cutoff SUV of 2.7, providing sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 83.7% for detecting lymph node metastases. Conclusions: The tumor length with 30% SUV_max as the threshold was closest to the actual pathological length of EGJC. The diagnostic efficiency of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was best at the cutoff SUV_max of 2.7 for detecting lymph node metastases in EGJC.

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Aims: Platinum-based chemotherapy is considered as the first-line treatment for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, platinum resistance and toxicity are major obstacles to its clinical applications. The two P-type ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B have been identified to play an essential role in the transport of platinum. Their genetic polymorphisms may affect the treatment outcome and toxicity of platinum. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of ATP7A and ATP7B genetic polymorphisms with clinical outcome and toxicity of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients. Subjects and Methods: Four hundred and twenty-seven NSCLC patients were enrolled. All patients have accepted platinum-based chemotherapy for at least two cycles. ATP7A (rs2227291 and rs6622665) and ATP7B (rs1061472 and rs9535826) polymorphisms were genotyped by allele-specific matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Chemotherapeutic response, overall survival time, and hematological and gastrointestinal toxicity were recorded and their associations with genetic factors were evaluated. Results: ATP7A rs2227291 and rs6622665 deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Therefore, the two single-nucleotide polymorphisms were not taken into consideration. For ATP7B polymorphism, ATP7B rs9535826 was associated with gastrointestinal toxicity, and the GG genotype showed lower gastrointestinal toxicity (odds ratio = 0.30; 95% confidence interval = 0.10–0.90; P = 0.031). Conclusion: The genotypes of ATP7B gene may be novel and significant biomarkers for predicting the gastrointestinal toxicity of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients.

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Objective: The objective of this study is to elucidate the regulation of the DPC4 gene by miR-190 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the DPC4 gene is a target gene of miRNA-190, identify target motifs and to elucidate the mechanism of regulation of DPC4 by miRNA-190. Materials and Methods: MiR-190 and DPC4 expression were measured in five different CRC cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. The regulation of DPC4 by miR-190 was evaluated by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and luciferase reporter assays in the human CRC cell line HT-29 after treatment with miR-190 mimics and inhibitors. Results: The DPC4 mRNA, miR-, and DPC4 protein expression levels were highest in LS174T cells while lowest in SW480 and SW620 cells. The DPC4/miR-190 ratio in the HT-29 cancer cell line was the largest. MiR-190 expression increased dramatically after treatment with miR-190 mimics and decreased significantly after treatment with miR-190 inhibitors. DPC4 protein expression decreased in the miR-190 mimics transfection group when compared to the negative control (N.C.) group and increased in the miR-190 inhibitor groups when compared to the inhibitor plus N.C. group. MiR-190 inhibits the relative luciferase activity of psiCHECK-2™ vector-3'UTR compared to the N.C. group, while miR-190 had no obvious effect on the relative luciferase activity of the psiCHECK-2™ vector-3'UTRmut and psiCHECK-2™ vector transfected cells. Conclusions: The DPC4 gene might be the target gene of miR-190, which may negatively regulate the DPC4 gene in human CRC cells by translational suppression rather than mRNA degradation.

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Objective: Epidermal growth factor-like domain-containing protein 7 (EGFL7) is an endothelial cell-derived secreted factor that regulates vascular tube formation. In human cancer, the specificity of expression is lost as EGFL7 has been detected in tumor cells, in addition to endothelial cells. This study evaluated the intricate relationship between hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and EGFL7 under both hyperoxia and hypoxia states. Materials and Methods: In the present study, immunohistochemical staining and ELISA were applied to examine the relative level of EGFL7 in 182 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues and 110 cases of HCC serum samples. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were applied to verify the correlation between serum EGFL7 level and anoxic microenvironment. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine the correlation between EGFL7 and HIF1-α. Results: The correlations between EGFL7 expression and patients' age, tumor size, gender, N-stage, history of cirrhosis, M-stage, history of hepatitis C, and history of hepatitis B were statistically insignificant (P = 0.28, 0.34, 0.71, 0.15, 0.8, 0.2, 0.052, and 0.14, respectively). High level of EGFL7 was significantly correlated with overall survival as well as disease-free survival in 182 HCC patients (P = 0.0016 and P < 0.001, respectively). The correlations between serum EGFL7 and vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Among the 35 HIF1-α-positive HCC patients, 69% were medium positive and 31% were strong positive. EGFL7 protein expression level was oxygen dependent in HCC line (P < 0.05). Conclusions: EGFL7 was found to be a potential predictor for HCC survival and metastasis state; EGFL7 may be a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in human HCC.

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Aims: We have previously demonstrated that brain metastases were more common among patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. However, the association of EGFR mutation and extracranial metastases (ECM) remains inconclusive. In this study, we explored the potential association between EGFR mutation and the risk of ECM. Patients and Methods: Between March 2007 and December 2014, 234 patients were analyzed for the potential association between EGFR mutation and ECM. Statistical Analysis Used: Multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: There were no associations between the EGFR mutation and metastases in different organs, except for bone. The frequency of EGFR mutation was statistically higher for patients with bone metastases (BMs) at the initial diagnosis (P = 0.039) and at the last follow-up (P = 0.018) as compared to those with wild-type EGFR. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, EGFR mutation significantly increased the risk of BM at the initial diagnosis (P = 0.036). Among those patients without BM at initial diagnosis, 1- and 2-year accumulative rates of subsequent BM were significantly higher in patients with EGFR-mutant disease (P = 0.026). EGFR mutation was an independent risk factor for subsequent BM (P < 0.05). In addition, patients with finial BM and EGFR-mutant disease had longer median survival as compared to those with wild-type disease (P = 0.020). Conclusions: Only BM in patients with ECM was significantly correlated with EGFR mutation during their disease course. EGFR mutation was an independent predictive and prognostic factor for developing BM, which was also a positive predictive factor for overall survival of patients who developed BM.

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Aim: This study aims to investigate the involvement of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation and metastasis. Materials and Methods: The effects of IGF-II on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell migration, and invasion in HCC Huh7 cells were investigated in the study. Results: IGF-II promoted cell proliferation and colony formation, suppressed cell apoptosis in Huh7 cells by promoting cell cycle progression, induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes, and enhanced the metastatic potential of HCC in vitro. Conclusion: Our results revealed that IGF-II promotes cell proliferation and EMT in HCC cells.

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Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the expression of Fascin_1 protein in cancer tissues of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relevance to patients' clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 81 patients with NSCLC who were admitted to our hospital and received surgical treatment from February 2012 to March 2016. To analyze the correlation of Fascin_1 protein expression in cancer tissues with the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of the patients, the immuno-histochemical method was applied to examine Fascin_1 protein expression in cancer and normal paracarcinoma tissues of the included 81 NSCLC patients. Results: Fascin_1 protein was diffused in cancer tissues, and cancer cells surrounding the carcinoma lesions were strongly stained. The protein was mainly located on the cytoplast or membrane of positive cells and manifested as a focal or diffuse brown granular distribution. The negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive expression rates in cancer tissues were 23.5% (19/81), 35.8% (29/81), and 40.7% (33/81), respectively. The negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive expression rates in paracarcinoma tissues were 71.6% (58/81), 12.3% (10/81), and 16% (13/81), respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), and the positive expression rate of Fascin_1 in cancer tissues was significantly higher than that of in paracarcinoma tissues (P < 0.05). The positive expression of Fascin_1 in cancer tissues was significantly correlated with the neoplasm stage (P < 0.05) and mediastinal lymph node metastases (P < 0.05); however, it was not relevant to the patients' age, gender, tumor size, pathological type, tumor grading, or pleural effusion (P > 0.05). The median survival times for patients with positive Fascin_1 and negative Fascin_1 expression in cancer tissues were 26 and 44 months, respectively, indicating that the median survival time of the Fascin_1-positive group was significantly lower than that of in the Fascin_1-negative group (heart rate = 2.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.32–6.87, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Fascin_1 protein expression in NSCLC tissues and normal paracarcinoma issues were different. Fascin_1 expression in cancer tissues was related to the poor prognosis of NSCLC patients.

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Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the characteristics of multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) image in kidney cancer patients and its clinical value in staging diagnosis of kidney cancer. Materials and Methods: This study included 57 patients who were confirmed as kidney cancer through postoperative pathological examination; they were diagnosed within February 2014 and December 2016 in our hospital. The data obtained from multi-slice spiral CT plain scan and contrast-enhanced CT of these patients was retrospectively analyzed. Moreover, we determined the characteristics of multi-slice spiral CT image for kidney cancer and analyzed their consistency with pathological staging. Results: CT plain scan showed that kidney lumps were mostly found in the prominent renal contour or renal parenchyma, and they were round-like or round in shape. Among the 57 included patients, the tumors of 43 cases showed regular edges, and 14 showed irregular edges. Among the 14 cases, 10 patients had tumors with lobulated edges and 5 with spinous tumor edge. Among all the 57 patients, CT plain scan showed there were 5 cases with slightly higher density, 24 cases with mixed density, 28 cases with equal density or slightly lower density. The range of tumor diameter was 2.1–12.6 cm; the tumor diameter was smaller than 3 cm in 11 cases, 3–7 cm in 34 cases, and larger than 7 cm in 12 cases. In terms of contrast enhancement, the arterial phase was obviously enhanced in 31 cases, moderately and irregularly enhanced in 18 cases, and slightly enhanced in 8 cases. Moreover, the renal parenchymal scan showed a rapid decline in the enhancement and a further decline in the enhancement of renal pelvic tumor; the three stages of enhancement could be expressed in terms of fast forwardness and fast backwardness. A total of 33, 4, 9, and 11 cases were classified as postoperative pathological Stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively; 35, 5, 7, and 10 cases were classified as CT scan Stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively; and 34, 5, 8, and 10 cases were classified as contrast-enhanced CT scan Stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the frequency of CT scan, the enhanced stage and pathological stage (P > 0.05). Conclusion: CT image of kidney cancer revealed the morphological and enhanced features of this tumor. The consistency between CT stage and pathological stage was high; thus, this method can be applied as a forecasting method for pathological staging.

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