UNASSIGNED: Patients with gastric cancer (GC) who underwent radical surgery require long-term follow-up (usually 5 years). The purpose of this study was to explore individualized follow-up strategies for patients with GC.
UNASSIGNED: This is a retrospective cohort study that established a clinicopathologic database of patients who underwent gastrectomy from January 2010 to December 2020 at Ningbo No. 2 Hospital. Follow-up was performed until March 2023. The rate of new-onset recurrence of patients with GC was explored annually according to different pTNM stages, defining a recurrence rate of less than 1% as adequate follow-up time.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 1606 patients who were eligible, the total number of patients who completed the 5- and 10-year follow-up was 1107 and 586, respectively. A total of 444 cases were diagnosed with recurrence. The recurrence rate for stage IA patients was consistently less than 1% during the follow-up time. The adequate follow-up time (the rate of new-onset recurrence less than 1%) was 5 years for stage IB and IIA patients, and 8 years for stage IIB and IIIA patients, respectively. In contrast, stage IIIB patients were always at risk of recurrence during the follow-up time (>1%). Time to a new recurrence rate for stage IIIC patients was 6 years.
UNASSIGNED: Among patients who underwent radical gastrectomy, the rate of new-onset recurrence varied among patients with different pTNM stages. This study suggests that the follow-up of GC can be individualized and refer to pTNM stage.

OBJECTIVE: Examining the distribution of breast cancer (BC) stage and molecular subtype among women aged below (< 45 years), within (45-65 years), and above (> 65 years) the recommended screening age range helps to understand the screening program\'s characteristics and contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of BC screening programs.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, female patients with newly diagnosed BC from 2010 to 2020 were identified. The distribution of cases in terms of TNM stages, severity classes, and subtypes was analysed according to age groups.
RESULTS: A total of 3282 women diagnosed with BC were included in the analysis. Among these cases 51.4% were detected outside the screening age group, and these were characterized by a higher TNM stage compared to those diagnosed within the screening age band. We observed significantly higher relative frequency of advanced BC in the older age group compared to both the screening age population and women younger than 45 years (14.9% vs. 8.7% and 7.7%, P < 0.001). HR-/HER2- and HER+ tumours were relatively more frequent among women under age 45 years (HR-/HER2-: 23.6%, HER2+: 20.5%) compared to those within the screening age range (HR-/HER2-: 13.4%, HER2+: 13.9%) and the older age group (HR-/HER2-: 10.4%, HER2+: 11.5%).
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study shed light on potential areas for the improvement of BC screening programs (e.g., extending screening age group, adjusting screening frequency based on molecular subtype risk status) in Hungary and internationally, as well.

BACKGROUND: The first COVID-19 wave in 2020 necessitated temporary suspension of non-essential medical services including organized cancer screening programs in Belgium. This study assessed the impact of the pandemic on breast cancer (BC) incidence, stage at diagnosis, and management in Belgium in 2020.
METHODS: All Belgian residents diagnosed with in situ or invasive BC in 2015-2020 in the nationwide, population-based cancer registry database were included. Incidence trends for 2015-2019 were extrapolated to predict incidence and stage distribution for 2020 and compared with the observed values. National healthcare reimbursement data were used to examine treatment strategies. Exact tumor diameter and nodal involvement, extracted from pathology reports, were analyzed for 2019 and 2020.
RESULTS: 74,975 tumors were selected for analysis of incidence and clinical stage. Invasive BC incidence declined by -5.0% in 2020, with a drop during the first COVID-19 wave (Mar-Jun; -23%) followed by a rebound (Jul-Dec; +7%). Predicted and observed incidence (in situ + invasive) was not different in patients < 50 years. In the 50-69 and 70 + age groups, significant declines of -4.1% and - 8.4% respectively were found. Excess declines were seen in clinical stage 0 and I in Mar-Jun, without excess increases in clinical stage II-IV tumors in Jul-Dec. There was no increase in average tumor diameter or nodal involvement in 2020. Patients diagnosed in Mar-Jun received significantly more neoadjuvant therapy, particularly neoadjuvant hormonal therapy for patients with clinical stage I-II BC.
CONCLUSIONS: BC incidence decline in 2020 in Belgium was largely restricted to very early-stage BC and patients aged 50 and over. Delayed diagnosis did not result in an overall progression to higher stage at diagnosis in 2020. Observed treatment adaptations in Belgium were successful in prioritizing patients for surgery while preventing tumor progression in those with surgical delay. Continuation of monitoring BC incidence and stage in the future is crucial.

This study aims to decipher crucial biomarkers regulated by p73 for the early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) by employing a combination of integrative bioinformatics and expression profiling techniques. The transcriptome profile of HCT116 cell line p53 - / - p73 + / + and p53 - / - p73 knockdown was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). This was corroborated with three CRC tissue expression datasets available in Gene Expression Omnibus. Further analysis involved KEGG and Gene ontology to elucidate the functional roles of DEGs. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using Cytoscape to identify hub genes. Kaplan-Meier (KM) plots along with GEPIA and UALCAN database analysis provided the insights into the prognostic and diagnostic significance of these hub genes. Machine/deep learning algorithms were employed to perform TNM-stage classification. Transcriptome profiling revealed 1289 upregulated and 1897 downregulated genes. When intersected with employed CRC datasets, 284 DEGs were obtained. Comprehensive analysis using gene ontology and KEGG revealed enrichment of the DEGs in metabolic process, fatty acid biosynthesis, etc. The PPI network constructed using these 284 genes assisted in identifying 20 hub genes. Kaplan-Meier, GEPIA, and UALCAN analyses uncovered the clinicopathological relevance of these hub genes. Conclusively, the deep learning model achieved TNM-stage classification accuracy of 0.78 and 0.75 using 284 DEGs and 20 hub genes, respectively. The study represents a pioneer endeavor amalgamating transcriptomics, publicly available tissue datasets, and machine learning to unveil key CRC-associated genes. These genes are found relevant regarding the patients\' prognosis and diagnosis. The unveiled biomarkers exhibit robustness in TNM-stage prediction, thereby laying the foundation for future clinical applications and therapeutic interventions in CRC management.

Activation of the acute-phase cascade (APC) has been correlated with outcomes in various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Primary drivers of the APC are the cytokines within the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1 families. Plasma levels of IL-6 family cytokines/soluble receptors (IL-6, IL-27, IL-31, OSM, CNTF, soluble (s-)gp130, s-IL-6Rα) and IL-1 family members (IL-1RA, s-IL-33Rα) were determined at diagnosis for 87 human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative (-) HNSCC patients. We then studied the 5-year Disease-Specific Survival (DSS) and Overall Survival (OS). Increased plasma levels of IL-6 (p < 0.001/p < 0.001) (DSS/OS), IL-31 (p = 0.044/p = 0.07), IL-1RA (p = 0.004/p = 0.035), soluble (s)-IL-6Rα p = 0.022/p = 0.035), and s-gp130 (p = 0.007/p = 0.003) at diagnosis were predictors of both OS and DSS from HPV(-) HNSCC patients. The cytokine DSS/OS predictions were associated with TNM stage and smoking history, whereas the soluble receptors IL-6Rα, gp130, and IL33Rα more uniquely predicted DSS/OS. Clinically, IL-6 levels above 2.5 pg/mL yielded 75% specificity and 70% sensitivity for DSS. In conclusion, high plasma levels of IL-6, IL-31, and IL-1RA, as well as the soluble receptors IL-6Rα, gp130, and IL33Rα, predicted clinical outcome. This shows their potential as candidates for both general therapy and immune therapy stratification, as well as being future platforms for the development of new immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between biomarkers of lipid metabolism and gastric cancer.
METHODS: 1120 gastric cancer patients and 1134 health examiners enrolled in this study. The clinic data and serum lipid level, including Total cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), were collected.
RESULTS: Serum TG and LDL-C levels in patients with gastric cancer were higher than those in the control group. HDL-C levels were lower than the control group (P < 0.05). HDL-C and LDL-C were significantly correlated with the risk of gastric cancer. Concentrating on clinicopathological features, increased TG was more frequently in male patients with distal gastric cancer, N0 stage and early TNM stage. Increased TC was more frequently in early T, N and TNM stage. Decreased HDL-C was more common in distal location and low-undifferentiated gastric cancer. LDL-C elevation was more common in distal gastric cancer and early T stage.
CONCLUSIONS: The serum lipid level of gastric cancer patients was higher than healthy controls. HDL-C and LDL-C abnormal correlated with gastric cancer risk. However, as the progresses of gastric cancer, poor patient intake, increased tumor consumption, and continuous declining in nutritional status, the levels of TC and TG gradually decreased in advanced gastric cancer.

Background Breast carcinoma has been the most prevalent cancer in women, with research-based evidence showing a significant rise in the incidence of cancer and related morbidity and mortality in the Indian subcontinent. The predictive value of plasmatic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels has been studied in breast cancer. Numerous studies have connected high LDH values to a poor prognosis, increased risk of incidence, recurrence, and associated mortality in patients with breast carcinoma. This study aimed to assess the clinical profile of breast carcinoma and determine the correlation of serum lactate dehydrogenase levels with the stage of the disease and assessment of high-risk features using histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Methods A total of 75 patients with carcinoma breast were enrolled for this study and classified into two groups: upfront surgery and post-adjuvant therapy. Serum LDH levels were estimated a day before the surgery (baseline) and on postoperative days 1, 7, 14, and 30. The clinical tumor, node, metastasis (cTNM) staging was correlated with pathological tumor, node, metastasis TNM (pTNM) staging and immunohistochemistry findings. Results The clinical characteristics of breast cancer, serum LDH levels, and stage of the disease were collected and analyzed. A significant decreasing trend was noted in LDH values post-op days, and statistically significant higher LDH values were noted in the triple-negative group, positive lymph nodes, and positive lymphovascular invasion patients. Conclusion Regularly elevated levels or an unanticipated rise in serum LDH might indicate poor outcomes. Hence, this non-specific enzyme marker can be suggested to be used routinely to assess disease outcomes.

BACKGROUND: miRNAs are non-coding RNAs participating actively in the post-translational regulation of oncogenes, tumor suppressor, and DNA repair genes implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to examine the association of the variants miR-27a (rs895819 A>G), miR-196a2 (rs11614913 T>G) and miR-146a (rs2910164 C>G) in Mexican CRC patients.
METHODS: DNA samples from 183 patients and 186 healthy Mexican subjects were analyzed. Variants were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology. Association was calculated by the odds ratio (OR) and adjusted by the Bonferroni test.
RESULTS: Patients carrying the G/G genotype of the rs895819 variant in the miR-27a gene showed an increased risk of CRC (19% vs 12%, P=0.013). A similar tendency was noticed for patients younger than 50 years carrying A/G (48% vs 41%, P=0.014). The A/G genotype in TNM stages I+II (55.7% vs 40.8%, P=0.011) and tumor location in the colon (69.5 vs 40.8%, P=0.001) were also increased. For the variant rs11614913 of the miR-196a2 gene, carriers of the C/C genotype showed an increased risk of CRC (32% vs 22%, P=0.009). This genotype was more frequent in TNM stage III+IV (36.8% vs 22.5%, P=0.007) and the tumor had a more recurrent location in the rectum (31.6% vs 22.5%, P=0.013). The rs2910164 variant of the miR-146a gene was found to have no significant risk associations.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal that the rs895819 variant in miR-27a and rs11614913 in miR-196a2 have a substantial impact on the development of CRC.

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

UNASSIGNED: The high mortality rate of head and neck cancers, particularly oral cancer, poses a significant health challenge in developing nations such as Mongolia. This retrospective survival analysis study was conducted to identify factors influencing the 5-year survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
UNASSIGNED: The study analyzed data from 173 patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma, including multiple variables such as age, gender, residence, education, tobacco and alcohol consumption, oral health indicators, family history, precancerous conditions, cancer characteristics, treatment, rehabilitation, cancer recurrence, and 5-year survival. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and STATA was used for statistical analysis.
UNASSIGNED: The study revealed a 5-year survival rate of 50.3% for oral cancer patients, with a survival rate of 38% for tongue cancer patients. Age, residence, cancer stage, and cancer recurrence were identified as significant survival predictors. Compared to those aged 60 or younger, the hazard ratio (HR) for patients aged 61 or older was 1.52. Survival was associated with female gender (HR = 0.47, CI = 0.29-0.77). Urban residence was associated with decreased survival (HR = 1.92, CI = 1.22-3.05). Significantly worse survival was associated with the presence of cancer recurrence (HR = 1.99, CI = 1.15-3.04). Oral cancer patients in stage IV had a fourfold higher risk of mortality compared to those in stage I (HR = 4.08, CI = 1.2-13.84).
UNASSIGNED: This research highlights the influence of age, urban habitation, and cancer recurrence on oral cancer survival. Age, urban residence, and cancer recurrence were all associated with decreased survival, whereas cancer at stage IV substantially increased the risk of death. The significance of early detection, treatment, and active surveillance to identify oral cancer at an early stage is highlighted by these findings. Compared to industrialized nations, Mongolia\'s lower oral cancer survival rates emphasize the need to increase public awareness and education. A comprehensive approach is required to improve oral cancer patient survival rates and quality of life, including emphasizing early detection through active surveillance, implementing preventive measures, and advancing cancer education initiatives.