The purpose of this study was to explore the interplay and influence of anxiety and depression between patients with low-risk localized prostate cancer on active surveillance (AS) and their close allies. The research sought to determine if emotional states are interdependent within these dyads, hypothesizing that both actor (self) and partner (close ally) effects would be significant.

Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic malignancy with high mortality and poor prognosis. Chemoresistance is a key cause of ovarian cancer recurrence and metastasis. It has been found that some bioactive peptides can inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells and promote cell apoptosis, thus exerting anti-cancer effects. Tβ4-17 is a small polypeptide that we selected using ITRAQ technology, and its precursor protein is thymosin β4. This study mainly investigated its effect in combination with cisplatin (DDP) on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of ovarian cancer resistant cells and related molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that Tβ4-17 peptide combined with DDP significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of drug resistance cells in ovarian cancer, promoted apoptosis, and increased the chemo-sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP. In addition, qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that NF-κB was significantly highly expressed in DDP-resistant cells of ovarian cancer. After application of NF-κB inhibitors and activators, Western blot, CCK8, EDU fluorescence proliferation assay, and cell scratch assay showed that Tβ4-17 peptide down-regulated NF-κB p65 protein expression and inhibited cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that Tβ4-17 peptide enhances the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP by down-regulating NF-κB expression.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a process in which cancer cells form endothelial cell-independent vascular networks, is a hallmark of tumor aggressiveness in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and supports tumor growth and metastasis. This study aims to identify and validate key genes associated with VM formation in LUAD, and to elucidate their functional roles and clinical significance.

Previous studies investigated the impact of timing between neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and radical cystectomy (RC) (NAT-to-RC interval) on overall survival (OS). However, these studies primarily focused on neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), leaving the effects of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NAI) and chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) unexplored.

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) for detecting lymph node metastasis in breast cancer.

To establish and validate a nomogram for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in breast cancer (BC) patients, aiming to identify subgroups potentially suitable for non-surgical management.

Chemoresistance remains a significant hurdle in breast cancer treatment. To address this, we explored the therapeutic potential of combining epirubicin, an anthracycline commonly associated with the development of resistance in cancer cells and with known cytotoxic effects, with 4-methylumbelliferone, a plant-derived coumarin. Our results demonstrated a coactive enhancement of epirubicin efficacy when this combination was applied to 3D breast cancer models, irrespective of molecular subtype. Mechanistically, 4-methylumbelliferone inhibits synthesis of hyaluronan, a key component of the tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth and metastasis. By disrupting hyaluronan production, this compound facilitated drug penetration into tumor spheroids and reduced the expression of drug efflux pumps, thereby increasing intracellular drug accumulation. Consequently, the combined treatment led to a significant reduction in cell viability and promotion of cell death. Our findings suggest that targeting hyaluronan metabolism in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy offers a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer. This drug repositioning approach not only improves treatment efficacy but also highlights the potential of targeting the tumor microenvironment to enhance cancer therapy. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to evaluate the clinical translation of this combination therapy.

To present reproductive and oncological outcomes of radical trachelectomy (RT) in patients with cervical adenocarcinomas (AC).

Psoriasiform rash associated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors typically occurs during the early phase of treatment. However, systemic dissemination triggered by radiotherapy after more than 2 years of immunotherapy is rarely reported. This case aims to highlight the potential for delayed and severe cutaneous immune-related adverse events following combined immunotherapy and radiotherapy, which has significant implications for long-term patient monitoring. Herein, we present a case of a patient with driver-negative lung adenocarcinoma who, after 25 months of tislelizumab monotherapy without cutaneous toxicity, subsequently developed a unique clinical course of psoriasiform rash. The rash initially emerged at the irradiation site (right iliac crest) 1 month after local radiotherapy and progressively disseminated systemically.

Branchial cleft cyst, also known as a benign lymphoepithelial cyst, is a congenital disorder with an unclear pathogenesis. It most commonly occurs in the anterior triangle of the neck along the upper third of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, while occurrences at other sites are exceedingly rare. Diagnosis through ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging is challenging. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables the acquisition of complete specimens, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of such lesions. This study presents a case of an esophageal branchial cleft cyst that was successfully diagnosed and treated with ESD, resulting in an excellent postoperative outcome. This case enhances clinical recognition of this rare entity and demonstrates the therapeutic utility of ESD in its management.

This study aimed to explore whether there may be a potential link between psychological factors and the occurrence of early-stage gastric cancer (EGC) among individuals diagnosed with atrophic gastritis (AG). A total of 258 individuals receiving care in the Department of Gastroenterology at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between March 2020 and November 2024 were included in this cross-sectional observational study, including 173 patients diagnosed with AG and 85 with EGC. Diagnostic confirmation was based on findings from both endoscopic procedures and histological examinations. Psychological well-being was evaluated through the application of the Kessler psychological distress scale (K6) alongside the Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D). At the time of enrollment, clinical profiles, demographic characteristics, and laboratory indices were recorded. Comparative analyses were conducted between groups, and both univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine potential factors associated with EGC. What's more, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to explore the discriminative capacity of psychological assessments. Compared to the AG group, patients with EGC exhibited significantly higher K6 (10.36 ± 5.54 vs 5.82 ± 5.25, P < .001) and CES-D scores (12.99 ± 7.70 vs 9.01 ± 7.27, P < .001), with a greater proportion exceeding clinical cutoffs (K6 ≥ 13: 30.59% vs 12.72%; CES-D ≥ 16: 41.18% vs 21.39%). Multivariate logistic regression identified Helicobacter pylori infection (OR = 3.960, P = .003), concave-type lesion morphology (OR = 107.086, P < .001), K6 score (OR = 1.192, P < .001), and CES-D score (OR = 1.097, P = .001) as independent predictors of progression from AG to EGC. ROC analysis demonstrated moderate predictive value for the K6 (AUC = 0.729) and CES-D (AUC = 0.652) scores individually, with improved discriminative ability when combined (AUC = 0.763). Among individuals with AG, psychological distress and depressive tendencies showed a potential association with early-stage gastric malignancy. While not conclusive, these observations imply that incorporating mental health screening tools, such as the K6 and CES-D scales, could offer supplementary value in the broader context of evaluating patients who might carry an increased likelihood of disease progression.

The giant cystic pheochromocytomas (>10 cm) are exceedingly rare. Due to the massive size of tumor, traditional laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery poses significant technical challenges.

Hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HC) is one of the rarest and worst head and neck cancers (HNC) with insidious location, atypical early symptoms, and frequently diagnosed in advanced stages. The risk factors of HC mainly include smoking and drinking. Preventive interventions directed towards environmental risk factors are highly likely to yield far-reaching beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of this disease. The majority of advanced HC patients undergo multimodal treatments that encompass radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery, with poor oncological and functional outcomes. The early diagnosis and management of HC are vital for improving the prognosis of patients. Currently, there are few reviews specifically focusing on early HC, thus this review aims to summarize the current advancements in the diagnosis and management of early HC. Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) can improve the detection rate of early lesions and assess the invasion depth by enhancing the visualization of microvascular patterns. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) presents a promising prospect in the detection of early HC through deep learning algorithms. Larynx-preserving surgery or radiotherapy alone is predominantly recommended for individuals diagnosed at an early stage, aiming to achieve optimal oncological control while preserving crucial functions. With the increasing detection rates of early HC and the development of surgical equipment, transoral minimally invasive surgery is becoming more widely applied in HC. Its minimally invasive nature offers reduced morbidity and faster recovery, making it an attractive option for eligible patients with early HC.

This study aimed to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging radiomics in distinguishing malignant lesions from benign ones in the orbit. A retrospective analysis was conducted on CT imaging data from 139 patients with orbital tumor lesions, all of whom underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans within 2 weeks before diagnosis. Of these, 45 cases were benign lesions and 94 were malignant lesions. Radiomic features were extracted from the contrast-enhanced CT images, and 12 features were selected through the minimum redundancy maximum relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression methods. The selected features were used to build models using logistic regression, Naive Bayes Classifier (NaiveBayes), support vector machine (SVM), Extra Trees Classifier (ExtraTrees), and multilayer perceptron, with the best-performing model identified. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify clinical risk factors for malignant orbital lesions, and a nomogram model was developed by combining radiomic features and clinical variables. The predictive performance of each model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Among the 3 machine learning models, the SVM model demonstrated the best predictive performance and robustness across datasets. Therefore, the SVM model was used to construct the nomogram. The nomogram achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.957 and 0.833 in the training and testing cohorts, respectively, both of which were higher than 0.80. The performance of the nomogram was significantly superior to that of the clinical model (De-long test, P < .05), but no statistically significant difference was observed when compared to the radiomics model (De-long test, P > .05). Contrast-enhanced CT radiomics can effectively differentiate between malignant and benign orbital lesions. Both the nomogram and radiomics models exhibited high predictive performance, offering valuable insights for clinical decision-making.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, and accurately predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in T1 and T2 lesions is vital for informing treatment strategies. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI)-based models, particularly deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) approaches, in predicting LNM risk in CRC.

Oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is a rare but highly aggressive malignancy that frequently metastasizes to the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, and bones; however, tracheal metastasis is uncommon. Such cases are rarely reported.

CXC motif chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) has an association with normal and abnormal progression. Previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of CXCR4 in breast cancer (BC), particularly in promoting metastatic progression. However, most of the existing evidence originates from basic research. Our study aims to evaluate novel the expression profiles of CXCR4 in BC. Computerized literature search was done on the online accessible databases, including ONCOMINE, Kaplan-Meier plotter, TCGA database and Breast Cancer Gene-Expression Miner v4.3 to explore the expression profile and prognostic roles of CXCR4. CXCR4 overexpression was associated with BC versus normal control. Elevated CXCR4 expression predicted better PFS, but no survival rate benefit in BC patients. Moreover, there is a survival rate benefit with high expression of CXCR4 mRNA in the negative ER but the positive ER group. CXCR4 was more frequently overexpressed in BC patients with negative expression of ER and PR and negative expression of HER-2. For molecular subtypes analysis, higher expression of CXCR4 was associated with Basal-like and HER-2 subtypes than luminal A and luminal B subtypes. Moreover, we demonstrate a positive correlation between high expression of CXCR4 and low expression of LASP1 and EIF4A1 via gene correlation targeted analysis, which is consistent with the result among the triple-negative breast cancer patients. Our results suggest that CXCR4 can be used as a biological factor to predict the prognosis of BC patients, especially those with triple-negative breast cancer, and is also a tumor marker with potential value in the future treatment of BC.

The management of spinal metastases presents a significant challenge for spine surgeons, especially in cases of lung cancer, which is associated with the poorest prognosis among primary cancer types. This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative quality of life of patients with symptomatic spinal metastases from lung cancer and identify clinical factors associated with improved outcomes regarding quality of life. This was a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database from November 2009 to November 2020, including 128 patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic spinal metastases from lung cancer. The primary outcome was the change in Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) at 1 week and 6 months post-operation. Patients were dichotomized into an "improvement" group (KPS increased) and a "non-improvement" group (KPS stable or decreased). Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent preoperative factors associated with KPS improvement. A total of 72 males and 56 females, with a mean age of 60 ± 10 years, were enrolled in the current study. Male sex was associated with improved quality of life in the short-term post-operation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.716-0.962]). Conversely, the number of total bone metastatic sites was negatively associated with short-term improvements in quality of life (OR = 3.66, 95% CI [1.55-8.67]). Additionally, a higher number of total bone metastatic sites was linked to reduced long-term improvements in quality of life, with an OR of 1.94 and a 95% CI of [1.05-3.59]. The number of bone metastasis sites is closely associated with postoperative quality of life in patients with spinal metastases from lung cancer. Careful patient selection is crucial and has the potential to significantly enhance the quality of life for these vulnerable individuals with limited life expectancy.

The ECT2 gene, encoding a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, plays crucial roles in cell cycle progression and cytoskeletal dynamics, implicating its involvement in various cancers. However, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis integrating genomic data is still lacking. This study employed an integrated approach using data from multiple cancer genomics databases to assess ECT2 across various malignancies. Expression profiles of ECT2 were analyzed for differential expression across tumor stages and its association with clinical outcomes. Correlation analyses examined the relationship between ECT2 expression and immune cell infiltration levels. Pathway enrichment analysis identified biological processes influenced by ECT2 dysregulation in cancer progression. These methods facilitated a comprehensive exploration of ECT2's role in cancer biology, revealing potential implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Analysis across 33 tumor types consistently shows elevated ECT2 expression. ECT2 correlates with tumor staging in 8 cancers and molecular subtypes in 13 cancers, and shows associations with immune subtypes in 22 cancers, suggesting its role in cancer progression and immune modulation. ECT2 demonstrates strong diagnostic potential (the area under the ROC curve > 0.9) in 16 cancers and correlates with poorer overall survival in 11 cancers. ECT2 expression correlates positively with microsatellite instability in STAD, MESO, UCEC, and READ, and negatively in DLBC; it correlates positively with tumor mutational burden in STAD, PAAD, ACC, LGG, and LUAD, and negatively in THYM. ECT2 also exhibits diverse correlations with immune checkpoint genes and specific immune cell types identified through CIBERSORT analysis. ECT2 interacts with proteins like RACGAP1, KIF23, enriched in pathways involving cell polarity, Ras signaling, and tight junctions, impacting cancer progression and stemness in various cancer types. This study offers comprehensive insights into ECT2's role in cancer biology through integrative bioinformatics analyses. The results advocate for ECT2 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diverse malignancies, suggesting avenues for personalized oncology strategies.

This study explores the differential diagnostic value of conventional dimensional ultrasound (US) and automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) for breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients. A total of 986 female patients who underwent breast tumor surgery in our hospital from December 2019 to December 2022 were included. Clinical, US, ABVS, and pathological information were collected from all of the patients. Pathological results were used to separate patients into 3 groups: benign, DCIS, and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Single-factor and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of DCIS. Of the 986 patients with breast tumors included in this study, 498, 193, and 295 were diagnosed with benign, DCIS, and IDC tumors, respectively. Compared with benign tumors, DCIS tumors were characterized by higher age at onset and breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS) grades, together with high rates of extension to the nipple, microcalcification, convergence sign, abundant blood supply, and nipple discharge proportion. Relative to IDC patients, DCIS tumors exhibited lower BI-RADS grades, aspect ratio values, and Ki-67 index values together with lower rates of irregular morphology, unclear boundaries, posterior echo attenuation, convergence sign, enhanced peripheral echo, nipple discharge, and palpable masses, and higher rates of extension to the nipple. Higher microcalcification rates in DCIS tumors were observed than the proportion of non-calcification in IDC cases. Conventional US and ABVS images of DCIS tumors exhibit certain distinctive characteristics that can aid in the differential diagnosis of DCIS.