Naphthalene Diimide-Based Polycyclic Conjugated Molecule Composite CoFe2O4 Nanohybrids for Photoacoustic Imaging-Mediated Photo-/Sonic Therapy.

The complex and harsh tumor microenvironment imped the efficacy of single-modality tumor therapy. With the advantages of biosafety, organic/inorganic nanohybrids have attracted more and more interest of researchers, and it is critical to investigate the development of highly efficient nanohybrids for multimodality combination therapy of cancers. Herein, a naphthalene diimide-based polycyclic conjugated molecule (NDI-S) is designed and synthesized, which has broader light absorption in the near infrared (NIR) region, outstanding photothermal conversion ability, and excellent photostability. Inorganic CoFe2O4 is synthesized via a solvothermal technique, which can produce much more reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a sonosensitizer when activated by ultrasonic (US). NDI-S and CoFe2O4 are then nanoprecipitated to create the organic/inorganic nanohybrids, NDI-S@CoFe2O4. According to the results of in vitro and in vivo experiments, NDI-S@CoFe2O4 can serve as a multifunctional nanoplatform for multimodal treatment of tumors in combination with photothermal/photodynamic/sonodynamic- therapy under the guidance of photoacoustic imaging, which provides a new vision of the development of organic/inorganic nanohybrids for cancer theranostics.

Case Reports: A role of postoperative radiation therapy in completely resected early stage intrathyroid thymic carcinoma: a case report and literature review of the diagnosis and treatment.

Background: Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma (ITTC) is a rare malignant tumor of the thyroid, probably arising from ectopic thymus or branchial pouch remnants. Most of the literature recommended radical resection as the fundamental treatment for ITTC, and postoperative radiation appears to be able to reduce the recurrence rate in patients with advanced ITTC. However, the issue of adjuvant radiotherapy in completely resected early-stage ITTC has been controversial. Case presentation: Here, we reported a new case of early-stage ITTC that treated with total thyroidectomy and the right central neck dissection. Postoperative external beam radiation therapy (50.0 Gy/25 fractions) was given to the thyroid bed and bilateral cervical lymph node area since the tumor involved part of the sternal thyroid muscle. At 4-year follow-up after completion of radiotherapy, she is without evidence of locally recurrent or distant disease. Conclusion: Since there are no current guidelines for early-stage ITTC, in combination with this case and previous literature, we may suggest routine adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered in patients with incompletely resected tumors and extraparenchymal extension of ITTC. Moreover, we summarized comprehensive and advanced diagnosis, treatment, prognosis of ITTC and comparison between ITTC, primary squamous cell carcinoma of thyroid gland, differentiated thyroid cancer, and anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Deep learning and ultrasound feature fusion model predicts the malignancy of complex cystic and solid breast nodules with color Doppler images.

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of traditional-deep learning combination model based on Doppler ultrasound for diagnosing malignant complex cystic and solid breast nodules. A conventional statistical prediction model based on the ultrasound features and basic clinical information was established. A deep learning prediction model was used to train the training group images and derive the deep learning prediction model. The two models were validated, and their accuracy rates were compared using the data and images of the test group, respectively. A logistic regression method was used to combine the two models to derive a combination diagnostic model and validate it in the test group. The diagnostic performance of each model was represented by the receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve. In the test cohort, the diagnostic efficacy of the deep learning model was better than traditional statistical model, and the combined diagnostic model was better and outperformed the other two models (combination model vs traditional statistical model: AUC: 0.95 > 0.70, P = 0.001; combination model vs deep learning model: AUC: 0.95 > 0.87, P = 0.04). A combination model based on deep learning and ultrasound features has good diagnostic value.

Predictive Model for the Diagnosis of Benign/Malignant Complex Cystic and Solid Breast Nodules.

PURPOSE: To develop an ultrasound predictive model to differentiate between benign and malignant complex cystic and solid nodules (C-SNs). METHODS: A total of 211 patients with complex C-SNs rated as American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR BI-RADS) category 4 or 5 on the ultrasound reports were included in the study, from June 2018-2021. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to establish a predictive model, based on clinical and ultrasound features. The diagnostic performance of the model was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: A total of 109 breast nodules, including 74 benign nodules (67.89%) and 35 malignant nodules (32.11%), were detected by surgical pathology or puncture biopsy. Multivariate analysis showed that the blood flow (BF) of complex C-SNs (p = 0.03), cystic fluid transmission (p = 0.02), longitudinal diameter (p < 0.001), and age (p = 0.03) were independent risk factors for malignant complex cystic and solid breast nodules. The ultrasound model equation was Z=-12.14+2.24×X12+1.97×X20+0.40×X7+0.11×X0; M=ez1+ez (M is the malignancy score, e = 2.72). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.89, which indicated good predictive utility for the model. CONCLUSIONS: A prediction model incorporating major risk factors can predict the malignant C-SNs with accuracy.

Level II lateral neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: For N1b papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, lateral neck dissection encompassing levels Ⅱ-Ⅴ is generally recommended. However, routine level Ⅱ dissection is controversial given the low incidence of metastasis, and potential complications such as increased shoulder syndrome. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent lateral neck dissection at a single institution from January 2019 to April 2021 was performed. Clinicopathological features such as age, gender, tumor location, tumor size, TgAb and TPOAb levels, capsular invasion, multifocality and lymph node metastases were examined to evaluate the occurrence of metastatic Level Ⅱ lymph nodes. RESULTS: Overall and occult level Ⅱ metastases were observed in 51.83% and 34.84% of cN1b PTC patients. Multivariant analysis showed that primary tumor, location of primary tumor and positive level Ⅴ can serve as independent risk factors of metastasis in level Ⅱ. For cN1b PTC patients not suspected of level Ⅱ lymph nodes preoperatively, independent risk factors for predicting occult level Ⅱ metastases may include the location of primary tumor, positive level Ⅲ and positive level Ⅴ. CONCLUSION: A significant number of patients with PTC and lateral neck disease experienced Level Ⅱ metastasis, with the location of primary tumor and multilevel lymph node involvement being the independent risk factors. If the tumor is less than 1 cm and located at lower 2/3 lobe, there is minimal possibility of level Ⅱ lymph node metastasis.

A Case of Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma in a 25-Year-Old Female Who Showed Complete Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy despite Poor Clinical Response.

INTRODUCTION: Mucinous breast carcinoma is a rare histologic subtype of primary breast cancers accounting for 1-6%. It is a rare histological variant in young patients and usually presents without lymph node involvement, and its pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is rarely reported. CASE PRESENTATION: Pure mucinous breast carcinoma in a 25-year-old female was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 3 weeks for 8 cycles. After the fifth cycle, the mass size showed no change. We performed modified radical mastectomy in the left breast and axillary lymph node clearance. However, the pathological report showed a complete elimination of both the breast tumor and axillary lymph nodes, which were filled with mucus but did not contain malignant cells. DISCUSSION: Chemotherapy was profoundly effective against the tumor cells, but ineffective against large amounts of extracellular mucus. Even though the cancer cells were sensitive to chemotherapy, the volume of mucinous cancer couldnot be reduced. CONCLUSION: In summary, the evaluation criteria of tumor response to chemotherapy based on maximum diameter only should be considered insufficient for mucinous carcinoma.

Author Correction: Diagnostic value of ultrasound features and sex of fetuses in female patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Diagnostic value of ultrasound features and sex of fetuses in female patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

Little work has been done on the prediction of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in female patients who have given birth to children, which may be different from other people. We performed a retrospective review of female patients who underwent thyroidectomy, aiming at identifying special predictors of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in female patients who have given birth to children. Univariate analysis was used to identify potential covariates for the prediction of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors and construct a regression model based on a training cohort (246 patients) and then the regression model was validated using an independent cohort (80 patients). We found that having not more than one boy, taller-than-wide shape, poorly defined margin, marked hypoechogenicity, and microcalcification were independent risk factors for the papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in multivariate analyses. The combined predictive formula had a high predictive effect for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (AUC = 0.938 for training cohort and 0.929 for validation cohort, respectively). The combined predictive formula has clinical value in the prognosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and it may be simple and effective to ask fertility condition of patients to increase the US diagnosis accuracy of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

A preliminary study on the expression and clinical value of platelet-derived growth factor BB, hypoxia inducible factor-1α and C-C motif chemokine receptor-2 in peripheral blood during the pathogenesis of Graves' disease.

INTRODUCTION: Platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) plays an important role in the development of GD (Graves' disease). However, it is still unknown whether PDGF-BB is expressed in peripheral blood and whether the expression of PDGF-BB contributes to GD. We aim to study the expression of PDGF-BB, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and C-C motif chemokine receptor (CCR)-2 in peripheral blood of patients with GD and explore its effect and potential mechanism in pathogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 41 patients with GD (GD group) and forty-five healthy people (control group) were chosen. The concentration of PDGF-BB and HIF-1α in peripheral blood specimens were detected and compared between the two groups. The expression of CCR2 in macrophages in the peripheral blood specimens were examined using FCM (Flow Cytometry). RESULTS: Both PDGF-BB and HIF-1α were expressed in human peripheral blood from the two groups. Compared with specimens from healthy people, there were statistically increased concentrations of PDGF-BB and HIF-1α in the GD group (P < 0.05). The proportion of CCR2-positive macrophages in peripheral blood in the GD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CCR2-positive macrophages may induce the expression of PDGF-BB through HIF-1α signal, and the high expression of PDGF-BB may be involved in the pathogenesis of GD.