Prognostic nomogram for patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma: A SEER-based study.

OBJECTIVES: In order to predict the patients' prognosis with tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), this study set out to develop a clinically useful and trustworthy prognostic nomogram. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program was used to compile clinical information on patients with tongue SCC between 2010 and 2015. The likelihood of Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS) and Overall Survival (OS) for specific patients was predicted using a prognostic nomogram created with the help of the RStudio software. The nomogram's predictive ability was evaluated using the consistency index (C-index) and decision curve analysis, and the nomogram was calibrated for 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year CSS and OS. RESULTS: Patients numbering 6453were enrolled in this study. The primary cohort (3895) and validation cohort (2558) were each randomly assigned. Sex, age, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation were significant risk factors for OS, whereas age, TNM stage, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were significant risk factors for CSS. Additionally, C-index and calibration curves indicated that the prognostic nomogram prediction and the actual observation in both cohorts would be very coherent. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive nomogram created in this study can offer patients with tongue SCC customized treatment and survival risk assessment.

A novel gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite/ß-tricalcium phosphate biomimetic nanocomposite scaffold for bone tissue engineering applications.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) constitute 60% of the content of the bone, and their combination has a better effect on bone tissue engineering than either single element. This study demonstrates a new degradable gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) bone scaffold loaded with both nano-HA and ß-TCP (hereinafter referred to as HCP), and freeze drying combined with stir foaming was used to obtain highly connected macropores. Only a few studies have used these components to synthesize a four-component osteogenic scaffold. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the biocompatibility and osteoinductivity of the nanocomposites. Three HCP/CMC/gelatin scaffolds were made with different HCP contents: group A (10 wt% HCP), group B (30 wt% HCP), and group C (50 wt% HCP) (the ratio of nano-HA and ß-TCP was fixed at 3:2). The scaffolds were macroporous with a high porosity and pore connectivity, as observed by morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the pore size of groups A and B was more homogeneous than that of group C. There were no significant differences in physicochemical characterization among the three groups. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy test indicated that the scaffold contained active groups, such as hydroxyl, amino, or peptide bonds, corresponding to gelatin and CMC. The XRD results showed that the phase structures of HA and ß-TCP did not change in the nanocomposite. The scaffolds had biodegradation potential and an appreciable swelling ratio, as demonstrated with the in vitro test. The scaffolds were cultured in vitro with MC3T3-E1 cells, showing that osteoinduction and osteoconduction increased with the HCP content. None of the scaffolds showed cytotoxicity. However, cell adhesion and growth in group B were better than those in group A and group C. Therefore, freeze drying combined with a stir foaming method may have a solid component limit. This study demonstrates a novel four-component scaffold via a simple manufacturing process. Group B (30% HCP) had the best characteristics for bone scaffold materials.