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BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment, patients with recurrence and metastasis still have a poor prognosis. Thus, the identification of novel biomarkers is urgently needed to predict outcomes and tailor treatment for NPC. METHODS: Four data sets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, and one data set GSE68799 of which was applied to filtrate key modules and hub genes by construction of a co-expression network. Other data sets (GSE12452 and GSE53819) were used to verify hub genes. The data set GSE102349 was devoted to identify prognostic hub genes by survival analysis. To explored whether prognostic hub genes are related to hypoxia signatures in NPC, correlation analysis was carried out, and followed by functional verification experiments of those genes in vitro. RESULTS: By co-expression network analysis, blue module was regarded as a key module in the benign and malignant group, and IGSF9 of the blue module was identified as a prognostic hub gene. Moreover, IGSF9 is expected to be a innovative hypoxia-related gene in NPC based on the strong associativity between expression of IGSF9 and hypoxia scores of three signatures (99-gene, 26-gene and 15-gene). Further functional studies verified that down-regulated expression of IGSF9 could reduce the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of NPC cells, and hypoxia could induce the expression of IGSF9. CONCLUSION: IGSF9 was identified to be relevant to prognosis and involved in hypoxia in NPC. IGSF9 might serve as one novel prognostic indicator of NPC in the future.
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Cutaneous metastasis from a primary visceral malignancy is a relatively uncommon clinical manifestation that occurs as an initial presentation in 1% to 12% of patients with internal malignancies. Additionally, cutaneous metastases are often late signs of an internal malignancy, and in very rare cases they may occur at the same time or before the primary cancer has been detected. Metastasis to the skin has a poor prognosis and is often a sign of widespread malignant tumors. In the present study, we report a 72-year-old male who presented with multiple rapidly growing subcutaneous nodules. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed a hypermetabolic concentration of radiotracer in the left lower lung and multiple organ metastases associated with multiple skin masses. Biopsy of one of the skin nodules and gene detection indicated metastatic adenocarcinoma consistent with a primary lung origin with a BRAF mutation. BRAF mutations are emerging therapeutic targets in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as they are present in 2-4% of NSCLC cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report to show that BRAF-mutant lung adenocarcinoma can be associated with cutaneous metastasis. Early diagnosis and individualized treatment strategies may prolong patient survival.
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Elderly patients with esophageal carcinoma may benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). However, the optimal concurrent chemotherapy regimen has not been determined. The aim of our study was to assess the efficiency and tolerance of treatment with a concurrent 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu)-based regimen and a taxane-based regimen combined with radiotherapy in elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A total of 46 patients with ESCC aged older than 65 years were included in this study. The patient population was divided into two treatment groups: 24 patients who received CCRT with a 5-Fu-based regimen were allocated to the PF group, and 22 patients who received CCRT with a taxane-based regimen were allocated to the DP group. The median overall survival (OS), median progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate, and treatment-related toxicity were assessed. For patients in the PF group, the median OS time was 27.8 ± 9.1 months, and the median PFS time was 12.5 ± 2.7 months. Patients in the DP group had comparable survival outcomes, with a median OS time of 34.4 ± 6.4 months and a median PFS time of 21.1 ± 6.4 months (P = .296 and P = .115, respectively). Grade ≥3 leukocytopenia and grade ≥2 anemia occurred in 63.6% and 59.1% of patients in the DP group, respectively, and in 25.0% and 16.7% of patients in the PF group, respectively. Our results suggest that CCRT with a taxane-based regimen results in a higher incidence of treatment-related toxicity than CCRT with a 5-Fu-based regimen but comparable survival outcomes.