[Comparison of short-term safety of two anastomotic techniques when resecting Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: a multicenter retrospective cohort study].

Objective: In this study, we aimed to compare the short-term safety of two digestive tract reconstruction techniques, laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis and laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis, following radical resection of Siewert Type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed relevant clinical data of 139 patients who had undergone radical surgery for Siewert Type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma. These included 89 patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from November 2021 to July 2023, 36 patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from December 2020 to June 2021, and 14 patients treated at the Yuncheng Central Hospital in Shanxi Province from September 2021 to November 2022. The group consisted of 107 men (77.0%) and 32 women (23.0%) of mean age 62.5±9.3 years. Forty-eight patients underwent laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis (overlap group), and 91 laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis (end-to-side group). Clinical data, surgical information, pathological findings, postoperative recovery, and related complications were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences in general clinical data between the overlap and end-to-side anastomosis groups (all P>0.05), indicating comparability. There was no significant difference in operation time (267.2±60.1 minutes vs. 262.8±70.6 minutes, t=0.370, P=0.712). However, the intraoperative blood loss in the overlap group (100 [50, 100] mL) was significantly lower compared to the end-to-side group (100[50, 175] mL, Z=2.776, P=0.005). Compared to the end-to-side group, longer distances between the tumor and distal resection margin proximal(1.7±1.0 cm vs. 1.3±0.9 cm, t=2.487, P=0.014) and the tumor and distal resection margin (9.5±2.9 cm vs. 7.9±3.5 cm, t=2.667, P=0.009) were achieved in the overlap group. Compared with the end-to-side group, the overlap group achieved significantly earlier postoperative ambulation (1.0 [1.0, 2.0] days vs. 2.0 [1.0, 3.0] days, Z=3.117, P=0.002), earlier time to first drink (4.7±2.6 days vs. 6.2±3.0 days, t=2.851, P=0.005), and earlier time to first meal (6.0±2.7 days vs. 7.1±3.0 days, t=2.170, P=0.032). However, the hospitalization costs were higher in the overlap group (113, 105.5±37, 766.3) yuan vs. (97, 250.2±27, 746.9) yuan; this difference is significant (t=2.818, P=0.006). There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay, total number of lymph nodes cleared, or time to first postoperative flatus (all P>0.05). The incidence of surgery-related complications was 22.9%(11/48) in the overlap group and 19.8% (18/91) in the end-to-side group; this difference is not significant (χ²=0.187, P=0.831). Further comparison of complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification also showed no significant differences (Z=0.406, P=0.685). Conclusions: Both laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis and laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis are feasible for radical surgery for Siewert Type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis achieves longer proximal and distal resection margins and better postoperative recovery; however, end-to-side anastomosis is more cost-effective.

Machine Learning Study of SNPs in Noncoding Regions to Predict Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Susceptibility.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common pathological subtype of lung cancer. Both environmental and genetic factors have been reported to impact the lung cancer susceptibility. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 287 NSCLC patients and 467 healthy controls in a Chinese population using the Illumina Genome-Wide Asian Screening Array Chip on 712,095 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Using logistic regression modeling, GWAS identified 17 new noncoding region SNP loci associated with the NSCLC risk, and the top three (rs80040741, rs9568547, rs6010259) were under a stringent p-value (<3.02e-6). Notably, rs80040741 and rs6010259 were annotated from the intron regions of MUC3A and MLC1, respectively. Together with another five SNPs previously reported in Chinese NSCLC patients and another four covariates (e.g., smoking status, age, low dose CT screening, sex), a predictive model by machine learning methods can separate the NSCLC from healthy controls with an accuracy of 86%. This is the first time to apply machine learning method in predicting the NSCLC susceptibility using both genetic and clinical characteristics. Our findings will provide a promising method in NSCLC early diagnosis and improve our understanding of applying machine learning methods in precision medicine.

[Current status and future perspectives on the methods of prognosis evaluation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma].

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary malignant tumor in the liver after hepatocellular carcinoma. Its incidence and mortality rates have increased worldwide in recent years. Surgical resection is the best treatment modality for ICC;however,the overall prognosis remains poor. Accurate evaluation of post operative prognosis allows personalized treatment and improved long-term outcomes of ICC. The American Joint Commission on Cancer TNM staging manual is the basis for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of ICC;however,the contents of stage T and stage N need to be improved. The nomogram model or scoring system established in the analysis of commonly used clinicopathological parameters can provide individualized prognostic evaluation and improve prediction accuracy;however,more studies are needed to validate the results before clinical use. Meanwhile,imaging features exhibit great potential to establish the post operative prognosis evaluation system for ICC. Molecular-based classification provides an accurate guarantee for prognostic assessment as well as selection of populations that are sensitive to targeted therapy or immunotherapy. Therefore,the establishment of a prognosis evaluation system,based on clinical and pathological characteristics and centered on the combination of multidisciplinary and multi-omics,will be conducive to improving the long-term outcomes of ICC after surgical resection in the context of big medical data.

[EWSR1-SMAD3 positive fibroblastic tumor: a clinicopathological analysis].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes and molecular genetics of EWSR1-SMAD3 positive fibroblastic tumor (ESFT) with an emphasis on differential diagnosis. Methods: The clinicopathological data, immunohistochemical profiles and molecular profiles of 3 ESFT cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from 2018 to 2021were analyzed. The related literature was also reviewed. Results: There were two males and one female. The patients were 24, 12 and 36 years old, respectively. All three tumors occurred in the subcutis of the foot with the disease duration of 6 months to 2 years. The tumors were presented with a slowly growing mass or nodule, accompanied with pain in 1 patient. The tumors ranged in size from 0.1 to 1.6 cm (mean, 1.0 cm). Microscopically, the tumors were located in the subcutaneous tissue with a nodular or plexiform growth pattern. They were composed of cellular fascicles of bland spindle cells with elongated nuclei and fine chromatin. One of the tumors infiltrated into adjacent adipose tissue. There was no nuclear atypia or mitotic activities. All three tumors showed prominent stromal hyalinization with zonal pattern present in one case. Focal punctate calcification was noted in two cases. The immunohistochemical studies showed that tumor cells were diffusely positive for ERG and negative for CD31 and CD34, with Ki-67 index less than 2%. Fluorescence in situ hybridization on the two tested cases identified EWSR1 gene rearrangement. The next generation sequencing analysis demonstrated EWSR1-SMAD3 fusion in all three cases. During the follow up, one patient developed local recurrence 24 months after the surgery. Conclusions: ESFT is a benign fibroblastic neoplasm and has a predilection for the foot, characterized by ERG immunoreactivity and EWSR1-SMAD3 fusion. Local recurrence might occur when incompletely excised. Familiarity with its clinicopathological features is helpful in distinguishing it from other spindle cell neoplasms that tend to occur at acral sites.

[The correlation between No. 6 and No. 14v lymph node metastasis and the value of dissecting these lymph nodes in radical gastrectomy].

Radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy has been widely performed as the standard surgery for patients with gastric cancer in major medical centers in China and abroad. However, the exact extent of lymph node dissection is still controversial. In the latest version of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines, No. 14v lymph nodes (along the root of the superior mesenteric vein) are again defined as loco-regional lymph nodes, and it is clarified that distal gastric cancer presenting with infra-pyloric regional lymph node (No.6) metastasis is recommended for D2+ superior mesenteric vein (No. 14v) lymph node dissection. To explore the relevance and clinical significance of No.6 and No.14v lymphadenectomy in radical gastric cancer surgery, a review of the national and international literature revealed that No.6 lymph node metastasis was associated with No.14v lymph node metastasis, that No.6 lymph node status was a valid predictor of No.14v lymph node negative status and false negative rate, and that for gastric cancer patients with No. 14v lymph node negative and No.6 lymph node positive, the dissection of No.14v lymph node may also have some significance. The addition of No. 14v lymph node dissection in radical gastrectomy is safe, but it is more important to distinguish the patients who can benefit from it. Professor Liang Han of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital is currently leading a multicenter, large-sample, prospective clinical trial (NCT02272894) in China, which is expected to provide higher level evidence for the clinical significance of lymph node dissection in No.14v.

[Patient experience in the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery strategy after radical gastric cancer surgery].

Objective: To investigate the experience of patients in the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) strategy after radical gastrectomy and the factors affecting the treatment experience. Methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out. Patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer by pathology and underwent radical gastrectomy at the Xijing Digestive Disease Hospital from December 2019 to December 2020 were consecutively enrolled. Those who received emergency surgery, residual gastric cancer surgery, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, non-curative tumor resection, intraperitoneal metastasis, or other malignant tumors were excluded. Patients' expectation and experience during implementation were investigated by questionnaires. The questionnaire included three main parts: patients' expectation for ERAS, patients' experience during the ERAS implementation, and patients' outcomes within 30 days after discharge. The items on the expectation and experience were ranked from 0 to 10 by patients, which indicated to be unsatisfied/unimportant and satisfied/important respectively. According to their attitudes towards the ERAS strategy, patients were divided into the support group and the reject group. Patients' expectation and experience of hospital stay, and the clinical outcomes within 30 days after discharge were compared between the two groups. Categorical data were reported as number with percentage and the quantitative data were reported as mean with standard deviation, or where appropriate, as the median with interquartile range (Q1, Q3). Categorical data were compared using the Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. For continuous data, Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Complication was classified according to Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: Of the included 112 patients (88 males and 24 females), aged (57.8±10.0) years, 35 patients (31.3%) were in the support group and 77 (68.7%) in the reject group. Anxiety was detected in 56.2% (63/112) of the patients with score >8. The admission education during the ERAS implementation improved the patients' cognitions of the ERAS strategy [M(Q1, Q3) score: 8 (4, 10) vs. 2 (0, 5), Z=-7.130, P<0.001]. The expected hospital stay of patients was longer than the actual stay [7 (7, 10) days vs. 6 (6, 7) days, Z=-4.800, P<0.001]. During the ERAS implementation, patients had low score in early mobilization [3 (1, 6)] and early oral intake [5 (2.25, 8)]. Fifty-eight (51.8%) patients planned the ERAS implementation at home after discharge, while 32.1% (36/112) preferred to stay in hospital until they felt totally recovered. Compared with the reject group, the support group had shorter expected hospital stay [7 (6, 10) days vs. 10 (7, 15) days, Z=-2.607, P=0.009], and higher expected recovery-efficiency score [9 (8, 10) vs. 7(5, 9), Z=-3.078, P=0.002], lower expected less-pain score [8 (6, 10) vs. 6 (5, 9) days, Z=-1.996, P=0.046], expected faster recovery of physical strength score [8 (6, 10) vs. 6 (4, 9), Z=-2.200, P=0.028] and expected less drainage tube score [8 (8, 10) vs. 8 (5, 10), Z=-2.075, P=0.038]. Worrying about complications (49.1%) and self-recognition of not recovery (46.4%) were the major concerns when assessing the experience toward ERAS. During the follow-up, 105 patients received follow-up calls. There were 57.1% (60/105) of patients who experienced a variety of discomforts after discharge, including pain (28.6%), bloating (20.0%), nausea (12.4%), fatigue (7.6%), and fever (2.9%). Within 30 days after discharge, 6.7% (7/105) of patients developed Clavien-Dindo level I and II operation-associated complications, including poor wound healing, intestinal obstruction, intraperitoneal bleeding, and wound infection, all of which were cured by conservative treatment. There were no complications of level III or above in the whole group after surgery. Compared with the support group, more patients in the reject group reported that they had not yet achieved self-expected recovery when discharged [57.1% (44/77) vs. 22.9% (8/35), χ2=11.372, P<0.001], and expected to return to their daily lives [39.0% (30/77) vs. 8.6% (3/35), χ2=10.693, P<0.001], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Only 52.4% (55/105) of patients returned home to continue rehabilitation, and the remaining patients chose to go to other hospitals to continue their hospitalization after discharge, with a median length of stay of 7 (7, 9) days. Compared with the reject group, the support group had a higher proportion of home rehabilitation [59.7% (12/33) vs. 36.4% (43/72), χ2=4.950, P=0.026], and shorter time of self-perceived postoperative full recovery [14 (10, 20) days vs. 15 (14, 20) days, Z=2.100, P=0.036], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Although ERAS has promoted postoperative rehabilitation while ensuring surgical safety, it has not been unanimously recognized by patients. Adequate rehabilitation education, good analgesia, good physical recovery, and early removal of drainage tubes may improve the patient's experience of ERAS.

[Management of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic surgery for adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction].

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) is increasing at home and abroad. Laparoscopic surgery has gradually become the main means of surgical treatment of this kind of tumor. However, due to the special anatomical position of the tumor, the high position away from the broken esophagus and the narrow space in the mediastinum, laparoscopic anastomosis has the characteristics of difficult anastomosis and high anastomosis position. There is a high risk of anastomotic leakage after operation, which may cause serious consequences. Early identification of anastomotic leakage and unobstructed drainage by various means are the key to treatment. With the development of endoscopic technology, endoscopic methods such as covered stent and vacuum-assisted closure further improve the treatment efficacy. As a salvage measure, surgical treatment can achieve good treatment outcome, while accompanied by risk of complications and mortality, so we must strictly grasp the indications.

[Clinicopathological features and molecular genetic changes of lung salivary gland-type clear cell carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, differential diagnosis, molecular genetic changes and prognosis of salivary gland-type clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the lung. Methods: Eight cases of salivary gland-type CCC of the lung diagnosed at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, China from March 2017 to December 2020 were retrieved and analyzed. The pathological sections of these cases were studied using immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and RNA-seq fusion gene detection based on next generation sequencing technique. The patients were followed up and the relevant literature was reviewed. Results: The 8 patients included 3 males and 5 females, with age ranging from 43 to 64 years (average, 58 years). All patients underwent radical lobectomy and lymph node dissection, while only one had lymph node metastases. The eight patients were followed up for 6 to 45 months, and were all recurrence-free. Histopathologically, the tumor was mainly composed of eosinophilic and clear cells arranged in trabecular, ribbon and nest patterns. Hyalinization was often observed in the stroma around the nest. Immunohistochemical staining showed that 8/8 cases were positive for EMA and CK7; 5/8 cases were positive for p63 and p40; 4/8 cases were positive for SOX10; and the cases were all negative for S-100, SMA and calponin. EWSR1 gene fusion was detected in all cases by FISH. RNA-seq fusion gene was detected in 6 cases based on next generation sequencing. The EWSR1-ATF1 gene fusion was detected in 5 cases, among which one case also had the ATF1-SPTLC2 gene fusion. All 5 cases with EWSR1-ATF1 gene fusion showed that EWSR1 exon 12/13 fused with ATF1 exon 3. And EWSR1-CREM gene fusion was detected in one case. Conclusions: Salivary gland-type CCC of the lung is an extremely rare primary lung tumor arising from the bronchial mucosa. The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this tumor depend on classic histomorphology, especially the auxiliary detection of EWSR1 fusion gene. The primary treatment choice of this tumor is complete surgical resection. Lymph node metastases may occur, but the overall prognosis is good.

[MAML2 gene rearrangement, fusion patterns and clinicopathological characteristics in primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate MAML2 gene rearrangement, gene fusion patterns, and the clinicopathological characteristics of primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC). Methods: Forty-six cases of primary PMEC from Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between 2017 and 2020 were collected. MAML2 gene rearrangement in all cases was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In 20 cases, MAML2 fusion patterns were detected by targeted RNA sequencing (RNAseq). The relationship between MAML2 gene rearrangement, fusion patterns, clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis was analyzed. Results: The average age of PMEC patients was 41 years (range 15-71 years); the ratio of male to female was about 1.1 ∶ 1.0. Most PMECs were low grade in histopathology with an early clinical stage (stageⅠ-Ⅱ).The overall positive rate of MAML2 gene rearrangement detected by FISH was about 80.4% (37/46), and the rate was higher in low-grade PMEC (91.7%, 33/36). Of the 20 cases detected by RNAseq, all the 19 FISH positive cases showed gene fusion, mainly CRTC1-MAML2 fusion (16/19), the other three cases showed CRTC3-MAML2 fusion (3/19), the break point of all the fusion patterns was CRTC1/3 (exon 1)-MAML2 (exon 2); No gene fusion was detected in the single FISH negative case; Compared with the MAML2 FISH negative patients, the PMECs carrying CRTC1-MAML2 fusion were more commonly found in patients age ≤ 40 years, maximum tumor diameter ≤ 2 cm, low histopathological grade and early clinical stage (all P<0.05); The three PMECs carrying CRTC3-MAML2 fusion gene were all female with early clinical stage; Univariate analysis showed that MAML2 gene rearrangement/fusion, onset age ≤ 40 years old, smaller tumor size, low histopathological grade, early clinical stage, no metastasis at diagnosis and surgical treatment were significantly correlated with overall survival (P<0.05), but Cox regression analysis suggested that none of the above indicators were the independent prognostic factors for the survival of PMEC. Conclusions: The high incidence of MAML2 gene rearrangement in PMEC suggests that it is an important molecular diagnostic marker of PMEC. RNAseq confirms that CRTC1/3-MAML2 is the main fusion pattern in PMEC, suggesting that MAML2 fusion transcription may be an important driving factor of PMEC. MAML2 rearrangement/fusion and related clinicopathological characteristics are associated with good prognosis.

[Application value of machine learning algorithms for predicting recurrence after resection of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To compare the performance of multiple machine learning algorithms in predicting recurrence after resection of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods: Clinical data of 882 early-stage HCC patients who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from May 2009 to December 2019 and treated with curative surgical resection were retrospectively collected. There were 701 males and 181 females,with an age of (57.3±10.5)years(range:21 to 86 years). All patients were randomly assigned in a 2∶1 ratio, the training dataset consisted of 588 patients and the test dataset consisted of 294 patients. The construction of machine learning-based prediction models included random survival forest(RSF),gradient boosting machine,elastic net regression and Cox regression model. The prediction accuracy of the model was measured by the concordance index(C-index). The prediction error of the model was measured by the integrated Brier score. Model fit was assessed by the calibration plot. The performance of machine learning models with that of rival model and HCC staging systems was compared. All models were validated in the independent test dataset. Results: Median recurrence-free survival was 61.7 months in the training dataset while median recurrence-free survival was 61.9 months in the validation dataset, there was no significant difference between two datasets in terms of recurrence-free survival(χ²=0.029,P=0.865). The RSF model consisted of 5 commonly used clinicopathological characteristics, including albumin-bilirubin grade,serum alpha fetoprotein,tumor number,type of hepatectomy and microvascular invasion. In both training and test datasets,the RSF model provided the best prediction accuracy,with respective C-index of 0.758(95%CI:0.725 to 0.791) and 0.749(95%CI:0.700 to 0.797),and the lowest prediction error,with respective integrated Brier score of 0.171 and 0.151. The prediction accuracy of RSF model for recurrence after resection of early-stage HCC was superior to that of other machine learning models,rival model(ERASL model) as well as HCC staging systems(BCLC,CNLC and TNM staging),with statistically significant difference(P<0.01). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between RSF model-predicted probabilities and observed outcomes.All patients could be stratified into low-risk,intermediate-risk or high-risk group based on RSF model;statistically significant differences among three risk groups were observed in both training and test datasets(P<0.01). The risk stratification of RSF model was superior to that of TNM staging. Conclusion: The proposed RSF model assembled with 5 commonly used clinicopathological characteristics in this study can predict the recurrence risk with favorable accuracy that may facilitate clinical decision-support for patients with early-stage HCC.

[Serological screening and analysis of clinical characteristics for celiac disease in susceptible population in Southern China].

Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of celiac disease in susceptible population, and to analyze the relationship between demographic characteristics, dietary habits, lifestyle and serological positivity so as to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of celiac disease in Southern China. Methods: A total of 1 273 individuals who participated in Guangdong Province Health Screening Program in 2015, were selected as serologically positive subjects of celiac disease, including people with irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, diarrhea, anemia, low BMI, short stature, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and bristol grade=6 or 7. All subjects were tested for serum IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (TTGA), IgA antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides(DGPA) and IgG against deamidated gliadin peptides (DGPG). Dietary habits, lifestyle and demographic characteristics were compared in subgroups. Results: The seroprevalence of celiac disease in susceptible population was 0.94% (95%CI 0.54%-1.64%) including 0.08% (1/1 273) for TTGA, 0.47% (6/1 273) for DGPA, and 0.39% (5/1 273) for DGPG. The seropositive rate was 3.6% (1/28) in patients with psoriasis, 2.1% (2/95) in the low BMI group, 1.9% (1/53) in T1DM group, 1.8% (3/169) in diarrhea group and 1.1% (5/463) in RA group. No significant difference was found in age, gender, high carbohydrate diet or lifestyle between the negative and the positive subjects. Conclusions: In Southern China, the seropositive rate of celiac disease is 0.94% in susceptible population, which prompts an urgent need of serological screening for early diagnosis.

[Functional evaluation after function-preserving gastrectomy].

With the increase of people's health awareness and the progress of medical diagostic technology in recent years, the diagnosis rate of early gastric cancer is increasing year by year. Although radical surgery has good efficacy, how to maximize the preservation of the normal anatomy and function of the stomach and improve the quality of life of patients in the pursuit of radical surgery has become a more important issue in the treatment of early gastric cancer. Under the condition of ensuring radical lymph node dissection, function-preserving gastrectomy can fully preserve gastric function by reducing the resection extent and preserving the pylorus and the vagus nerve, which has advantage of improving quality of life and has great potential in the treatment of early gastric cancer. However, there is no functional evaluation standard for function-preserving gastrectomy at present. Most of the patients are evaluated by quality of life scale, which is relatively subjective. Even though the evaluation of endoscopy, hematology and other objective means can indicate the benefit degree in quality of life brought by functional reconstruction, the evidence level is limited. Therefore, this paper discusses the research status of function-preserving gastrectomy evaluation, postoperative complications, postoperative nutritional status, auxiliary examination and other items in the evaluation of gastric function, and analyzes the prospects of research direction in this field.

Clinicopathological and prognostic value of long noncoding RNA SNHG7 in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have provided evidence that long noncoding RNA SNHG7 is highly expressed and associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer patients. The meta-analysis is aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of SNHG7 across various cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible studies about prognosis and clinicopathological features of SNHG7 expression in all kinds of tumors were collected by searching the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library from inception through August 13, 2020. Odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from eligible studies were extracted and pooled to investigate the association between SNHG7 and survival or clinicopathology by STATA 16.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies enrolling 1029 cancer patients met the inclusion criteria in this meta-analysis. Based on the results, over-expressed SNHG7 was associated with deeper tumor invasion (OR: 2.76; 95% CI: 1.98-3.86; p: 0.000), earlier lymphatic metastasis (OR: 4.22; 95% CI: 3.04-5.86; p: 0.000), more advanced tumor stage (OR: 3.49; 95% CI: 2.45-4.98; p: 0.000) and poor histologic grade (OR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.33-3.74; p: 0.002), but not with sex, age, tumor size and distant metastasis. As for prognosis, patients with high expression of SNHG7 were more likely to have shorter overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.38-1.94; p: 0.000) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.09-1.71; p: 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: SNHG7 may serve as a novel biomarker in terms of predicting prognosis and clinicopathological characters in various human cancers.

[Application of laparoscopic and open gastrectomy in enhanced recovery after surgery for gastric cancer: analysis of data from multiple centers in China].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic and open gastrectomy in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for gastric cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinicopathological data of gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy at 12 Chinese medical centers between January, 2015 and December, 2017. We analyzed the clinical outcomes of a total of 1569 patients, including 552 patients undergoing open surgery, 1004 receiving laparoscopic surgery, and 43 experiencing conversion of laparoscopic surgery to open surgery. The operative outcomes and postoperative complications of the patients in laparoscopic group and open surgery group were analyzed. The primary outcome was the short-term postoperative complications. The secondary outcomes included operation time, estimated blood loss, number of lymph node dissection, time to first liquid diet intake, time to first passage of flatus and defecation, time to ambulation, postoperative hospitalization days and occurrence of readmission within 30 days. RESULTS: Of the total of 1569 patients, 1037 (66.1%) were males and 532 (33.9%) were females, with a mean age at diagnosis of 58.4±11.3 years. A total of 105 patients (6.7%) underwent proximal gastrectomy, 877 (55.9%) underwent distal gastrectomy, and 587 (37.4%) underwent total gastrectomy. In the overall patients, the operation time was 274.7±80.7 mins, blood loss was 150 (20-1300) mL, and the number of lymph nodes dissected was 29.9±13.5. The time to first ambulation, flatus, defecation and liquid food intake were 2.3±1.2, 3.4±1.6, 4.8±1.8 and 5.5±3.1 days, respectively. The postoperative hospital stay was 11.4±5.0 days. The incidence of postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo score ≥Ⅱ) was 6.5%, and the rate of readmission within 30 days after discharge was 1.1%. Subgroup analysis of the patients based on the surgical approach (conversion of laparoscopic surgery to open surgery was considered open surgery) showed no significant differences in the extent of gastrectomy between laparoscopic and open surgery groups (P > 0.05). Compared with those in the open surgery group, the patients having laparoscopic gastrectomy had a greater number of lymph nodes retrieved with earlier ambulation, first flatus, defecation and oral intake and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.05). The laparoscopic group had a lower intraoperative blood loss but a longer operation time than the open surgery group (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery in ERAS can shorten the time to ambulation, first flatus, defecation, and oral intake and the length of hospital stay. Laparoscopic surgery can achieve the same oncological outcomes as open surgery without increasing postoperative complications.

[Application and challenge of radiomics technique in the era of precision medicine for hepatobiliary disease].

Radiomics, as an emerging technique of omics, shows the pathophysiological information of images via extracting innumerable quantitative features from digital medical images. In recent years, it has been an exponential increase in the number of radiomics studies. The applications of radiomics in hepatobiliary diseases at present include: assessment of liver fibrosis, discrimination of malignant from benign tumors, prediction of biological behavior, assessment of therapeutic response, and prognosis. Integrating radiomics analysis with machine learning algorithms has emerged as a non-invasive method for predicting liver fibrosis stages, microvascular invasion and post-resection recurrence in liver cancers, lymph node metastasis in biliary tract cancers as well as treatment response in colorectal liver metastasis, with high performance. Although the challenges remain in the clinical transformation of this technique, radiomics will have a broad application prospect in promoting the precision diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary diseases, backed by multi-center study with large sample size or multi-omics study.