A novel nomogram integrated with PDL1 and CEA to predict the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to develop a prognostic nomogram for patients with gastric cancer (GC) based on the levels of programmed death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). METHODS: The nomogram was developed using data from a primary cohort of 247 patients who had been clinicopathologically diagnosed with GC, as well as a validation cohort of 63 patients. Furthermore, the nomogram divided the patients into three different risk groups for overall survival (OS)-the low-risk, middle-risk, and high-risk groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox hazard analyses were used to determine all of the factors included in the model. Decision curve analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the accuracy of the nomogram. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that metastasis stage, clinical stage, and CEA and PDL1 levels were predictors for progress-free survival (PFS) and OS of patients with GC. Metastasis stage, clinical stage, and CEA and PDL1 levels were found to be independent risk factors for the PFS and OS of patients with GC in a multivariate analysis, and the nomogram was based on these factors. The concordance index of the nomogram was 0.763 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.740-0.787]. The area under the concentration-time curve of the nomogram model was 0.81 (95% CI 0.780-0.900). According to the decision curve analysis and ROC curves, the nomogram model had a higher overall net efficiency in forecasting OS than clinical stage, CEA and PDL1 levels. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we proposed a novel nomogram that integrated PDL1 and CEA, and the proposed nomogram provided more accurate and useful prognostic predictions for patients with GC.

Analysis of the perceptions and attitudes to participate in radical and palliative clinical trials among Chinese lymphoma and head/neck cancer patients.

Objective: The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the perceptions and attitudes to participate in radical and palliative clinical trials among Chinese lymphoma and head/neck cancer patients. Patients and Methods: A self-developed questionnaire was administered to hospitalized patients in the Department of Medical Oncology in Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center between 20 September 2014 and 20 September 2015. This study included lymphoma patients who were enrolled into a radical treatment clinical trial, and head/neck cancer patients participating in a palliative clinical trial. Results: There were 136 lymphoma patients and 87 head/neck cancer patients who completed and returned the questionnaire. The questionnaire return rate was 100%. More than 90% of the patients in both groups showed trust and acceptance for medical care personnel, and more than 50% of the patients in both groups were in hope of trying new medication, receiving free medication, and receiving new treatment at an earlier rate. As compared with those in the radical trials, patients in the palliative clinical trials were more likely to hope to try new medication (P<0.001) and receive a new treatment at an earlier date (P=0.025), but less likely to hope to receive free medication (P=0.047). Conclusions: This study reveals several shared perceptions and needs of patients in both the radical (lymphoma) and palliative (head/neck cancer) settings and explores the differences in patients' attitudes between radical clinical trials and palliative clinical trials. These findings may provide a basis for improving recruitment of patients for different types of clinical trials and ensuring that patients have a better understanding of clinical trials.