Liver cancer in China: the analysis of mortality and burden of disease trends from 2008 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in China. To understand the basic death situation and disease burden change trend, we analyze the death information of liver cancer among Chinese residents from 2008 to 2021. METHODS: Data was collected from the Cause-of-Death Surveillance dataset of the National Cause-of-Death Surveillance System from 2008 to 2021. Excel 2016 was used for data entry and to calculate the Crude Mortality Rate (CMR), Age-Standardized Mortality Rate (ASMR), Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL), and Potential Years of Life Lost Rate (PYLLR). SPSS 25.0 was used to statistically analyze CMR, ASMR, PYLL, and other indicators. Annual percent change (APC) and average APC(AAPC) was used for trend analysis and tested by t tests. Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 was used to calculate APC and AAPC. Age-Period-Cohort model was used to assess the effects of age, period, and birth cohort on liver cancer mortality. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2021, 491,701 liver cancer deaths were reported in the National Disease Surveillance Points System. The ASMR of liver cancer in Chinese residents decreased from 27.58/100,000 in 2008 to 17.95/100,000 in 2021 at an average annual rate of 3.40% (t = -5.10, P < 0.001). The mortality rate was higher in males than in females (all P < 0.001) and higher in rural areas than in urban areas (all P < 0.001). The mortality rate of liver cancer varied significantly among eastern, central, and western China (all P < 0.001). The PYLLR of liver cancer in Chinese residents decreased from 2.89‰ in 2008 to 2.06‰ in 2021 at an average annual rate of 2.40% (t = -5.10, P < 0.001). Males had a lower PYLLR than females, decreasing at average annual rates of 2.20% (t = -5.40, P < 0.001) and 2.90% (t = -8.40, P < 0.001), respectively. Urban areas had a lower PYLLR than rural areas, decreasing at average annual rate of 3.30% (t = -4.00, P < 0.001) and 2.50% (t = -11.60, P < 0.001), respectively. Eastern, central, and western China decreased at average annual rates of 3.40%, 2.30%, and 2.10%, respectively (t = -7.80, -3.60, -7.10, P < 0.001 for all). The risk of China liver cancer mortality increased with age, decreased with birth cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality and disease burdens of liver cancer in China decreased yearly and were higher in males and in people living in rural areas, with significant differences among those living in eastern, central, and western China.

Simultaneous Resection of Colorectal Cancer and Liver Metastases through Hand-assisted Laparoscopic Surgery: Preliminary Exploration.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To describe the initial experience of simultaneous resection of colorectal cancer and liver metastases through hand-assisted laparoscopy (HALS). METHODOLOGY: After endotracheal general anesthesia, patients were placed in the Trendelenburg with lithotomy position. A 5-cm longitudinal subumbilical port was created, and the Lap Disc device was placed and pneumoperitoneum was established. A laparoscope was inserted to explore the liver and the whole pelvic cavity. The surgeon stood on the right side or between the patient's legs, and a 10-mm trocar was placed in the abdominal wall based upon the location of the tumor. The liver and the colorectal lesion were reselected with the assisted-hand through the Lap Disc to establish the possibility of resection, the tumor margin, and metastasis. RESULTS: Simultaneous resection of colorectal cancer and liver metastases through HALS were successful in all eight patients with operating time of 2-4 h. Average intraoperative blood loss was 100-300 ml, and no severe postoperative complications were observed. The average length of postoperative hospital stay was 7.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: HALS for simultaneous resection of colorectal and metastatic liver cancer has the advantages of safety, feasibility, minimal invasion, shorter operation time, reduced operative difficulty less pain and rapid recovery.

Dirac equation description of the electronic states and magnetic properties of a square graphene quantum dot.

Electronic eigenstates of a square graphene quantum dot (GQD) terminated by both zigzag and armchair edges are derived in the theoretical framework of the Dirac equation. We find that the Dirac equation can determine the eigenenergy spectrum of a GQD with high accuracy even if its size is reduced to a few nanometers. More importantly, from the Dirac equation description we can readily work out the number and energy gap of the conjugate surface states, which are intimately associated with the magnetic properties of the GQD. By using the Hartree-Fock mean field approach, we study the size dependence of the magnetic ordering formation in this square GQD. We find that there exists a critical size of the width between the two zigzag edges to indicate the onset of the stable magnetic ordering. On the other hand, when such a width increases further, the magnetic ground state energy of a charge neutral GQD tends to a saturated value. These results coincide with the previous results obtained from the first-principles calculation. Then, based on the Dirac equation solution about the surface state, we establish a simple two-state model which can quantitatively explain the size dependence of the magnetic ordering in the square GQD.