Comparison of efficacy and safety of ripertamab (SCT400) versus rituximab (Mabthera® ) in combination with CHOP in patients with previously untreated CD20-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A randomized, single-blind, phase III clinical trial.

This study compared the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of ripertamab (SCT400) and rituximab (Mabthera® ) combined with CHOP as the first-line treatment for Chinese patients with CD20-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This is a randomized, patient-blind, multicenter, active-control, non-inferiority study with parallel design. Patients were randomly (2:1) to receive ripertamab combined with CHOP (S-CHOP) or rituximab (Mabthera® ) combined with CHOP (R-CHOP) for up to 6 cycles. The primary endpoint was the Independent Review Committee (IRC) assessed objective response rate (ORR) in full analysis set (FAS) and the per protocol set (PPS). A total of 364 patients (243 in the S-CHOP and 121 in the R-CHOP groups) were enrolled in this study. In FAS, IRC-assessed ORRs were 93.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 90.0%, 96.5%) and 94.2% (95% CI: 88.4%, 97.6%) in the S-CHOP and R-CHOP groups (p = 0.9633), respectively. The ORR difference between the two groups -0.4% (95% CI: -5.5%, 4.8%) met the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of -12%. There were no significant differences between the S-CHOP and R-CHOP groups in 1-year progression-free survival rates (81.1% vs. 83.2%, p = 0.8283), 1 year event-free survival rates (56.2% vs. 58.1%, p = 0.8005), and 3-year overall survival rates (81.0% vs. 82.8%, p = 0.7183). The results in PPS were consistent with those in FAS. The rates of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and ≥ grade 3 TEAEs were 97.9% and 99.2%, 85.2% and 86.0% in the S-CHOP and R-CHOP groups, respectively in safety set. The percentage of anti-drug antibodies positive patients in the S-CHOP group was numerically lower than the R-CHOP group (10.9% vs. 16.0%). This study demonstrated that S-CHOP was not inferior to R-CHOP in the first-line treatment of Chinese patients with CD20-positive DLBCL in efficacy, safety and immunogenecity. S-CHOP could be an alternative first-line standard treatment regimen for this patient population.

Microwave ablation plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter, randomized, controlled, phase III clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective trial was performed to verify whether microwave ablation (MWA) in combination with chemotherapy could provide superior survival benefit compared with chemotherapy alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 1, 2015, to June 20, 2017, treatment-naïve patients with pathologically verified advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomly assigned to MWA plus chemotherapy group or chemotherapy group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), while the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), time to local progression (TTLP), and objective response rate (ORR). The complications and adverse events were also reported. RESULTS: A total of 293 patients were randomly assigned into the two groups. One hundred forty-eight patients with 117 stage IV tumors were included in the MWA plus chemotherapy group. One hundred forty-five patients with 113 stage IV tumors were included in the chemotherapy group. The median follow-up period was 13.1 months and 12.4 months, respectively. Median PFS was 10.3 months (95% CI 8.0-13.0) in the MWA plus chemotherapy group and 4.9 months (95% CI 4.2-5.7) in the chemotherapy group (HR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.28-0.53; p < 0.0001). Median OS was not reached in the MWA plus chemotherapy group and 12.6 months (95% CI 10.6-14.6) in the chemotherapy group (HR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.27-0.53; p < 0.0001) using Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank test. The median TTLP was 24.5 months, and the ORR was 32% in both groups. The adverse event rate was not significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced NSCLC, longer PFS and OS can be achieved with the treatment of combined MWA and chemotherapy than chemotherapy alone. KEY POINTS: • Patients treated with MWA plus chemotherapy had superior PFS and OS over those treated with chemotherapy alone. • The ORR of patients treated with MWA plus chemotherapy was similar to that of those treated with chemotherapy alone. • Complications associated with MWA were common but tolerable and manageable.

Advantages with prophylactic PEG-rhG-CSF versus rhG-CSF in breast cancer patients receiving multiple cycles of myelosuppressive chemotherapy: an open-label, randomized, multicenter phase III study.

BACKGROUND: PEG-rhG-CSF reduces neutropenia and improves chemotherapy safety. In China's registration trial (CFDA: 2006L01305), we assessed its efficacy and safety against rhG-CSF, and prospectively explored its value over multiple cycles of chemotherapy. METHODS: In this open-label, randomized, multicenter phase 3 study, breast cancer patients (n = 569) were randomized to receive PEG-rhG-CSF 100 µg/kg, PEG-rhG-CSF 6 mg, or rhG-CSF 5 µg/kg/d after chemotherapy. The primary endpoints were the incidence and duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia during cycle 1. Secondary endpoints included the incidence and duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia during cycles 2-4, the incidence of febrile neutropenia, and the safety. RESULTS: A once-per-cycle PEG-rhG-CSF at either 100 µg/kg or 6 mg was not different from daily injections of rhG-CSF for either incidence or duration of grade 3/4 neutropenia. Interestingly, a substantial difference was noted during cycle 2, and the difference became bigger over cycles 3-4, reaching a statistical significance at cycle 4 in either incidence (P = 0.0309) or duration (P = 0.0289) favoring PEG-rhG-CSF. A significant trend toward a lower incidence of all-grade adverse events was noted at 129 (68.98%), 142 (75.53%), and 160 (82.47%) in the PEG-rhG-CSF 100 µg/kg and 6 mg and rhG-CSF groups, respectively (P = 0.0085). The corresponding incidence of grade 3/4 drug-related adverse events was 2/187 (1.07%), 1/188 (0.53%), and 8/194 (4.12%), respectively (P = 0.0477). Additionally, PFS in metastatic patients preferred PEG-rhG-CSF to rhG-CSF despite no significance observed by Kaplan-Meier analysis (n = 49, P = 0.153). CONCLUSIONS: PEG-rhG-CSF is a more convenient and safe formulation and a more effective prophylactic measure in breast cancer patients receiving multiple cycles of chemotherapy.

Effects of MiR-210 on proliferation, apoptosis and invasion abilities of esophageal cancer cells.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of microRNA-210 (miRNA- 210) on the biological behaviors (proliferation and invasion) of EC109 cells of highly metastatic human esophageal cancer (EC). METHODS: The EC109 genomic DNA of human EC was used as a template to amplify the precursor sequence of miRNA-210 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The precursor sequence of miRNA-210 was sub-cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1(-) via double digestion by BamH I and Hind III restriction enzymes. Then the pcDNA3.1 (-)-pri-miRNA-210 vector (named as p-miRNA-210) that was constructed successfully was transiently transfected into EC109 cells of human EC in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of mature miR-210. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5- diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and scratch method were adopted to detect the proliferation and in vitro migration of EC109 cells, and flow cytometry was performed to detect the degree of cell apoptosis. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression vector carrying miRNA- 210 was constructed successfully. Compared with that in the blank group (Mock) and the control group (P-Blank), miRNA-210 was overexpressed in the transfected EC109 cells. The cell apoptosis was significantly increased compared with that in the control group (p<0.05); the inhibition of proliferation of EC109 cells in the p-miRNA-210 vector transfected group was remarkably elevated (p<0.05), and wound healing ability was also significantly increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of miRNA-210 can significantly inhibit the proliferation of EC109 cells of human EC and accelerate the migration ability and the rate of apoptosis, providing a potential strategy for the treatment of EC.

Increased interleukin-35 expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes correlates with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer.

Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is a recently discovered inhibitory cytokine, which is firstly discovered to be produced by regulatory T cells (Tregs) and proposed as a key effector molecule of Treg function. This study aims to analyze the correlation between IL-35 expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) of breast cancer tissue and patients' clinical characteristics. Plasma IL-35 was also determined in 60 patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 30 healthy women by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IL-35 expression in the tissue specimens was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. It was shown that 39.1%, 43.6% and 17.3% of the 110 patients were absent, weak, and strong IL-35 expression in the TILs, respectively. Strong IL-35 expression in TILs was significantly associated with age >50years, tumor size >2cm, TNM stage III, and negative ER (All P<0.05). Patients with elevated IL-35 expression in TILs had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than patients with weak or no IL-35 expression (All P<0.05). High plasma IL-35 levels were significantly associated with TNM stage III and lymph node metastasis (All P<0.05). Plasma IL-35 level and IL-35 expression in the TILs of breast cancer tissues may be a valuable biomarker in the development and prognosis of IDC.

[Treating Radiation Peumonitis by Zlyin Huoxue Granule Combined Glucocorticoids and Antibiotics: a Clinical Observation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Ziyin Huoxue Granule (ZHG) combined glucocorticoids and antibiotics in treatment of radiation pneumonitis. METHODS: Totally 70 radiation pneumonitis patients were assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to random digit table, 35 in each group. All patients received glucocorticoids and antibiotics. Patients in the treatment group additionally took ZHG, one dose per day for 4 successive weeks. Watters clinical-radiologic-physiologic (CRP) score, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) , and acute radiation injury classification [set by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)] were observed in the two groups before and after treatment. The application time for antibiotics and glucocorticoids was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: All patients completed this trial, and nobody dropped out or died. There was no statistical difference in Watters-CRP scores, KPS, or RTOG between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, RTOG classification was obviously improved in the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, Watters-CRP scores decreased, KPS increased, the application time for antibiotics and glucocorticoids was reduced (P < 0.05). The efficacy of RTOG classification was better in the treatment group than in the control group, but with no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: ZHG combined glucocorticoids and antibiotics was superior in treating radiation pneumonitis to using glucocorticoids or antibiotics alone in elevating Watters-CRP scores, shortening the application time for glucocorticoids and antibiotics, and improving patients' physical conditions.

A phase II study of preoperative chemotherapy with modified FOLFOX6 followed by surgery and postoperative chemoradiation in patients with localized gastric adenocarcinoma.

The optimal neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment for gastric cancer remains controversial. We conducted a phase II study using preoperative chemotherapy with modified FOLFOX6 followed by surgical resection and postoperative chemoradiation in patients with gastric carcinoma. Preoperative chemotherapy (two or three cycles) consisted of a 2-h infusion of oxaliplatin (100 mg/m2) and folinic acid (100 mg/m2) followed by a 46-h continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 2,400 mg/m2). Surgical resection was planned 4 weeks after the last chemotherapy cycle. Patients underwent postsurgical chemoradiation, receiving a total dose of 45 Gy and 5-FU continuous infusion (350 mg/m2/day). The primary end points were feasibility, overall response rate, and R0 resectability rate after preoperative chemotherapy. The secondary end points were tolerability, treatment-associated complications, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Nineteen patients were enrolled in this study. After neoadjuvant treatment, four patients (21.1%) experienced progressive disease, six patients (31.6%) showed partial remission, and nine patients (47.3%) showed stable disease. In 15 patients (78.9%) R0 resectability could be achieved. Eleven of these patients (73.3%) were able to undergo postoperative chemoradiation. Notably, eight (72.7%) of these patients were disease free and alive at median follow-up of 60 months. Chemotherapy associated neutropenia, neutropenic fever, and anastomotic dehiscence were observed. The combination of preoperative chemotherapy and postoperative chemoradiation is feasible in a significant subset of gastric cancer patients.

AENEAS: A Randomized Phase III Trial of Aumolertinib Versus Gefitinib as First-Line Therapy for Locally Advanced or MetastaticNon-Small-Cell Lung Cancer With EGFR Exon 19 Deletion or L858R Mutations.

PURPOSE: Aumolertinib (formerly almonertinib; HS-10296) is a novel third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved in China. This double-blind phase III trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of aumolertinib compared with gefitinib as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03849768). METHODS: Patients at 53 sites in China were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either aumolertinib (110 mg) or gefitinib (250 mg) once daily. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) per investigator assessment. RESULTS: A total of 429 patients who were naïve to treatment for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC were enrolled. PFS was significantly longer with aumolertinib compared with gefitinib (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.60; P < .0001). The median PFS with aumolertinib was 19.3 months (95% CI, 17.8 to 20.8) versus 9.9 months with gefitinib (95% CI, 8.3 to 12.6). Objective response rate and disease control rate were similar in the aumolertinib and gefitinib groups (objective response rate, 73.8% and 72.1%, respectively; disease control rate, 93.0% and 96.7%, respectively). The median duration of response was 18.1 months (95% CI, 15.2 to not applicable) with aumolertinib versus 8.3 months (95% CI, 6.9 to 11.1) with gefitinib. Adverse events of grade ≥ 3 severity (any cause) were observed in 36.4% and 35.8% of patients in the aumolertinib and gefitinib groups, respectively. Rash and diarrhea (any grade) were observed in 23.4% and 16.4% of patients who received aumolertinib compared with 41.4% and 35.8% of those who received gefitinib, respectively. CONCLUSION: Aumolertinib is a well-tolerated third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that could serve as a treatment option for EGFR-mutant NSCLC in the first-line setting.

Efficacy of Aumolertinib (HS-10296) in Patients With Advanced EGFR T790M+ NSCLC: Updated Post-National Medical Products Administration Approval Results From the APOLLO Registrational Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Aumolertinib (formerly almonertinib; HS-10296) is a novel third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with revealed activity against EGFR-sensitizing mutations and EGFR T790M mutation. METHODS: Patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who developed an EGFR T790M mutation after progression on first- or second-generation EGFR TKI therapy were enrolled in this registrational phase 2 trial of aumolertinib at 110 mg orally once daily (NCT02981108). The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) by independent central review. RESULTS: A total of 244 patients with EGFR T790M-positive NSCLC were enrolled. The ORR by independent central review was 68.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 62.6-74.6). The disease control rate was 93.4% (95% CI: 89.6-96.2). The median duration of response was 15.1 months (95% CI: 12.5-16.6). The median progression-free survival was 12.4 months (95% CI: 9.7-15.0). Among 23 patients with assessable central nervous system (CNS) metastases, the CNS-ORR and CNS-disease control rate were 60.9% (95% CI: 38.5-80.3) and 91.3% (95% CI: 72.0-98.9), respectively. The median CNS-duration of response was 12.5 months (95% CI: 5.6-not reached). Treatment-related adverse events of more than or equal to grade 3 occurred in 16.4% of the patients, with the most common being increased blood creatine phosphokinase level (7%) and increased alanine aminotransferase level (1.2%). The relative dose density of aumolertinib was 99.2% in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Aumolertinib is an effective and well-tolerated third-generation EGFR TKI for patients with EGFR T790M-positive advanced NSCLC after disease progression on first- and second-generation EGFR TKI therapy. On the basis of these findings, aumolertinib was approved in the People's Republic of China for patients positive for EGFR T790M NSCLC.

Mitigation of acute radiation-induced brain injury in a mouse model using anlotinib.

BACKGROUND: With the development of radiological technologies, radiotherapy has been gradually widely used in the clinic to intracranial tumours and become standardised. However, the related central nervous system disorders are still the most obvious complications after radiotherapy. This study aims to quantify the effectiveness of anlotinib, a small molecule inhibitor of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, in mitigating acute phase of radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) in a mouse model. METHODS: The onset and progression of RBI were investigated in vivo. All mice, (except for the sham group) were irradiated at a single-fraction of 20 Gy and treated with different doses of anlotinib (0, 0.2 and 0.8 mg/kg, respectively). The expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and phosphorylated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (p-VEGFR2) were assessed by western blot. Histological changes were identified by luxol fast blue (LFB) staining. RESULTS: The expression levels of GFAP, HIF-1α, and VEGF were downregulated following treatment with anlotinib. However, anlotinib failed to inhibit the development of demyelination. Cerebral edema [as measured by brain water content (BWC)] was also mitigated following treatment with anlotinib. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, treatment with anlotinib significantly mitigated the adverse effects of acute RBI in a dose-dependent manner by downregulating the activation of astrocytes, improving brain hypoxia, and alleviating cerebral edema.

miR-3196 acts as a Tumor Suppressor and Predicts Survival Outcomes in Patients With Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with high mortality. Therefore, identifying cancer-related biomarkers for predicting prognosis and progression of gastric cancer is essential. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value and functional role of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer. METHODS: The relative expression levels of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In this study, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, cell proliferation assay, and Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to explore microRNA-3196 expression level and its effects on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in gastric cancer cells. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to explore the prognostic significance of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer. Dual-luciferase report assay was performed to validate the potential target gene regulated by microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer. RESULTS: The expression of microRNA-3196 was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of microRNA-3196 was associated with lymph node metastasis and Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis indicated that patients with low expression of microRNA-3196 had a poor prognosis, and the Cox regression analysis results showed microRNA-3196 expression was an independent prognostic factor of gastric cancer. Moreover, overexpression of microRNA-3196 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while knockdown of microRNA-3196 promoted these cellular behaviors in AGS and MKN45 cells. OTX1 may be a potential target gene regulated by microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that microRNA-3196 might not only a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer cells by modulating OTX1 but also might be an independent prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target of gastric cancer.

Combination of DCE-MRI and DWI in Predicting the Treatment Effect of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the main treatment for esophageal cancer, but the response to treatment varies from individual to individual. MR imaging methods, such as diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI and the use of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI, have the potential to provide additional biomarkers that could evaluate the effect of CCRT in patients with esophageal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with esophageal carcinoma, verified by histopathology, underwent MRI examination before and at midtreatment (4th week, radiotherapy 30-40 Gy) using the Siemens 3.0 T MR System. Parameter maps of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and DCE maps of volume transfer constant (K rans), rate contrast (k ep), and extracellular fluid space (v e), were computed using a Siemens Company Multimodality Workplace (MMWP) model. Comparison of histogram parameters and their diagnostic performance was determined using the Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: 56 patient MRI scans were available for analysis at baseline and at the third week, respectively. Pretreatment K rans, pretreatment k ep, pretreatment ADC (P < 0.05), and during-treatment K rans (P < 0.05) and ΔK rans and ΔADC (P < 0.05) were significantly different after CCRT. Based on the binary logistic model, the ROC analysis demonstrated that the combined predictors demonstrated a high diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.939. The sensitivity and specificity were 98.6% and 73.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of DCE and DWI can be used as an early biomarker in the prediction of the effect of CCRT three weeks after treatment in esophageal carcinoma.

Fosaprepitant versus aprepitant in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-simulated, positive-controlled phase III trial.

BACKGROUND: To establish the role of antiemetic therapy with neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonists (RAs) in Chinese patients associated with cisplatin-base chemotherapy regimens, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of single-dose intravenous fosaprepitant-based triple antiemetic regimen to a 3-day orally aprepitant-based antiemetic triplet schedule for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, positive-control design was used to test the noninferiority of fosaprepitant towards aprepitant. Patients receiving cisplatin-base (≥50 mg/m2) chemotherapy were administrated palonosetron and dexamethasone with a single-dose fosaprepitant (150 mg on day 1) or a standard aprepitant regimen (125 mg on day 1, 80 mg on day 2 and day 3). The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) during overall phase (OP). Secondary endpoints include CR during acute phase (AP) and delayed phase (DP), no vomiting and no significant nausea during OP, AP and DP. Accrual of 324 patients per treatment arm was planned to confirm noninferiority with expected CR of 75% and noninferiority margin of minus 10 percentage points. RESULTS: A total of 648 patients were randomly assigned, and 644 were evaluable for efficacy and safety. Antiemetic efficacy of CR during the OP with fosaprepitant and aprepitant was equivalent (71.96% versus 69.35%, P=0.4894). And a between-group difference of 2.61 percentage points was finally achieved (95% CI, -4.42 to 9.64) within predefined bounds for noninferiority (primary end point achieved). Both regimens were well tolerated and commonly reported adverse events (≥1%) were similar between these two group. CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose intravenous fosaprepitant (150 mg) combined with palonosetron and dexamethasone was well tolerated and demonstrated noninferior control of CINV to aprepitant-based triple regimen in Chinese patients treating with cisplatin-base chemotherapy.

Overexpression of miR-939-3p predicts poor prognosis and promotes progression in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the main cancer-related deaths worldwide. In this study, we explored the clinical prognostic significance and functional role of miR-939-3p in lung cancer. METHODS: We analyzed the expression of miR-939-3p in lung cancer tissues and cells by qRT-PCR. The prognostic significance of miR-939-3p was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. The CCK-8 assay was used to determine the role of miR-939-3p in cell proliferation. Transwell assays were used to determine the effects of miR-939-3p on cell migration and invasion abilities. RESULTS: The expression of miR-939-3p was upregulated in cancer tissues and cell lines compared with adjacent normal tissues and normal cells, respectively. The upregulated miR-939-3p was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and poor prognosis of lung cancer patients. After the transfection of miR-939 mimic, overexpression of miR-939-3p promoted lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that miR-939-3p acts as an oncogene and promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in lung cancer. miR-939-3p may be a potential independent prognostic biomarker in lung cancer.

Low expression of BEX1 predicts poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.

The brain expressed x­linked gene 1 (BEX1) is a member of the BEX family and is aberrantly expressed in many cancers. However, the clinical significance of BEX1 expression level and its role in the pathology of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remain unknown. In the present study, we determined BEX1 expression in the tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 118 ESCC patients by immunohistochemistry and determined the proliferation and growth of ESCC cells following ectopic overexpression of BEX1 in cultured cells and in mouse­ESCC xenografts. We observed that BEX1 was downregulated in ESCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and low BEX1 expression was significantly associated with larger ESCC tumor volume (P<0.001), advanced T stage (P=0.011) and advanced clinical stage (P=0.039). Additionally, survival analysis revealed that low expression of BEX1 significantly predicted poor prognosis in patients with ESCC (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that low BEX1 expression was an independent prognostic factor of poor survival (P=0.039). In vitro analysis revealed that overexpression of BEX1 inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and colony formation. Furthermore, in vivo tumorigenesis assays revealed that ectopic overexpression of BEX1 suppressed ESCC tumor growth in mice. Further immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that BEX1 upregulation led to reduced expression and phosphorylation of NF­κB p65, indicating inhibition of the NF­κB signaling pathway by BEX1. Our findings indicated that low BEX1 expression may be an independent prognostic marker for poor survival and may serve as a potential target for ESCC therapy.

Knockdown of c­Myc activates Fas-mediated apoptosis and sensitizes A549 cells to radiation.

Several studies have demonstrated that cancer radiosensitivity is associated with the deregulation of c­Myc, but the relationship between c­Myc and Fas in radioresistance of lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. In this study, we established radiation-resistant A549 cell model (A549/R), and investigated the roles of c­Myc and Fas in radiation-induced cytotoxicity of A549 cells. Apoptosis detection showed that there were fewer apoptotic cells in A549/R cells treated with radiation than in A549 cells. Western blotting results demonstrated the inverse expression pattern of c­Myc and Fas in A549 and A549/R cells. Suppression of c­Myc expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) displayed enhancement of Fas-mediated apoptosis in A549/R cells, accompanying a significant decrease of Bid, Bcl­2, pro­caspase­8, -9 and -3 and increase of Bax. In contrast, Fas-mediated apoptosis was attenuated while Fas expression was suppressed by ectopic expression of c­Myc in A549 cells. Moreover, decreased cell viability and increased induction of apoptosis were observed in A549/R cells followed by combinational treatment of c­Myc siRNA and irradiation, whereas, upregulation of c­Myc reduced the sensitivity of A549 cells to irradiation. These results indicated that c­Myc and Fas regulated the sensitivity of A549 cells to irradiation by regulating caspase­8-mediated Bid activation and the subsequent association with the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.

Comparison of Gefitinib versus VMP in the combination with radiotherapy for multiple brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer.

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of Gefitinib versus VMP in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for multiple brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 73 NSCLC patients with brain metastases from January 2010 to August 2013 were randomly divided into Gefitinib group (37 patients) and VMP chemotherapy group (36 patients). Patients in VMP group received VM-26 100 mg/day by intravenous injection, from day 1 to day 3, cisplatin 25 mg/m2 by intravenous injection, from day 1 to day 3. One cycle was defined as a 21-day therapy duration, with a total of 3 cycles; 2 cycles were used for consolidation. Patients in Gefitinib group received Gefitinib orally. Both groups received 3D-CRT, DT50 Gy/25f/35d from first day and target areas were treated with whole brain radiotherapy. The results of the study are listed below: There was no significant difference in the short-term effects of the two groups (P > 0.05). Median survival time (MST) of Gefitinib was 13.3 months whereas median survival time of VMP group is 12.7 months (P < 0.05). In Gefitinib group, we did not observe any difference of the median survival time between the patients with and without mutation EGFR. Toxicity of Gefitinib groups were characterized by rash, whereas chemotherapy resulted in hematologic toxicities, which included 6 cases of III/IV leucopenia (17.6 %), 3 cases of anemia (8.8 %), and 5 cases of thrombocytopenia (14.7 %), and non-hematological toxicity which was less serious symptoms for gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, etc. These adverse reactions can be released after symptomatic treatment. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Two patients in VMP group quit due to IV leucopenia. Both oral Gefitinib and systemic VMP chemotherapy in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) could be used to treat brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer. There were no difference in the short-term effects of the two groups, but long-term effect of Gefitinib group was slightly better than VMP group. Moreover, Gefitinib group showed low toxicity. All together, our finding implicated that Gefitinib is an effective method for patients with brain metastases from NSCLC.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A inhibits angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma via blocking ERK/MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway in H22 tumor-bearing mice.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a flavonoid derived and isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Carthamus tinctorius L., possesses anti-tumor activity. However, its effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been investigated. The proliferation and metastasis of HCC are dependent on angiogenesis, which also strongly links with several signal transduction pathways associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. This study aimed to explore the effect of HSYA on vasculogenesis and to determine its molecular mechanism by investigating the expression of ERK/MAPK (p-c-Raf, c-Raf, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2) and NF-κB (p65, IκB and p-IκB) signaling pathway in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The results showed that HSYA could considerably suppress tumor growth by inhibiting secretion of angiogenesis factors (vascular endothelial growth factor A, basic fibroblast growth factor) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor1. At the moleculcould block ERK1/2 phosphorylation and then restrain the activation of NF-κB and its nuclear translocation by down-regulating the expression of p65 in the nucleus, up-regulating p65 level in the cytoplasm, inhibiting IκB phosphorylation and cytoplasmic degradation of IκB-α. Finally, we demonstrate that HSYA could suppress mRNA expression levels of cell proliferation-related genes (cyclinD1, c-myc, c-Fos) compared with negative control group. And best of all, HSYA could improve spleen/thymus indexes, which was evaluated as the marker of protective effect on the immune system. Our findings support HSYA as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of HCC.

Radiation dose is associated with prognosis of small cell lung cancer with superior vena cava syndrome.

Approximately 10% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases develop superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). Many SCLC patients with SVCS have relatively limited disease, requiring curative rather than palliative treatment. Besides chemotherapy, radiotherapy is important for treating SCLC with SVCS. We retrospectively evaluated the influence of radiotherapy dose on the prognosis of 57 patients with SCLC with SVCS treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The mean biological equivalent radiation dose was 71.5 Gy. We administered etoposide/cisplatin as sequential and concurrent chemotherapy. All patients received at least one cycle of concurrent chemotherapy. All patients had partial or complete response; SVCS-associated symptoms were reduced in 87.7% (50/57) of patients within 3-10 days after treatment. Radiation dose did not affect 2-year local control (74.2% vs. 80.8%). Patients who received high-dose radiation had a lower 2-year overall survival rate than those who received low-dose radiation (11.6 vs. 33%; P = 0.024). The high dose group median survival was 15.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.2-19.0) compared with 18.7 months (95% CI: 13.9-23.6) in the low dose group. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 22/26 high dose patients (84.6%) and 21/31 low dose patients (67.7%). In the high dose group, 30.8% of patients had grade 3/4 esophagitis compared with 19.4% of low dose patients. Only 29.0% of low dose patients received < 4 cycles of chemotherapy in the first 12 weeks after treatment began compared with 46.2% of high dose patients. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a tolerable modality for treating stage IIIA/IIIB SCLC with SVCS. Moderate-dose radiotherapy is preferable.

OPN Polymorphism Is Related to the Chemotherapy Response and Prognosis in Advanced NSCLC.

Background. Osteopontin (OPN) is associated with prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about the association between OPN gene polymorphism and the chemotherapy response in NSCLC patients. Methods. A total of 497 patients with inoperable advanced stage of NSCLC (stages III B and IV NSCLC) were enrolled. All patients had received platinum-based chemotherapy. OPN gene polymorphisms at 156 GG/G, 443 C/T, and -66T/G were determined. Results. The genotypes and allele frequency of -443C>T were significantly different between the responders and nonresponders. Responders had a markedly higher frequency of -443TT genotype than responders (40.71% versus 19.09%, P < 0.001). With CC as reference, the TT genotype carriers had a higher chance to be well responders (adjusted OR = 4.43, 95% CI: 2.60-7.53, adjusted P < 0.001). The median overall survival time for patients with -443CC, -443CT, and -443TT genotype carriers was significantly different. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models showed that OPN -443C>T gene polymorphisms were closely correlated to poor NSCLC prognosis. Conclusion. OPN -443C>T gene polymorphism may be used as a molecular marker to predict the treatment response to chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients.