Prognostic significance of age on superficial spreading melanoma after resection: lessons from SEER database involving 12 536 patients.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to analyse the impact of elderly age on long-term prognosis of superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) after surgery. METHODS: A population-based cohort of patients undergoing resection for SSM from 2004 to 2015 was collected, using data from National Cancer Institute' Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)* Stat software. Patients were divided into the non-elderly group (≤70 years) and elderly group (>70 years). Baseline characteristics and long-term survivals were compared between the two groups. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce the risk of bias. The impact of the elderly age on overall survival (OS) and cause-specific mortality (CSM) was estimated by Cox-regression and competing-risk regression models. RESULTS: Among 12 536 patients with SSM after resection included into the cohort, 8664 patients were ≤70 years, and 3872 were >70 years. Patients in the elderly group had higher incidences of multiple tumours, worse tumour stage and infiltration degree, lymphatic metastasis, and larger size of primary lesions. Using PSM, 3581 pairs of patients were created. On matched analysis, the elderly group was associated with worse OS and CSM. On multivariable Cox-regression and competing-risk regression analyses, elderly age was identified as an independent risk factor of OS and CSM after adjusting for other prognostic variables. CONCLUSIONS: The elderly age of patients was independently associated with worse OS and CSM after resection of SSM when baseline and tumour characteristics were balanced. Adjuvant therapy and individualized strategy on follow-up should be made for elderly patients after resection of SSM.

Critical role for non­GAP function of Gαs in RGS1­mediated promotion of melanoma progression through AKT and ERK phosphorylation.

Regulator of G­protein signaling 1 (RGS1) has been found to be a critical factor in melanoma and other malignancies. However, the mechanism involved in the RGS1­mediated promotion of melanoma progression is not clear. We based our study on samples collected from pathological specimens of melanoma patients. We found by immunohistochemistry that RGS1 expression was significantly higher in melanoma than that noted in nevus tissue (P<0.05). Kaplan­Meier analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between increased RGS1 expression and reduced disease­specific survival (P<0.05). RGS1 expression was also found to be related to the proliferation and migration of melanoma cells. RGS1 was able to bind to the Gαs in immunoprecipitation, but this interaction did not accelerate GTP hydrolysis in our experiment. Furthermore, we found that RGS1 may promote melanoma progression through the downstream effects of Gαs signaling, such as the increased phosphorylation of AKT and ERK by western blotting. Our results demonstrated that RGS1 promotes melanoma progression through regulation of Gαs­mediated inactivation of AKT and ERK. Therefore, RGS1 is a novel therapeutic target for melanoma treatment.

Reconstruction of auricular conchal defects with local flaps.

Reconstruction of the auricular conchal cavity is relatively difficult because of its unique structure, shape, and location. We compared different methods of repair of the auricular concha to determine the method that would cause the least injury to the donor site.The method selected was based on the location and size of the defect. If the defect was located in the upper part of the concha, or if the defect was >15 mm in diameter, we used a post-auricular subcutaneous pedicle island flap that was pulled through a post-auricular sulcus tunnel to cover the wound. If the defect was located in the lower part of the concha and was <15 mm in diameter, we used a pre-auricular translocation flap that was passed through the intertragic notch to cover the wound. The donor site was closed primarily. All flaps survived well and any scars associated with the surgery were unnoticeable. No tumor relapse or metastasis was observed over a mean follow-up period of 35 months. All patients were satisfied with the outcome.The periauricular flap technique chosen for reconstruction of skin defects in the auricular concha depends on the size and location of the defect. With appropriate flap selection, excellent functional, and aesthetic outcomes are achieved.

Prognostic role of microRNA-205 in multiple human malignant neoplasms: a meta-analysis of 17 studies.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNA-205 (miRNA-205) was revealed as an attractive prognostic tumour biomarker in recent studies. However, the results of different studies have been inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to elucidate the precise predictive value of miRNA-205 in various human malignant neoplasms. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Qualified studies were identified up to 5 June 2014 by performing online searches in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science, and additional quality evaluations. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen eligible studies with 4827 patients were ultimately enrolled in this meta-analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES: The heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I(2) statistics. Pooled HRs with 95% CIs for patient survival and disease recurrence were calculated to investigate the correlation between miRNA-205 expression and cancer prognosis. RESULTS: Our results indicate that elevated miRNA-205 was significantly associated with enhanced overall survival in the breast cancer subgroup (HR=0.78, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.91) and superior disease-free survival/recurrence-free survival in the adenocarcinoma subgroup (HR=0.68, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: miRNA-205 is a promising biomarker for predicting the recurrence and progression of patients with adenocarcinomas or breast cancer. Owing to its complex roles, further relevant studies are warranted.