[The efficacy of radiotherapy based combined therapy for unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer and its associated factors analysis].

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

[Stereotactic body radiation therapy for patients with lung and liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer: a phase â ¡ trial].

Objective: To explore the safety and effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for oligometastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm phase Ⅱ trial. Patients who had histologically proven CRC, 1 to 5 detectable liver or lung metastatic lesions with maximum diameter of any metastases ≤5 cm were eligible. SBRT was delivered to all lesions. The primary endpoint was 3-year local control (LC). The secondary endpoints were treatment-related acute toxicities of grade 3 and above, 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Results: Petients from 2016 to 2019 who were treated in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Forty-eight patients with 60 lesions were enrolled, including 37 liver lesions and 23 lung lesions. Forty-six patients had 1 or 2 lesions, with median diameter of 1.3 cm, the median biologically effective dose (BED(10)) was 100.0 Gy. The median follow-up was 19.5 months for all lesions. Twenty-five lesions developed local failure, the median local progression free survival was 15 months. The 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 70.2% (95% CI, 63.7%~76.7%), 89.0% (95% CI, 84.3%~93.7%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 33.0%~47.8%). The univariate analysis revealed that planning target volume (PTV) and total dose were independent prognostic factors of LC (P<0.05). For liver and lung lesions, the 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 58.7% and 89.4% (P=0.015), 89.3% and 86.5% (P=0.732), 30.5% and 65.6% (P=0.024), respectively. No patients developed acute toxicity of grade 3 and above. Conclusion: SBRT is safe and effective treatment method for oligometastases from CRC under precise respiratory motion management and robust quality assurance.

[The effects of sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on prognosis of patients with early-stage extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (nasal type) and its individualized application].

Objective: To analyze the effects of the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on the efficacy of early-stage extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (nasal type, ENKTCL) patients, and to provide a quantitative evaluation method for individualized radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods: The Chinese Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) collected the clinical data of 2 008 patients with early-stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ ENKTCL who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy from January 2000 to early September 2019 from 21 hospitals across the country, including 1 417 males and 591 females, aged 2 to 83 (42±14) years. According to the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patients were divided into radiotherapy-first group (388 cases) and chemotherapy-first group (1 620 cases). Survival rate was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariate Cox proportional risk model was used to screen and identify independent prognostic factors. The prognostic prediction models of the two therapies were constructed separately, and the models were used to predict the individualized mortality risk of all patients to determine the appropriate radiotherapy and chemotherapy regimen for each patient. Results: The 5-year overall survival rate was 74.2% (95%CI: 69.6%-79.2%) in the radiotherapy-first group and 69.7% (95%CI: 67.1%-72.4%) in the chemotherapy-first group. Although the 5-year overall survival rate of patients in the radiotherapy-first group was numerically higher than that of the chemotherapy-first group, the difference was not statistically significant (χ2= 2.26, HR=0.84 (95%CI: 0.68-1.05), P=0.133). Six variables including age, gender, ECOG score, LDH, Ann Arbor staging, and PTI (primary tumor invasion) were screened out as independent prognostic factors (the chemotherapy-first group: HR were 1.01, 1.25, 2.07, 0.77, 1.34, 1.49, respectively, all P<0.05; radiotherapy-first group: HR were 1.02, 1.31, 1.66, 0.78, 1.37, 1.29, all P>0.05). The mean 5-year predicted mortality risk for all patients receiving radiotherapy-first regimen was lower than those receiving chemotherapy-first regimen (26.8% vs 30.2%, P<0.001). There were individualized differences in the predicted mortality risk of patients with different clinical characteristics who received radiotherapy-first regimen or chemotherapy-first regimen. Conclusion: Patients with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ ENKTCL treated with radiotherapy-first regimen had a better expected prognosis than patients treated with chemotherapy-first regimen. The quantitative assessment of the differential effects of the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on the mortality risk of individual patients based on their clinical characteristics was helpful for the clinical development of the optimal radiotherapy and chemotherapy plan for each patient.

[Treatment and prognostic analysis of isolated chest wall recurrence of breast cancer after mastectomy].

Objective: To analyze the prognostic factors of breast cancer patients with isolated chest wall recurrence (ICWR) after mastectomy, and investigate the optimal treatment. Methods: A total of 201 breast cancer patients with ICWR after mastectomy who were treated in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Fifth Medical Center Chinese PLA General Hospital from October 1998 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up was 92.8 months and survival data were obtained. Results: Among 201 patients with ICWR, 103 patients developed subsequent locoregional recurrence (sLRR) and 5-year cumulative sLRR rate was 49.1%; 134 patients developed distant metastasis (DM) and 5-year DM rate was 64.4%; 103 patients died, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 17.4 months and the 5-year PFS rate was 23.2%; the median overall survival (OS) was 62.5 months and the 5-year OS rate was 52.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that the recurrence interval (HR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.26-3.73) and the locoregional treatment (HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.05-2.40) were the independent prognostic factors for sLRR. The initial HER2 status (HR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.03-2.48) was the independent prognostic factor for DM. The recurrence interval (HR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.30-3.04), the locoregional treatment (HR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.43-2.76) and the treatment modalities after recurrence (HR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.18-2.46) were the independent prognostic factors for PFS. The initial HER2 status (HR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.02-2.81), the recurrence interval (HR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.15-2.98) and the treatment modalities after recurrence (HR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.56-3.96) were the independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions: Breast cancer patients after ICWR have an optimistic OS until now, but the risk of sLRR and DM is high. Comprehensive treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy and systemic therapy improve the outcome of breast cancer patients with ICWR after mastectomy.

[Outcome of radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type].

Objective: To evaluate the prognosis and determine the failure patterns after radiotherapy for low-risk early-stage patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTCL). Methods: A total of 557 patients from 2000-2015 with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL who received radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy (CT) from China Lymphoma Collaborative Group were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 427 patients received combined modality therapy, whereas 130 patients received RT alone. Survivals were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with Log-rank test. Overall survival (OS) was compared with age and sex-matched general Chinese population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Cox stepwise regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The 5-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were 87.2% and 77.2%. The SMR was 3.59 (P<0.001) at 1 year after treatment, whereas it was 1.50 at 4 years after treatment, without significant difference between ENKTCL group and country-matched general population (P=0.146). Compared with RT alone, CMT did not result in significantly superior 5-year OS (87.0% vs 87.4%, P=0.961) or PFS (76.1% vs 80.7%, P=0.129). Local failure (11.5%, 64/557) and distant failure (10.8%, 60/557) were the main failure modes, while regional failure was rare (2.9%, 16/557). The 5-year locoregional control rate (LRC) was 87.2% for the whole group, with 89.5% for ≥50 Gy versus 73.7% for <50 Gy (P<0.001). Radiotherapy dose was an independent factor affecting LRC(P<0.05). Conclusions: Radiotherapy achieves a favorable prognosis in patients with low-risk early-stage ENKTCL. The incidence of either locoregional or distant failure is low. Radiation dose still is an important prognostic factor for LRC.

[Comparison of preoperative chemotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with TME for 305 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer].

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the long-term efficacy and prognostic factors of preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) or chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) combined with total mesorectal excision in locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: Clinical pathology data of 305 patients with localized advanced rectal cancer admitted to the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2006 to 2018 were collected, of whom 246 patients received PCRT (PCRT group), 59 patients received PCT (PCT group). Kaplan-Meier and Log rank test were used for the survival analysis, Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis, and the prognosis of two groups of patients were compared by the propensity score matching (PSM). Results: In the whole group of 305 patients, 20 cases of tumors located in the upper part of the rectum and at the junction of rectum and colon, 96 cases in the middle of the rectum and 189 cases in the lower part of the rectum. PCRT group included 38 cases of cT2-3 phase, 11 cases of cT4a stage, 10 cases of cT4b stage, while the cases in PCT group were 184, 0 and 62 cases, respectively, the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). The R0 excision rates of PCRT group and PCT group were 100% (246/246) and 96.6% (57/59), respectively, and the total pathological remission rates were 13.4% and 3.3%, respectively (P<0.05). After PSM, the 3-year survival rates of PCRT group and the PCT group were 86.6% and 89.9% (P>0.05), respectively, and the progression-free survival rates were 74.6% and 77.2% (P>0.05), local recurring free survival rates were 100% and 92.3% (P>0.05), distant metastasis free survival rate were 75.6% and 77.3% (P>0.05). Pre-treatment N-positive, N-degeneration and MRF-positive were all associated with total survival (P<0.05). Conclusion: In the PCRT group, with a higher proportion of patients with stage T4b and lower rectal cancer, the long-term efficacy of PCRT was similar to that of PCT, and higher R0 excision rate and pathological complete response rate could be obtained.

[Clinical features and treatment outcome of extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma of the extra-upper aerodigestive tract].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma of the extra-upper aerodigestive tract (extra-UADT NKTCL). Methods: The clinical data of 159 patients with extra-UADT NKTCL from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) database between November 2001 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank test were used to evaluate the prognosis. The Cox regression model is used for multi-factor analysis. Results: Extra-UADT NKTCL commonly occurs in skin and soft tissues (106/159, 66.7%) and gastrointestinal tract (31/159, 19.5%). The incidences of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Ann Arbor Ⅲ~Ⅳ stage were 47.8% (76/159) and 64.2% (102/159), respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 43.6% and 27.9%, respectively. The corresponding OS rates of primary skin/soft tissue site and gastrointestinal tract site were 41.0% and 59.4% (P=0.281), while the PFS rates were 24.8% and 48.3%, respectively (P=0.109). Combined modality treatment improved the 3-year OS of all the patients (58.4% vs 33.9%, P=0.001) and 3-year PFS (40.7% vs 20.7%, P=0.008) when compared with chemotherapy alone. LDH elevation, Ann Arbor synthesising and ≥2 junction external bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for total survival (P<0.05), LDH elevation and ≥2 junction outer bits were intrusive as independent risk factors for progressionless survival(P<0.05). The distant extranodal dissemination was the primary failure patterns. Conclusions: Extra-UADT NKTCL appears to have distinct clinical characteristics and poor outcome. Compared with chemotherapy alone, combined modality treatment may improve the prognosis of patients with extra-UADT NKTCL.

Association of improved overall survival with decreased distant metastasis following asparaginase-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy for intermediate- and high-risk early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma: a CLCG study.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the survival benefit of asparaginase (ASP)-based versus non-ASP-based chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy in a real-world cohort of patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 376 patients who received combined radiotherapy with either ASP-based (ASP, platinum, and gemcitabine; n = 286) or non-ASP-based (platinum and gemcitabine; n = 90) regimens. The patients were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups using the early stage-adjusted nomogram-revised risk index. Overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis (DM)-free survival (DMFS) between the chemotherapy regimens were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: ASP-based (versus non-ASP-based) regimens significantly improved 5-year OS (84.5% versus 73.2%, P = 0.021) and DMFS (84.4% versus 74.5%, P = 0.014) for intermediate- and high-risk patients, but not for low-risk patients in the setting of radiotherapy. Moreover, ASP-based regimens decreased DM, with a 5-year cumulative DM rate of 14.9% for ASP-based regimens compared with 25.1% (P = 0.014) for non-ASP-based regimens. The survival benefit of ASP-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy remained consistent after adjusting the confounding variables using IPTW and multivariate analyses; additional sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provided support for ASP-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy as a first-line treatment strategy for intermediate- and high-risk early-stage ENKTCL.

Circulating exosomes in ophthalmic disease: novel carriers of biological information circulating exosomes in ophthalmic disease.

Exosomes, small membrane vesicles with a diameter of 30-100 nm, transport lipids, proteins, DNA, and RNA. Exosomes originate from endocytic vessels and are processed and released through exocytosis. They can be taken up by target cells and mediate intercellular communication. Initially, exosomes were thought to be waste products excreted by cells. However, with more research, they have been found to play important roles in physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, they are promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of disease conditions, including fundus diseases, ocular surface diseases, retinal diseases, tumors, ocular trauma, and light damage. In this review, we discuss the history, biogenesis, release, isolation, characterization, and biological functions of exosomes, as well as their future application prospects in ophthalmic diseases.

[A nomogram to predict non-sentinel lymph node metastasis for breast cancer patients with positive axillary sentinel lymph node].

Objective: To identify the risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node (nSLN) metastasis in breast cancer patients with 1~2 positive axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) and construct an accurate prediction model. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed in 917 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery treatment between 2002 and 2017 and pathologically confirmed 1-2 positive SLNs. According to the date of surgery, patients were divided into training group (497 cases) and validation group (420 cases). A nomogram was built to predict nSLN metastasis and the accuracy of the model was validated. Results: Among the 917 patients, 251 (27.4%) had nSLN metastasis. Univariate analysis showed tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), extra-capsular extension (ECE), the number of positive and negative SLN and macro-metastasis of SLN were associated with nSLN metastasis (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed the numbers of positive SLN, negative SLN and macro-metastasis of SLN were independent predictors of nSLN metastasis (all P<0.05). A nomogram was constructed based on the 6 factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.718 for the training group and 0.742 for the validation group. Conclusion: We have developed a nomogram that uses 6 risk factors commonly available to accurately estimate the likelihood of nSLN metastasis for individual patient, which might be helpful for radiation oncologists to make a decision on regional nodal irradiation.

[Subclinical heart injury in patients receiving hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery: a preliminary analysis of prospective study].

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of early cardiac injury in patients with left-sided breast cancer receiving hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery, and to investigate the correlation between cardiac injury and hypofractionated radiotherapy dose. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 103 breast cancer patients who received whole breast with or without regional nodal irradiation after breast conserving surgery using either deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) or free breathing (FB) radiotherapy technique. Cardiac examinations that included N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), electrocardiogram, and myocardial perfusion imaging were performed routinely before and after radiotherapy. The effects of heart dose, systemic therapy and individual factors (Framingham score) on the incidence of cardiac events were analyzed. Results: The median age was 48 years. The mean dose (Dmean) of the heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left ventricular (LV), and right ventricular (RV) were 4.0, 16.9, 6.3, and 4.4 Gy, respectively. With a median follow-up of 13.4 months, no patient had clinical cardiac abnormalities. The incidence rates of subclinical cardiac events at 1- 6- and 12-month were 23.5%, 31.6%, and 41.3%, respectively. The DIBH group had a lower mean dose, maximum dose, and V5-V40 in the heart, LAD, LV, and RV than the FB group (P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed an increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events with heart Dmean >4 Gy, LAD V40 > 20%, LV Dmean >6 Gy, RV Dmean >7 Gy, or cumulative doses of anthracycline or taxane > 300 mg/m(2) (All P<0.05). Anti-HER2 targeted therapy, endocrine therapy and Framingham score were not associated with the incidence of subclinical cardiac events (all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that Dmean of LV and RV were independently associated with the increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events. Conclusions: Early subclinical heart injury are found in patients with left-sided breast cancer after hypofractionated radiotherapy. The increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events after radiotherapy is positively associated with the cardiac radiation doses.

[The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system provide improved prognostic accuracy in T1-2N1M0 postmastectomy breast cancer patients].

Objective: To validate whether the prognostic stage groups by the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system provides improved prognostic accuracy in T1-2N1M0 postmastectomy breast cancer patients compared to 7th edition. Methods: a total of 1 823 female patients with T1-2N1M0 breast cancer who underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed and restaged according to 8th edition. Univariate analysis of prognostic factors was evaluated by using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was estimated by using the Cox proportional hazards model. The prognostic accuracy of the two staging systems was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and the concordance index (C-index). Results: 5-year locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) for the whole group was 6.0%, 5-year distant metastasis (DM) rate was 11.5%, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 85.0%, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 93.1%. Cox analysis showed that 7th edition of the AJCC staging system and progesterone receptor status were independent risk factors for LRR, DM, DFS and OS (P<0.05). Compared with stage by 7th edition, 1 278(70.1%) were assigned to a different prognostic stage group: 1 088 (85.1%) to a lower stage and 190 (14.9%) to a higher stage. LRR, DM, DFS and OS were significantly different between prognostic stage ⅠA, ⅠB, ⅡA, ⅡB and ⅢA according to 8th edition of the AJCC staging system(P<0.001). Prognostic stage had significantly higher C-indexes and provided better estimation of prognosis compared to stage by 7th edition of the AJCC staging system (P<0.001). Conclusion: The prognostic stage groups of 8th edition AJCC staging system has superior prognostic accuracy compared to 7th edition in T1-2N1M0 breast cancer, and has better clinical therapeutic guidance value.

[Clinical differences between primary nasopharyngeal NK/T-cell lymphoma and primary nasal cavity NK/T-cell lymphoma with nasopharynx extension].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and prognostic differences between primary nasopharyngeal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (NP NKTCL) and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity with nasopharynx extension (N-NP NKTCL). Methods: A total of 89 patients with NP NKTCL and 113 patients with N-NP NKTCL from January 2000 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and pathological features, treatment responses and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Results: NP NKTCL patients showed similar clinicopathological features with those with N-NP NKTCL, except that the former had a relative low proportion of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (28.1% vs. 41.6%; P=0.001). Both of two groups presented with high proportion of cervical lymph node involvement (55.1% and 42.5%; P=0.076). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates in these two groups were 63.2% and 54.6%, respectively, whereas 5-year progress-free survival (PFS) rates were 50.7% and 45.6%, respectively. For the patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ, the 5-year OS and PFS rates in these two groups were 68.8% and 55.7% as well as 55.6% and 47.2%, respectively. These were no statistically significant differences between two groups (all P>0.05). The complete response (CR) rate after initial chemotherapy in NP NKTCL group was 43.8%, which was significant higher than that of 19.6% in N-NP NKTCL group (P=0.006). Additionally, the CR rate after primary radiotherapy was 63.4% and 62.7%, respectively (P=0.629). The NP NKTCL patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ who accepted radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy had similar survival times with chemotherapy alone, showing the 5-year OS rates of 70.5% and 33.3% (P=0.238), as well as the 5-year PFS rates of 56.7% and 33.3%, respectively (P=0.431). Similar results were found in N-NP NKTCL group, the 5-year OS rates for patients with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone were 57.4% and 33.3% (P=0.246), while the 5-year PFS rates were 49.3% and 16.7% (P=0.177), respectively. Besides, the relapse pattern of NP NKTCL and N-NP NKTCL groups was also similar, mainly involving the distant extra-nodal organs followed by lymph nodes. Conclusion: The patients with N-NP NKTCL and NP NKTCL showed similar clinical and prognostic features, however, the initial response to chemotherapy was different.

[Risk-adapted postmastectomy radiotherapy based on local-regional recurrence for T1-2N1M0 breast Cancer].

Objective: To establish a risk-adapted postmastectomy radiotherapy strategy based on local-regional recurrence for intermediate-risk breast cancer (T1~2N1M0 stage). Methods: A total of 2413 patients with T1-2N1M0 breast cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Of them, 588 patients (24.4%) received postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT), while 1 825 (75.6%) patients did not. A comprehensive comparative study was performed by using multivariable and propensity score-matched (PSM) analyses. Results: The median follow-up time was 67.0 months, the 5-year local region recurrence free-survival (LRRFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 93.8%, 85.7% and 93.3%, respectively. The 5-year local region recurrence (LRR) was 6.1%. For patients without PMRT, multivariable analysis indicated that age, tumor localization, molecular subtype, pathologic T stage and number of positive lymph node were independent factors for LRRFS (all of P<0.05). Patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer were classified into low-risk group (0-1 risk factor, 768 patients), intermediate-risk group (2 risk factors, 690 patients) and high-risk groups (≥3 risk factors, 544 patients) based on the five independent factors mentioned above. The 5-year LRRFS, DFS and OS were significantly different among the three groups (P<0.001). In low- and intermediate-risk groups, there were no significant differences in LRRFS, DFS and OS of patients who received PMRT or not (P>0.05). In high-risk group, the DFS of patients received PMRT or not were 79.8% and 74.4%, respectively (P=0.127), the OS of them were 86.8% and 87.1%, respectively (P=0.174), and the LRRFS were 93.3% and 84.3%, respectively (P=0.002). After PSM adjustment, no significant differences in LRRFS, DFS and OS were observed between PMRT-received subgroup and no PMRT subgroup of low-risk group (P>0.05). In intermediate-risk group, the LRRFS of patients received PMRT or not were 95.2% and 91.0%, respectively (P=0.037). However, in the high-risk group, the LRRFS, DFS and OS of patients received PMRT were 93.3%, 79.7% and 86.6%, respectively, while those of patients did not receive PMRT were 78.5% (P<0.001), 69.5% (P=0.038) and 85.7% (P=0.080), respectively. Conclusions: The local-regional recurrence risks of patients with pT1-2N1 breast cancer are viable and risk-adapted PMRT is available for them. Better prognoses can be achieved by the patients of intermediate and high-risk group. More samples on this subject are needed to validate the results.

[Prognostic value of sequencing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery for patients with breast cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of sequencing of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery for patients with breast cancer. Methods: A total of 1 154 patients withT1-2N0-3M0 breast cancer retrospectively reviewed. All patients received sequential radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery. Among them, 603 patients received radiotherapy first and 551 patients received chemotherapy first. Log-rank tests were used to determine significance of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in the Kaplan-Meier curve. Results: The 5-year DFS and OS rates for all patients were 93.0% and 97.8%. The 5-year OS rate was 98.6% in the radiotherapy first group and 96.4% in the chemotherapy first group (P=0.191), and the corresponding DFS rate was 92.7% and 93.2% (P=0.430), respectively. Among the patients with Luminal A subtype, the 5-year OS rate was 99.6% in the radiotherapy first group and 97.8% in the chemotherapy first group (P=0.789). Among the patients with Luminal B subtype, the 5-year OS rate was 94.2% and 96.0%, respectively (P=0.680). Among the patients with triple negative breast cancer, the 5-year OS rate was 100% and 90.9%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P=0.019). Among the patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer, The 5-year DFS rate was 80.1% and 100%, respectively (P=0.045). Conclusions: The OS and DFS rates in the chemotherapy first group are not significantly different from those of radiotherapy first group after breast-conserving surgery. Patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer in chemotherapy first group have a much higher DFS rate than that of radiotherapy first group, whereas patients with triple negative breast cancer in radiotherapy first group have a better OS rate than that of chemotherapy first group. Further research is warranted to investigate the benefit of different molecular types in different sequencing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.

[Prognostic differences of phenotypes in pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer: a large cohort study with cluster analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To find phenotypic subgroups of patients with pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer by means of cluster analysis and estimate the prognosis and clinicopathological features of these subgroups. METHODS: From 1999 to 2013, 4979 patients with pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer were recruited for hierarchical clustering analysis. Age (≤40, 41-70, 70+ years), size of primary tumor, pathological type, grade of differentiation, microvascular invasion, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) were chosen as distance metric between patients. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using Ward's method. Cophenetic correlation coefficient (CPCC) and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to validate clustering structures. RESULTS: The CPCC was 0.603. The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.617 (P<0.001), which indicated a good fit of hierarchy to the data. A twelve-cluster model seemed to best illustrate our patient cohort. Patients in cluster 5, 9 and 12 had best prognosis and were characterized by age >40 years, smaller primary tumor, lower histologic grade, positive ER and PR status, and mainly negative HER-2. Patients in the cluster 1 and 11 had the worst prognosis, The cluster 1 was characterized by a larger tumor, higher grade and negative ER and PR status, while the cluster 11 was characterized by positive microvascular invasion. Patients in other 7 clusters had a moderate prognosis, and patients in each cluster had distinctive clinicopathological features and recurrent patterns. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified distinctive clinicopathologic phenotypes in a large cohort of patients with pT1-2N0 breast cancer through hierarchical clustering and revealed different prognosis. This integrative model may help physicians to make more personalized decisions regarding adjuvant therapy.

Biomechanical responses of human temporomandibular joint disc under tension and compression.

The purpose of this study was to observe the microscopic changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in response to tension and compression, and to study the mechanism of disc failure when subjected to mechanical stresses. The scanning electron microscope was used to observe topographic characteristics of TMJ disc samples obtained from 13 cadavers before and during biomechanical experiments. The stress relaxation experiments were conducted at different strain levels (2, 3, 4 and 6%). The uniaxial tensile experiments were carried out at a constant strain rate (0.05 mm/s). The confined compression tests were performed with 3 different indenters (2, 3 and 4mm in diameter) for 150 s and 3 h. The maximal tensile strain of the disc was 5% (nearly equal to 0.22 MPa of tensile stress) in the mediolaterally tensile direction. Typical wavelike structure of the collagen fibrils of the disc was present at 2-4% strain ranges. Tensile and shear damage to local collagen fibrils was observed in specimens of the intermediate zone and the posterior band at 6% strain level. Changes in the collagen network from a wavelike structure to distortion observed on the surface of the testing samples were reversible in the 150-s indentation, but severe, irreversible breakdown and deformation of the collagen-proteoglycan network occurred in those specimens that had been compressed for 3h. Persistent and prolonged compression inevitably resulted in irrecoverable disc failure. Mechanical stress is a crucial factor in breakdown of the TMJ disc.