The metastatic pattern of colon cancer is typically well characterized,with initial dissemination occurring through regional lymphatics,followed by hematogenous spread.The most frequent sites of metastasis in colorect...The metastatic pattern of colon cancer is typically well characterized,with initial dissemination occurring through regional lymphatics,followed by hematogenous spread.The most frequent sites of metastasis in colorectal cancer(CRC)include regional lymph nodes(50%–70%),liver(35%–50%),lungs(21%),peritoneum(15%),and ovaries(13%).1 Isolated distant lymph node metastasis,particularly in the absence of concurrent systemic disease,is exceedingly rare in CRC.To date,only six cases of isolated axillary lymph node metastasis(ALNM)from colorectal primaries have been documented in the literature.1–6 Even more uncommon is the incidental discovery of malignant cells in anastomotic doughnuts following stoma reversal procedures.Herein,we report a rare case involving both the incidental histopathological detection of tumor cells within doughnuts during stoma closure and the subsequent development of isolated ALNM after curative resection of sigmoid colon carcinoma.展开更多
The principal breast cancer treatment approach has long been surgical removal of the primary breast lesions and regional lymph nodes,particularly the axillary lymph nodes.However,the advent of minimally invasive diagn...The principal breast cancer treatment approach has long been surgical removal of the primary breast lesions and regional lymph nodes,particularly the axillary lymph nodes.However,the advent of minimally invasive diagnostic techniques,such as sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB),has markedly diminished the extent of surgery required for regional lymph nodes.展开更多
BACKGROUND The accurate prediction of lymph node metastasis(LNM)is crucial for managing locally advanced(T3/T4)colorectal cancer(CRC).However,both traditional histopathology and standard slide-level deep learning ofte...BACKGROUND The accurate prediction of lymph node metastasis(LNM)is crucial for managing locally advanced(T3/T4)colorectal cancer(CRC).However,both traditional histopathology and standard slide-level deep learning often fail to capture the sparse and diagnostically critical features of metastatic potential.AIM To develop and validate a case-level multiple-instance learning(MIL)framework mimicking a pathologist's comprehensive review and improve T3/T4 CRC LNM prediction.METHODS The whole-slide images of 130 patients with T3/T4 CRC were retrospectively collected.A case-level MIL framework utilising the CONCH v1.5 and UNI2-h deep learning models was trained on features from all haematoxylin and eosinstained primary tumour slides for each patient.These pathological features were subsequently integrated with clinical data,and model performance was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC).RESULTS The case-level framework demonstrated superior LNM prediction over slide-level training,with the CONCH v1.5 model achieving a mean AUC(±SD)of 0.899±0.033 vs 0.814±0.083,respectively.Integrating pathology features with clinical data further enhanced performance,yielding a top model with a mean AUC of 0.904±0.047,in sharp contrast to a clinical-only model(mean AUC 0.584±0.084).Crucially,a pathologist’s review confirmed that the model-identified high-attention regions correspond to known high-risk histopathological features.CONCLUSION A case-level MIL framework provides a superior approach for predicting LNM in advanced CRC.This method shows promise for risk stratification and therapy decisions,requiring further validation.展开更多
BACKGROUND Early screening,preoperative staging,and diagnosis of lymph node metastasis are crucial for improving the prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of combined multidetector compu...BACKGROUND Early screening,preoperative staging,and diagnosis of lymph node metastasis are crucial for improving the prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of combined multidetector computed tomography(MDCT)and gastrointestinal endoscopy for GC screening,preoperative staging,and lymph node metastasis detection,thereby providing a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.METHODS In this retrospective study clinical and imaging data of 134 patients with suspected GC who were admitted between January 2023 and October 2024 were initially reviewed.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,102 patients were finally enrolled in the analysis.All enrolled patients had undergone both MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy examinations prior to surgical intervention.Preoperative clinical staging and lymph node metastasis findings were compared with pathological results.RESULTS The combined use of MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.53%,specificity of 97.06%,accuracy of 98.04%,positive predictive value of 98.53%,and negative predictive value of 97.06%for diagnosing GC.These factors were all significantly higher than those of MDCT or endoscopy alone(P<0.05).The accuracy rates of the combined approach for detecting clinical T and N stages were 97.06%and 92.65%,respectively,outperforming MDCT alone(86.76% and 79.41%)and endoscopy alone(85.29% and 70.59%)(P<0.05).Among 68 patients with confirmed GC,50(73.53%)were pathologically diagnosed with lymph node metastasis.The accuracy for detecting lymph node metastasis was 66.00%with endoscopy,76.00%with MDCT,and 92.00% with the combined approach,all with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The combined application of MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy enhanced diagnostic accuracy for GC,provided greater consistency in preoperative staging,and improved the detection of lymph node metastasis,thereby demonstrating significant clinical utility.展开更多
Early-stage gastric cancer;Extent of lymph node dissection;D1 dissection;D2 dissection;Recurrence rate;Survival rateObjective:To investigate the impact of different lymph node dissection scopes on postoperative recurr...Early-stage gastric cancer;Extent of lymph node dissection;D1 dissection;D2 dissection;Recurrence rate;Survival rateObjective:To investigate the impact of different lymph node dissection scopes on postoperative recurrence and survival rates in patients with early gastric cancer,providing evidence-based support for optimizing clinical surgical plans.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 100 patients with early gastric cancer who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from October 2021 to October 2023.Patients were divided into Group D1(n=50)and Group D2(n=50)based on the extent of lymph node dissection.Group D1 underwent limited lymph node dissection(dissection of the first station of lymph nodes around the stomach),while Group D2 underwent standard lymph node dissection(dissection of the first and second stations of lymph nodes around the stomach).Surgical-related indicators,the incidence of postoperative complications,the 2-year recurrence rate,and the 2-year survival rate were compared between the two groups of patients.Results:The operative time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative hospital stay,and the number of lymph nodes dissected were significantly higher in the D2 group than in the D1 group(all P<0.001).The overall incidence of postoperative complications was higher in the D1 group than in the D2 group,but the difference was not statistically significant(χ^(2)=0.884,P=0.766).After a 2-year follow-up,the recurrence rate was significantly higher in the D1 group than in the D2 group(χ^(2)=4.000,P=0.046).The 2-year survival rate was significantly lower in the D1 group than in the D2 group(χ^(2)=5.005,P=0.025).A total of 100 patients with early-stage gastric cancer were grouped according to the depth of invasion,degree of differentiation,and lymph node metastasis status,and the recurrence rates of different subgroups were compared.The results showed that the recurrence rate was higher in patients with T1b stage than in those with T1a stage(χ^(2)=5.005,P=0.025),higher in poorly differentiated patients than in moderately and well-differentiated patients(χ^(2)=4.155,P=0.042),and higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without lymph node metastasis(χ^(2)=4.512,P=0.034).Conclusion:Compared with D1 limited lymph node dissection,D2 standard lymph node dissection can significantly reduce the postoperative recurrence rate and improve the 2-year survival rate in patients with early-stage gastric cancer without significantly increasing the risk of postoperative complications.Although the surgical trauma is slightly greater,the overall prognosis is better,making it a preferred surgical treatment option for patients with early-stage gastric cancer.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and postoperative cosmetic outcomes of breast-conserving surgery combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early-stage breast cancer,providing a referen...Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and postoperative cosmetic outcomes of breast-conserving surgery combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early-stage breast cancer,providing a reference for the selection of clinical treatment plans.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 68 patients with early-stage breast cancer admitted from January 2022 to December 2025.Based on the surgical approach,patients were divided into an observation group(breast-conserving surgery+sentinel lymph node biopsy)and a control group(other surgical methods such as modified radical mastectomy/total mastectomy).Clinical and pathological characteristics,incidence of postoperative complications,follow-up prognosis,and satisfaction with cosmetic outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results:Among the 68 patients,41 were in the observation group and 27 in the control group.The average age of patients in the observation group was(54.32±8.15)years,while that in the control group was(62.45±9.76)years.The average tumor size in the observation group was(1.86±0.72)cm,compared to(3.21±1.45)cm in the control group.The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was 9.76%,significantly lower than that in the control group at 33.33%(P<0.05).The 6-month disease-free survival rate was 95.12%in the observation group and 88.89%in the control group,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).The excellent and good rate of cosmetic outcomes in the observation group was 87.80%,significantly higher than that in the control group at 29.63%(P<0.05).Conclusion:Breast-conserving surgery combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy for early-stage breast cancer can achieve long-term prognostic outcomes comparable to those of traditional radical surgery,with the advantages of fewer postoperative complications and superior cosmetic results.This approach is worthy of clinical promotion and application,particularly for early-stage breast cancer patients who have a demand for preserving breast morphology.展开更多
Objective:Open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(RPLND)is the gold-standard surgical approach for the management of metastatic testicular cancer,but robotic RPLND is becoming increasingly popular.There is limited ...Objective:Open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(RPLND)is the gold-standard surgical approach for the management of metastatic testicular cancer,but robotic RPLND is becoming increasingly popular.There is limited research directly comparing open and robotic RPLND.The objective of this systematic review is to identify all the literature with direct comparisons between the open and robotic techniques for RPLND and to compare the two techniques.The primary outcome was peri-operative outcomes,and the secondary outcomes included oncological outcomes and patient demographics.Methods:This systematic review was prospectively registered and was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement.The PubMed,Embase and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant publication from January 2006 to August 2024.Results:Eight studies,totaling 3995 patients,are included in this systematic review,with 3521 patients who underwent open RPLND and 474 who underwent robotic RPLND.For open RPLND,the mean operative duration,blood loss and length of stay were 267.8 min,475 mL and 7.3 d,respectively.For robotic RPLND,the mean operative duration,blood loss and length of stay were 334.5 min,94.6 mL and 3.7 d,respectively.Teratoma was the most common RPLND specimen pathology from both open and robotic surgeries.For open RPLND,the specimens have 13–23 nodes(26–32 mm),whereas the robotic RPLND specimens have 13–28 nodes(18–20 mm).Conclusion:This systematic review suggests that the benefitsof robotic RPLND may be associated with reduced blood loss,shorter hospitalisation and an overall lower risk of minor and major complications while maintaining oncological safety.展开更多
BACKGROUND Lymph node status is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer(GC),but stage migration may occur in pathological lymph nodes(pN)staging.To address this,alternative staging systems such as the positive ...BACKGROUND Lymph node status is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer(GC),but stage migration may occur in pathological lymph nodes(pN)staging.To address this,alternative staging systems such as the positive lymph node ratio(LNR)and log odds of positive lymph nodes(LODDS)were introduced.AIM To assess the prognostic accuracy and stratification efficacy of three nodal staging systems in GC.METHODS A systematic review identified 12 studies,from which hazard ratios(HRs)for overall survival(OS)were summarized.Sensitivity analyses,subgroup analyses,publication bias assessments,and quality evaluations were conducted.To enhance comparability,data from studies with identical cutoff values for pN,LNR,and LODDS were pooled.Homogeneous stratification was then applied to generate Kaplan-Meier(KM)survival curves,assessing the stratification efficacy of three staging systems.RESULTS The HRs and 95%confidence intervals for pN,LNR,and LODDS were 2.16(1.72-2.73),2.05(1.65-2.55),and 3.15(2.15-4.37),respectively,confirming all three as independent prognostic risk factors for OS.Comparative analysis of HRs demonstrated that LODDS had superior prognostic predictive power over LNR and pN.KM curves for pN(N0,N1,N2,N3a,N3b),LNR(0.1/0.2/0.5),and LODDS(-1.5/-1.0/-0.5/0)revealed significant differences(P<0.001)among all prognostic stratifications.Mean differences and standard deviations in 60-month relative survival were 27.93%±0.29%,41.70%±0.30%,and 26.60%±0.28%for pN,LNR,and LODDS,respectively.CONCLUSION All three staging systems are independent prognostic factors for OS.LODDS demonstrated the highest specificity,making it especially useful for predicting outcomes,while pN was the most effective in homogeneous stratification,offering better patient differentiation.These findings highlight the complementary roles of LODDS and pN in enhancing prognostic accuracy and stratification.展开更多
Gastric cancer(GC)remains a leading cause of cancer mortality.While the extent of nodal involvement is a well-known prognostic factor,the specific entity of swollen lymph node metastasis(SLNM),bulky nodal tumor deposi...Gastric cancer(GC)remains a leading cause of cancer mortality.While the extent of nodal involvement is a well-known prognostic factor,the specific entity of swollen lymph node metastasis(SLNM),bulky nodal tumor deposits detectable radiologically or pathologically,has received little attention in staging.Recent data from a study by Cui et al demonstrated that SLNM is an independent predictor of very poor survival in GC.Through robust data and rigorous propensitymatched analyses,SLNM emerged not merely as an anatomical finding but as an independent predictor of poor prognosis,even among patients undergoing curative resection.As precision oncology advances,the findings by Cui et al urge a fundamental rethinking of how SLNM is incorporated into clinical decisionmaking for GC management.In this editorial,we critically examine the prognostic significance of SLNM,challenge its omission from traditional staging frameworks,and advocate for its formal integration into preoperative risk stratification and treatment planning.Recognizing SLNM at diagnosis could unlock intensified neoadjuvant therapy strategies and optimize outcomes for a historically high-risk patient subgroup.展开更多
Introduction The accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)after neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)has been confirmed in clinical nodal stage 1(c N1)patients,and more patients could benefit from axillary surgery de-escalation...Introduction The accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)after neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)has been confirmed in clinical nodal stage 1(c N1)patients,and more patients could benefit from axillary surgery de-escalation after NAT(1,2).展开更多
The article by Yuan et al accessed the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of the patterns of lymph node(LN)metastasis in upper and lower gastric cancer(GC).In this article,we will analyze both the strengths...The article by Yuan et al accessed the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of the patterns of lymph node(LN)metastasis in upper and lower gastric cancer(GC).In this article,we will analyze both the strengths and limitations of this paper.The study’s methodology seems appropriate and proper statistical analyses were applied to identify significant variables.The authors applied the Cox regression model to identify independent risk factors and Kaplan-Meier survival curves to assess prognosis.The researchers found notable differences in cli-nicopathologic variables between patients with upper and lower GC.Addi-tionally,they identified specific LN stations more prone to metastasis in different Siewert classifications of GC.Despite the study’s detailed analysis,it would have been beneficial to explore whether there were survival differences among upper GC patients based on the Siewert classification.Furthermore,the study should have addressed potential confounding factors that might have influenced the results.A more comprehensive analysis could have been achieved by comparing survival outcomes based on LN metastasis patterns.Overall,this article is relevant and provides valuable insights into the significance of LN metastasis patterns in upper GC patients.展开更多
Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in the detection of nodal metastasis in urothelial bladder cancer(UBC)and to assess the long-term oncological outcomes of upfront radical cystectom...Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in the detection of nodal metastasis in urothelial bladder cancer(UBC)and to assess the long-term oncological outcomes of upfront radical cystectomy(RC)in patients with clinical lymph node-positive(cN^(+))muscle-invasive UBC.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 1053 consecutive UBC patients treated with RC between January 1,2004 and January 31,2014 was performed.Radiological,clinical,pathological data and survival outcomes of cN^(+) patients were collected.Cox regression analyses were used to assess the impact of the radiological,clinical,and pathological variables on survival.Results:A total of 233(22%)patients were diagnosed with cN^(+) UBC with a mean age of 57.3(standard deviation 8.1)years,of whom 144(62%)were found to have pathologically positive lymph nodes at final pathology.Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 58(25%)patients.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of MRI to detect pathological lymph node-positive disease were 51%,88%,62%,and 83%,respectively.The overall accuracy was 79% with a calculated area under the curve of 70%.The median follow-up period was 17.0(interquartile range 8.2e58.7)months.During this period,54(23%)patients developed local recurrence while 56(24%)experienced distant metastasis and the estimated 1-,3-,5-,and 10-year recurrence-free survival for cN^(+) patients were 78%,56%,51%,and 48%,respectively.On multivariate analysis,advanced pT stage(pT3e4 vs.pT2)was the only independent predictor of recurrence-free survival.Conclusion:Despite its potential in preoperative assessment of muscle-invasive UBC,MRI showed limited sensitivity for detecting node-positive disease.Notably,in patients with MRIdetected cN^(+) UBC,those who underwent upfront RC demonstrated long-term survival outcomes comparable to those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidative cystectomy in previously published studies.展开更多
BACKGROUND One of the main characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)is that it metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes frequently with a high degree of local invasiveness.A primary feature of malignant tumors...BACKGROUND One of the main characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)is that it metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes frequently with a high degree of local invasiveness.A primary feature of malignant tumors is their penetration of neighboring tissues,such as lymphatic and blood arteries,due to the tumor cells'capacity to break down the extracellular matrix(ECM).Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)constitute a family of proteolytic enzymes that facilitate tissue remodeling and the degradation of the ECM.MMP-9 and MMP-13 belong to the group of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes and their expression has been studied in OSCC because of their specific functions.MMP-13,a collagenase family member,is thought to play an essential role in the MMP activation cascade by breaking down the fibrillar collagens,whereas MMP-9 is thought to accelerate the growth of tumors.Elevated MMP-13 expression has been associated with tumor behavior and patient prognosis in a number of malignant cases.AIM To assess the immunohistochemical expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13 in OSCC.METHODS A total of 40 cases with histologically confirmed OSCC by incisional biopsy were included in this cross-sectional retrospective study.The protocols for both MMP-9 and MMP-13 immunohistochemical staining were performed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations along with the normal gingival epithelium as a positive control.All the observations were recorded and Pearson’sχ²test with Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS Our study showed no significant correlation between MMP-9 and MMP-13 staining intensity and tumor size.The majority of the patients were in advanced TNM stages(III and IV),and showed intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13.CONCLUSION The present study suggests that both MMP-9 and MMP-13 play an important and independent role in OSCC progression and invasiveness.Intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13,irrespective of histological grade of OSCC,correlates well with TNM stage.Consequently,it is evident that MMP-9 and MMP-13 are important for the invasiveness and progression of tumors.The findings may facilitate the development of new approaches for evaluating lymph node metastases and interventional therapy techniques,hence enhancing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with OSCC.展开更多
BACKGROUND The number of tumor deposits(TDs)does not play a part in the current tumor node metastasis staging.Negative lymph node(NLN)status is associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC),but its clear rol...BACKGROUND The number of tumor deposits(TDs)does not play a part in the current tumor node metastasis staging.Negative lymph node(NLN)status is associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC),but its clear role in N1c stage remains to be defined.AIM To evaluate the combination of TDs and NLNs as potential prognostic indicators in N1c CRC.METHODS We retrospectively identified 107 consecutive patients who had N1c CRC radically resected at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.The combination of TDs and NLNs was calculated by the formula NLNTD=NLN/(TD+1).Cutoff values of NLNs and NLNTD were determined using the R package“survminer”.Disease-free survival(DFS),overall survival(OS)and cancer-specific survival(CSS)were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method to assess the impact of NLNTD on prognosis.Results were compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS The median follow-up time was 63.17(45.33-81.37)months for DFS,with 33.64%(36/107)of patients experiencing recurrence during follow-up.Five-year DFS was 66.0%(57.3%-76.0%).There was no significant difference in prognosis between patients with>12 and≤12 NLNs(P=0.058)for DFS.Similar results were seen according to the number of TDs.The definition of NLNTD=NLN/(TD+1)with a cutoff value of 6 divided patients into two groups with different DFS(P=0.005).Five-year DFS for patients with NLNTD>6 was 73.5%(63.6%-85.0%),compared with 50.0%(35.7%-70.0%)for those with NLNTD≤6.These two groups had different prognosis without perineural invasion(P=0.012)or lymphovascular invasion(P=0.002)even neither(P=0.053).Similar results were seen for OS and CSS.CONCLUSION NLNTD could serve as important prognostic factor for outcomes in N1c CRC patients.These patients could be stratified for prognosis through NLNTD and the high-risk should be given more attention during treatment.展开更多
Gastric cancer(GC)represents a significant global health burden due to its high morbidity and mortality.Specific behaviors of GC sub-types,distinct dissem-ination patterns,and associated risk-factors remain poorly und...Gastric cancer(GC)represents a significant global health burden due to its high morbidity and mortality.Specific behaviors of GC sub-types,distinct dissem-ination patterns,and associated risk-factors remain poorly understood.This editorial highlights several key prognostic factors,including pathological staging and vascular invasion,that impact GC.It examines a recent study’s investigation of differential metastatic lymph nodes distribution and survival in upper and lower GC sub-types,focusing on histological characterization,pathophysiology,usage of neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and additional predictive determinants.We assess the statistical robustness and clinical applicability of the findings,un-derscoring the importance of treating GC as a heterogeneous disease and em-phasizing how tailored surgical approaches informed by lymph node distribution can optimize tumor detection while minimizing unnecessary interventions.The study’s large cohort,multi-center design,and strict inclusion criteria strengthen its validity in guiding surgical planning and risk-stratification.However,inte-grating genetic and molecular data is critical for refining models and broadening applicability.Additionally,recurrence-metrics and infection-related factors,such as Helicobacter pylori and Epstein-Barr virus,absent in the original study,remain vital for directing future research.By bridging metastatic patterns with pros-pective methodologies and inclusion of diverse populations,this editorial pro-vides a framework for advancing early detection and personalized GC care.展开更多
Objective:The neglect of occult lymph nodes metastasis(OLNM)is one of the pivotal causes of early non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)recurrence after local treatments such as stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)or surge...Objective:The neglect of occult lymph nodes metastasis(OLNM)is one of the pivotal causes of early non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)recurrence after local treatments such as stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)or surgery.This study aimed to develop and validate a computed tomography(CT)-based radiomics and deep learning(DL)fusion model for predicting non-invasive OLNM.Methods:Patients with radiologically node-negative lung adenocarcinoma from two centers were retrospectively analyzed.We developed clinical,radiomics,and radiomics-clinical models using logistic regression.A DL model was established using a three-dimensional squeeze-and-excitation residual network-34(3D SE-ResNet34)and a fusion model was created by integrating seleted clinical,radiomics features and DL features.Model performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Five predictive models were compared;SHapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP)and Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping(Grad-CAM)were employed for visualization and interpretation.Results:Overall,358 patients were included:186 in the training cohort,48 in the internal validation cohort,and 124 in the external testing cohort.The DL fusion model incorporating 3D SE-Resnet34 achieved the highest AUC of 0.947 in the training dataset,with strong performance in internal and external cohorts(AUCs of 0.903 and 0.907,respectively),outperforming single-modal DL models,clinical models,radiomics models,and radiomicsclinical combined models(DeLong test:P<0.05).DCA confirmed its clinical utility,and calibration curves demonstrated excellent agreement between predicted and observed OLNM probabilities.Features interpretation highlighted the importance of textural characteristics and the surrounding tumor regions in stratifying OLNM risk.Conclusions:The DL fusion model reliably and accurately predicts OLNM in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma,offering a non-invasive tool to refine staging and guide personalized treatment decisions.These results may aid clinicians in optimizing surgical and radiotherapy strategies.展开更多
Imaging evaluation of lymph node metastasis and infiltration faces problems such as low artificial outline efficiency and insufficient consistency.Deep learning technology based on convolutional neural networks has gr...Imaging evaluation of lymph node metastasis and infiltration faces problems such as low artificial outline efficiency and insufficient consistency.Deep learning technology based on convolutional neural networks has greatly improved the technical effect of radiomics in lymph node pathological characteristics analysis and efficacy monitoring through automatic lymph node detection,precise segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction algorithms.This review focuses on the automatic lymph node segmentation model,treatment response prediction algorithm and benign and malignant differential diagnosis system for multimodal imaging,in order to provide a basis for further research on artificial intelligence to assist lymph node disease management and clinical decision-making,and provide a reference for promoting the construction of a system for accurate diagnosis,personalized treatment and prognostic evaluation of lymph node-related diseases.展开更多
Accurate preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis is crucial for developing clinical management strategies for patients with esophageal cancer.In this letter,we present our insights and opinions on a new nomog...Accurate preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis is crucial for developing clinical management strategies for patients with esophageal cancer.In this letter,we present our insights and opinions on a new nomogram proposed by Xu et al.Although this research has great potential,there are still concerns re-garding the small sample size,limited consideration of biological complexity,subjective image segmentation,incomplete image feature extraction and statistical analyses.Furthermore,we discuss how to achieve more robust and accurate predictive performance in future research.展开更多
BACKGROUND The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy(ACT)for patients with stage II colon cancer who have undergone curative surgery when fewer than 12 lymph nodes(LNs)are re...BACKGROUND The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy(ACT)for patients with stage II colon cancer who have undergone curative surgery when fewer than 12 lymph nodes(LNs)are retrieved.This study seeks to further examine the requirement for ACT in individuals who had 12 or more LNs harvested.AIM To investigate if stage II colon cancer patients with 12 or more LNs retrieved benefit from ACT.METHODS This retrospective cohort study included individuals diagnosed with stage II colon cancer who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2017 from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)registry and a Chinese multicenter database.All patients had at least 12 LNs retrieved.The key endpoint was overall survival(OS).Cox regression analysis was performed to assess independent OS predictors.Propensity score matching controlled for confounders,and Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated the impact of ACT on survival.RESULTS A total of 32742 patients with stage II colon cancer from the SEER cohort and 3153 patients from the Chinese cohort were included.The average number of LNs retrieved was 20.0(15.0,26.0)in the SEER cohort and 18.0(15.0,22.0)in the Chinese cohort.No-ACT remained an independent risk factor in both cohorts(hazard ratio=1.589,95%confidence interval:1.485-1.700 and hazard ratio=1.865,95%confidence interval:1.465-2.375,respectively).In the SEER cohort,patients in the ACT group consistently demonstrated better 5-year OS rates both before and after propensity score matching(79.4%vs 66.1%and 79.4%vs 69.4%,both P<0.0001).Similarly,these findings were further validated in the Chinese cohort(91.2%vs 82.1%and 90.0%vs 82.8%,both P<0.0001).ACT improved prognosis even in T3 and grade 1/2 patients.CONCLUSION This research,based on two large population-based cohorts,demonstrates that stage II colon cancer patients with 12 or more LNs retrieved can still benefit from ACT.展开更多
BACKGROUND Tissue hardness is closely related to disease pathophysiology.Shear-wave ela-stography(SWE)is a simple and noninvasive ultrasound technique that has been used to evaluate the presence of lymph node metastas...BACKGROUND Tissue hardness is closely related to disease pathophysiology.Shear-wave ela-stography(SWE)is a simple and noninvasive ultrasound technique that has been used to evaluate the presence of lymph node metastases and differentiate between benign and malignant tumors.AIM To investigate SWE usefulness in measuring lymph node hardness to predict metastasis presence or absence in surgically removed lymph nodes.METHODS This observational study obtained data from patients who underwent surgery for esophageal or gastric cancer at Nippon Medical School Hospital.The hardness of the surgically removed lymph nodes was measured using SWE.The lymph nodes with hardness values≥2.2 m/s were considered clinically positive for metastasis,whereas those with lower hardness values were considered clinically negative.The lymph nodes subsequently underwent pathological examination to determine the presence of metastasis,and the SWE results and pathological assessments were compared.RESULTS A total of 1077 lymph nodes were evaluated;18 and 15 cases of esophageal and gastric cancer were identified,respectively.The optimal cutoff value for lymph node size was calculated to be 5.1 mm,and the area under the curve value was 0.74(95%confidence interval:0.69-0.84).When limited to a lymph node larger than the cut off value,the SWE sensitivity and specificity for metastasis identification were 0.76 and 0.82,respectively.CONCLUSION SWE was useful in detecting lymph node metastases in the upper gastrointestinal tract.展开更多
文摘The metastatic pattern of colon cancer is typically well characterized,with initial dissemination occurring through regional lymphatics,followed by hematogenous spread.The most frequent sites of metastasis in colorectal cancer(CRC)include regional lymph nodes(50%–70%),liver(35%–50%),lungs(21%),peritoneum(15%),and ovaries(13%).1 Isolated distant lymph node metastasis,particularly in the absence of concurrent systemic disease,is exceedingly rare in CRC.To date,only six cases of isolated axillary lymph node metastasis(ALNM)from colorectal primaries have been documented in the literature.1–6 Even more uncommon is the incidental discovery of malignant cells in anastomotic doughnuts following stoma reversal procedures.Herein,we report a rare case involving both the incidental histopathological detection of tumor cells within doughnuts during stoma closure and the subsequent development of isolated ALNM after curative resection of sigmoid colon carcinoma.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81672638 and W2421095)National Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(Grant No.ZR2024LMB011)Collaborative Academic Innovation Project of Shandong Cancer Hospital(Grant No.GF003)。
文摘The principal breast cancer treatment approach has long been surgical removal of the primary breast lesions and regional lymph nodes,particularly the axillary lymph nodes.However,the advent of minimally invasive diagnostic techniques,such as sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB),has markedly diminished the extent of surgery required for regional lymph nodes.
基金Supported by Chongqing Medical Scientific Research Project(Joint Project of Chongqing Health Commission and Science and Technology Bureau),No.2023MSXM060.
文摘BACKGROUND The accurate prediction of lymph node metastasis(LNM)is crucial for managing locally advanced(T3/T4)colorectal cancer(CRC).However,both traditional histopathology and standard slide-level deep learning often fail to capture the sparse and diagnostically critical features of metastatic potential.AIM To develop and validate a case-level multiple-instance learning(MIL)framework mimicking a pathologist's comprehensive review and improve T3/T4 CRC LNM prediction.METHODS The whole-slide images of 130 patients with T3/T4 CRC were retrospectively collected.A case-level MIL framework utilising the CONCH v1.5 and UNI2-h deep learning models was trained on features from all haematoxylin and eosinstained primary tumour slides for each patient.These pathological features were subsequently integrated with clinical data,and model performance was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC).RESULTS The case-level framework demonstrated superior LNM prediction over slide-level training,with the CONCH v1.5 model achieving a mean AUC(±SD)of 0.899±0.033 vs 0.814±0.083,respectively.Integrating pathology features with clinical data further enhanced performance,yielding a top model with a mean AUC of 0.904±0.047,in sharp contrast to a clinical-only model(mean AUC 0.584±0.084).Crucially,a pathologist’s review confirmed that the model-identified high-attention regions correspond to known high-risk histopathological features.CONCLUSION A case-level MIL framework provides a superior approach for predicting LNM in advanced CRC.This method shows promise for risk stratification and therapy decisions,requiring further validation.
文摘BACKGROUND Early screening,preoperative staging,and diagnosis of lymph node metastasis are crucial for improving the prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of combined multidetector computed tomography(MDCT)and gastrointestinal endoscopy for GC screening,preoperative staging,and lymph node metastasis detection,thereby providing a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.METHODS In this retrospective study clinical and imaging data of 134 patients with suspected GC who were admitted between January 2023 and October 2024 were initially reviewed.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,102 patients were finally enrolled in the analysis.All enrolled patients had undergone both MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy examinations prior to surgical intervention.Preoperative clinical staging and lymph node metastasis findings were compared with pathological results.RESULTS The combined use of MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.53%,specificity of 97.06%,accuracy of 98.04%,positive predictive value of 98.53%,and negative predictive value of 97.06%for diagnosing GC.These factors were all significantly higher than those of MDCT or endoscopy alone(P<0.05).The accuracy rates of the combined approach for detecting clinical T and N stages were 97.06%and 92.65%,respectively,outperforming MDCT alone(86.76% and 79.41%)and endoscopy alone(85.29% and 70.59%)(P<0.05).Among 68 patients with confirmed GC,50(73.53%)were pathologically diagnosed with lymph node metastasis.The accuracy for detecting lymph node metastasis was 66.00%with endoscopy,76.00%with MDCT,and 92.00% with the combined approach,all with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The combined application of MDCT and gastrointestinal endoscopy enhanced diagnostic accuracy for GC,provided greater consistency in preoperative staging,and improved the detection of lymph node metastasis,thereby demonstrating significant clinical utility.
基金Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital Science and Technology Development Incubation Fund,“Research on the Role and Mechanism of PIGU in Regulating MUC-1 in Gastric Cancer Immune Escape”(Project No.:2023YJY-29)Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Basic Research Program,“Research on the Mechanism and Clinical Significance of miR-140-5p Related to Gastric Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis”(Project No.:2023-JC-YB-639)。
文摘Early-stage gastric cancer;Extent of lymph node dissection;D1 dissection;D2 dissection;Recurrence rate;Survival rateObjective:To investigate the impact of different lymph node dissection scopes on postoperative recurrence and survival rates in patients with early gastric cancer,providing evidence-based support for optimizing clinical surgical plans.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 100 patients with early gastric cancer who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from October 2021 to October 2023.Patients were divided into Group D1(n=50)and Group D2(n=50)based on the extent of lymph node dissection.Group D1 underwent limited lymph node dissection(dissection of the first station of lymph nodes around the stomach),while Group D2 underwent standard lymph node dissection(dissection of the first and second stations of lymph nodes around the stomach).Surgical-related indicators,the incidence of postoperative complications,the 2-year recurrence rate,and the 2-year survival rate were compared between the two groups of patients.Results:The operative time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative hospital stay,and the number of lymph nodes dissected were significantly higher in the D2 group than in the D1 group(all P<0.001).The overall incidence of postoperative complications was higher in the D1 group than in the D2 group,but the difference was not statistically significant(χ^(2)=0.884,P=0.766).After a 2-year follow-up,the recurrence rate was significantly higher in the D1 group than in the D2 group(χ^(2)=4.000,P=0.046).The 2-year survival rate was significantly lower in the D1 group than in the D2 group(χ^(2)=5.005,P=0.025).A total of 100 patients with early-stage gastric cancer were grouped according to the depth of invasion,degree of differentiation,and lymph node metastasis status,and the recurrence rates of different subgroups were compared.The results showed that the recurrence rate was higher in patients with T1b stage than in those with T1a stage(χ^(2)=5.005,P=0.025),higher in poorly differentiated patients than in moderately and well-differentiated patients(χ^(2)=4.155,P=0.042),and higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without lymph node metastasis(χ^(2)=4.512,P=0.034).Conclusion:Compared with D1 limited lymph node dissection,D2 standard lymph node dissection can significantly reduce the postoperative recurrence rate and improve the 2-year survival rate in patients with early-stage gastric cancer without significantly increasing the risk of postoperative complications.Although the surgical trauma is slightly greater,the overall prognosis is better,making it a preferred surgical treatment option for patients with early-stage gastric cancer.
文摘Objective:To investigate the long-term prognosis and postoperative cosmetic outcomes of breast-conserving surgery combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early-stage breast cancer,providing a reference for the selection of clinical treatment plans.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 68 patients with early-stage breast cancer admitted from January 2022 to December 2025.Based on the surgical approach,patients were divided into an observation group(breast-conserving surgery+sentinel lymph node biopsy)and a control group(other surgical methods such as modified radical mastectomy/total mastectomy).Clinical and pathological characteristics,incidence of postoperative complications,follow-up prognosis,and satisfaction with cosmetic outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results:Among the 68 patients,41 were in the observation group and 27 in the control group.The average age of patients in the observation group was(54.32±8.15)years,while that in the control group was(62.45±9.76)years.The average tumor size in the observation group was(1.86±0.72)cm,compared to(3.21±1.45)cm in the control group.The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was 9.76%,significantly lower than that in the control group at 33.33%(P<0.05).The 6-month disease-free survival rate was 95.12%in the observation group and 88.89%in the control group,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).The excellent and good rate of cosmetic outcomes in the observation group was 87.80%,significantly higher than that in the control group at 29.63%(P<0.05).Conclusion:Breast-conserving surgery combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy for early-stage breast cancer can achieve long-term prognostic outcomes comparable to those of traditional radical surgery,with the advantages of fewer postoperative complications and superior cosmetic results.This approach is worthy of clinical promotion and application,particularly for early-stage breast cancer patients who have a demand for preserving breast morphology.
文摘Objective:Open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection(RPLND)is the gold-standard surgical approach for the management of metastatic testicular cancer,but robotic RPLND is becoming increasingly popular.There is limited research directly comparing open and robotic RPLND.The objective of this systematic review is to identify all the literature with direct comparisons between the open and robotic techniques for RPLND and to compare the two techniques.The primary outcome was peri-operative outcomes,and the secondary outcomes included oncological outcomes and patient demographics.Methods:This systematic review was prospectively registered and was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement.The PubMed,Embase and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant publication from January 2006 to August 2024.Results:Eight studies,totaling 3995 patients,are included in this systematic review,with 3521 patients who underwent open RPLND and 474 who underwent robotic RPLND.For open RPLND,the mean operative duration,blood loss and length of stay were 267.8 min,475 mL and 7.3 d,respectively.For robotic RPLND,the mean operative duration,blood loss and length of stay were 334.5 min,94.6 mL and 3.7 d,respectively.Teratoma was the most common RPLND specimen pathology from both open and robotic surgeries.For open RPLND,the specimens have 13–23 nodes(26–32 mm),whereas the robotic RPLND specimens have 13–28 nodes(18–20 mm).Conclusion:This systematic review suggests that the benefitsof robotic RPLND may be associated with reduced blood loss,shorter hospitalisation and an overall lower risk of minor and major complications while maintaining oncological safety.
基金the Clinical Medical Team Introduction Program of Suzhou,No.SZYJTD201804.
文摘BACKGROUND Lymph node status is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer(GC),but stage migration may occur in pathological lymph nodes(pN)staging.To address this,alternative staging systems such as the positive lymph node ratio(LNR)and log odds of positive lymph nodes(LODDS)were introduced.AIM To assess the prognostic accuracy and stratification efficacy of three nodal staging systems in GC.METHODS A systematic review identified 12 studies,from which hazard ratios(HRs)for overall survival(OS)were summarized.Sensitivity analyses,subgroup analyses,publication bias assessments,and quality evaluations were conducted.To enhance comparability,data from studies with identical cutoff values for pN,LNR,and LODDS were pooled.Homogeneous stratification was then applied to generate Kaplan-Meier(KM)survival curves,assessing the stratification efficacy of three staging systems.RESULTS The HRs and 95%confidence intervals for pN,LNR,and LODDS were 2.16(1.72-2.73),2.05(1.65-2.55),and 3.15(2.15-4.37),respectively,confirming all three as independent prognostic risk factors for OS.Comparative analysis of HRs demonstrated that LODDS had superior prognostic predictive power over LNR and pN.KM curves for pN(N0,N1,N2,N3a,N3b),LNR(0.1/0.2/0.5),and LODDS(-1.5/-1.0/-0.5/0)revealed significant differences(P<0.001)among all prognostic stratifications.Mean differences and standard deviations in 60-month relative survival were 27.93%±0.29%,41.70%±0.30%,and 26.60%±0.28%for pN,LNR,and LODDS,respectively.CONCLUSION All three staging systems are independent prognostic factors for OS.LODDS demonstrated the highest specificity,making it especially useful for predicting outcomes,while pN was the most effective in homogeneous stratification,offering better patient differentiation.These findings highlight the complementary roles of LODDS and pN in enhancing prognostic accuracy and stratification.
文摘Gastric cancer(GC)remains a leading cause of cancer mortality.While the extent of nodal involvement is a well-known prognostic factor,the specific entity of swollen lymph node metastasis(SLNM),bulky nodal tumor deposits detectable radiologically or pathologically,has received little attention in staging.Recent data from a study by Cui et al demonstrated that SLNM is an independent predictor of very poor survival in GC.Through robust data and rigorous propensitymatched analyses,SLNM emerged not merely as an anatomical finding but as an independent predictor of poor prognosis,even among patients undergoing curative resection.As precision oncology advances,the findings by Cui et al urge a fundamental rethinking of how SLNM is incorporated into clinical decisionmaking for GC management.In this editorial,we critically examine the prognostic significance of SLNM,challenge its omission from traditional staging frameworks,and advocate for its formal integration into preoperative risk stratification and treatment planning.Recognizing SLNM at diagnosis could unlock intensified neoadjuvant therapy strategies and optimize outcomes for a historically high-risk patient subgroup.
文摘Introduction The accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)after neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)has been confirmed in clinical nodal stage 1(c N1)patients,and more patients could benefit from axillary surgery de-escalation after NAT(1,2).
文摘The article by Yuan et al accessed the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of the patterns of lymph node(LN)metastasis in upper and lower gastric cancer(GC).In this article,we will analyze both the strengths and limitations of this paper.The study’s methodology seems appropriate and proper statistical analyses were applied to identify significant variables.The authors applied the Cox regression model to identify independent risk factors and Kaplan-Meier survival curves to assess prognosis.The researchers found notable differences in cli-nicopathologic variables between patients with upper and lower GC.Addi-tionally,they identified specific LN stations more prone to metastasis in different Siewert classifications of GC.Despite the study’s detailed analysis,it would have been beneficial to explore whether there were survival differences among upper GC patients based on the Siewert classification.Furthermore,the study should have addressed potential confounding factors that might have influenced the results.A more comprehensive analysis could have been achieved by comparing survival outcomes based on LN metastasis patterns.Overall,this article is relevant and provides valuable insights into the significance of LN metastasis patterns in upper GC patients.
文摘Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in the detection of nodal metastasis in urothelial bladder cancer(UBC)and to assess the long-term oncological outcomes of upfront radical cystectomy(RC)in patients with clinical lymph node-positive(cN^(+))muscle-invasive UBC.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 1053 consecutive UBC patients treated with RC between January 1,2004 and January 31,2014 was performed.Radiological,clinical,pathological data and survival outcomes of cN^(+) patients were collected.Cox regression analyses were used to assess the impact of the radiological,clinical,and pathological variables on survival.Results:A total of 233(22%)patients were diagnosed with cN^(+) UBC with a mean age of 57.3(standard deviation 8.1)years,of whom 144(62%)were found to have pathologically positive lymph nodes at final pathology.Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 58(25%)patients.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of MRI to detect pathological lymph node-positive disease were 51%,88%,62%,and 83%,respectively.The overall accuracy was 79% with a calculated area under the curve of 70%.The median follow-up period was 17.0(interquartile range 8.2e58.7)months.During this period,54(23%)patients developed local recurrence while 56(24%)experienced distant metastasis and the estimated 1-,3-,5-,and 10-year recurrence-free survival for cN^(+) patients were 78%,56%,51%,and 48%,respectively.On multivariate analysis,advanced pT stage(pT3e4 vs.pT2)was the only independent predictor of recurrence-free survival.Conclusion:Despite its potential in preoperative assessment of muscle-invasive UBC,MRI showed limited sensitivity for detecting node-positive disease.Notably,in patients with MRIdetected cN^(+) UBC,those who underwent upfront RC demonstrated long-term survival outcomes comparable to those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidative cystectomy in previously published studies.
文摘BACKGROUND One of the main characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)is that it metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes frequently with a high degree of local invasiveness.A primary feature of malignant tumors is their penetration of neighboring tissues,such as lymphatic and blood arteries,due to the tumor cells'capacity to break down the extracellular matrix(ECM).Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)constitute a family of proteolytic enzymes that facilitate tissue remodeling and the degradation of the ECM.MMP-9 and MMP-13 belong to the group of extracellular matrix degrading enzymes and their expression has been studied in OSCC because of their specific functions.MMP-13,a collagenase family member,is thought to play an essential role in the MMP activation cascade by breaking down the fibrillar collagens,whereas MMP-9 is thought to accelerate the growth of tumors.Elevated MMP-13 expression has been associated with tumor behavior and patient prognosis in a number of malignant cases.AIM To assess the immunohistochemical expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13 in OSCC.METHODS A total of 40 cases with histologically confirmed OSCC by incisional biopsy were included in this cross-sectional retrospective study.The protocols for both MMP-9 and MMP-13 immunohistochemical staining were performed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations along with the normal gingival epithelium as a positive control.All the observations were recorded and Pearson’sχ²test with Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS Our study showed no significant correlation between MMP-9 and MMP-13 staining intensity and tumor size.The majority of the patients were in advanced TNM stages(III and IV),and showed intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13.CONCLUSION The present study suggests that both MMP-9 and MMP-13 play an important and independent role in OSCC progression and invasiveness.Intense expression of MMP-9 and MMP-13,irrespective of histological grade of OSCC,correlates well with TNM stage.Consequently,it is evident that MMP-9 and MMP-13 are important for the invasiveness and progression of tumors.The findings may facilitate the development of new approaches for evaluating lymph node metastases and interventional therapy techniques,hence enhancing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with OSCC.
基金Supported by the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding,No.2023-NHLHCRF-BQ-32 and No.2023-NHLHCRFYYPPLC-ZR-13National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2024YFE0198300Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation,No.7222316.
文摘BACKGROUND The number of tumor deposits(TDs)does not play a part in the current tumor node metastasis staging.Negative lymph node(NLN)status is associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC),but its clear role in N1c stage remains to be defined.AIM To evaluate the combination of TDs and NLNs as potential prognostic indicators in N1c CRC.METHODS We retrospectively identified 107 consecutive patients who had N1c CRC radically resected at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.The combination of TDs and NLNs was calculated by the formula NLNTD=NLN/(TD+1).Cutoff values of NLNs and NLNTD were determined using the R package“survminer”.Disease-free survival(DFS),overall survival(OS)and cancer-specific survival(CSS)were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method to assess the impact of NLNTD on prognosis.Results were compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS The median follow-up time was 63.17(45.33-81.37)months for DFS,with 33.64%(36/107)of patients experiencing recurrence during follow-up.Five-year DFS was 66.0%(57.3%-76.0%).There was no significant difference in prognosis between patients with>12 and≤12 NLNs(P=0.058)for DFS.Similar results were seen according to the number of TDs.The definition of NLNTD=NLN/(TD+1)with a cutoff value of 6 divided patients into two groups with different DFS(P=0.005).Five-year DFS for patients with NLNTD>6 was 73.5%(63.6%-85.0%),compared with 50.0%(35.7%-70.0%)for those with NLNTD≤6.These two groups had different prognosis without perineural invasion(P=0.012)or lymphovascular invasion(P=0.002)even neither(P=0.053).Similar results were seen for OS and CSS.CONCLUSION NLNTD could serve as important prognostic factor for outcomes in N1c CRC patients.These patients could be stratified for prognosis through NLNTD and the high-risk should be given more attention during treatment.
文摘Gastric cancer(GC)represents a significant global health burden due to its high morbidity and mortality.Specific behaviors of GC sub-types,distinct dissem-ination patterns,and associated risk-factors remain poorly understood.This editorial highlights several key prognostic factors,including pathological staging and vascular invasion,that impact GC.It examines a recent study’s investigation of differential metastatic lymph nodes distribution and survival in upper and lower GC sub-types,focusing on histological characterization,pathophysiology,usage of neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and additional predictive determinants.We assess the statistical robustness and clinical applicability of the findings,un-derscoring the importance of treating GC as a heterogeneous disease and em-phasizing how tailored surgical approaches informed by lymph node distribution can optimize tumor detection while minimizing unnecessary interventions.The study’s large cohort,multi-center design,and strict inclusion criteria strengthen its validity in guiding surgical planning and risk-stratification.However,inte-grating genetic and molecular data is critical for refining models and broadening applicability.Additionally,recurrence-metrics and infection-related factors,such as Helicobacter pylori and Epstein-Barr virus,absent in the original study,remain vital for directing future research.By bridging metastatic patterns with pros-pective methodologies and inclusion of diverse populations,this editorial pro-vides a framework for advancing early detection and personalized GC care.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82272845)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong(No.ZR2023ZD26).
文摘Objective:The neglect of occult lymph nodes metastasis(OLNM)is one of the pivotal causes of early non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)recurrence after local treatments such as stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)or surgery.This study aimed to develop and validate a computed tomography(CT)-based radiomics and deep learning(DL)fusion model for predicting non-invasive OLNM.Methods:Patients with radiologically node-negative lung adenocarcinoma from two centers were retrospectively analyzed.We developed clinical,radiomics,and radiomics-clinical models using logistic regression.A DL model was established using a three-dimensional squeeze-and-excitation residual network-34(3D SE-ResNet34)and a fusion model was created by integrating seleted clinical,radiomics features and DL features.Model performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Five predictive models were compared;SHapley Additive exPlanations(SHAP)and Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping(Grad-CAM)were employed for visualization and interpretation.Results:Overall,358 patients were included:186 in the training cohort,48 in the internal validation cohort,and 124 in the external testing cohort.The DL fusion model incorporating 3D SE-Resnet34 achieved the highest AUC of 0.947 in the training dataset,with strong performance in internal and external cohorts(AUCs of 0.903 and 0.907,respectively),outperforming single-modal DL models,clinical models,radiomics models,and radiomicsclinical combined models(DeLong test:P<0.05).DCA confirmed its clinical utility,and calibration curves demonstrated excellent agreement between predicted and observed OLNM probabilities.Features interpretation highlighted the importance of textural characteristics and the surrounding tumor regions in stratifying OLNM risk.Conclusions:The DL fusion model reliably and accurately predicts OLNM in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma,offering a non-invasive tool to refine staging and guide personalized treatment decisions.These results may aid clinicians in optimizing surgical and radiotherapy strategies.
基金Supported by Clinical Trials from the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University,No.2021-LCYJ-MS-11Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital National Natural Science Foundation Youth Cultivation Project,No.2024-JCYJQP-15.
文摘Imaging evaluation of lymph node metastasis and infiltration faces problems such as low artificial outline efficiency and insufficient consistency.Deep learning technology based on convolutional neural networks has greatly improved the technical effect of radiomics in lymph node pathological characteristics analysis and efficacy monitoring through automatic lymph node detection,precise segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction algorithms.This review focuses on the automatic lymph node segmentation model,treatment response prediction algorithm and benign and malignant differential diagnosis system for multimodal imaging,in order to provide a basis for further research on artificial intelligence to assist lymph node disease management and clinical decision-making,and provide a reference for promoting the construction of a system for accurate diagnosis,personalized treatment and prognostic evaluation of lymph node-related diseases.
文摘Accurate preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis is crucial for developing clinical management strategies for patients with esophageal cancer.In this letter,we present our insights and opinions on a new nomogram proposed by Xu et al.Although this research has great potential,there are still concerns re-garding the small sample size,limited consideration of biological complexity,subjective image segmentation,incomplete image feature extraction and statistical analyses.Furthermore,we discuss how to achieve more robust and accurate predictive performance in future research.
基金Supported by Shanxi Special Projects of the Central Government Guiding Local Science and Technology Development of China,No.YDZJSX2021B016Shanxi Cancer Hospital Doctoral Master’s Guide and Companion Flying Fund,No.SD2023010.
文摘BACKGROUND The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy(ACT)for patients with stage II colon cancer who have undergone curative surgery when fewer than 12 lymph nodes(LNs)are retrieved.This study seeks to further examine the requirement for ACT in individuals who had 12 or more LNs harvested.AIM To investigate if stage II colon cancer patients with 12 or more LNs retrieved benefit from ACT.METHODS This retrospective cohort study included individuals diagnosed with stage II colon cancer who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2017 from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)registry and a Chinese multicenter database.All patients had at least 12 LNs retrieved.The key endpoint was overall survival(OS).Cox regression analysis was performed to assess independent OS predictors.Propensity score matching controlled for confounders,and Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated the impact of ACT on survival.RESULTS A total of 32742 patients with stage II colon cancer from the SEER cohort and 3153 patients from the Chinese cohort were included.The average number of LNs retrieved was 20.0(15.0,26.0)in the SEER cohort and 18.0(15.0,22.0)in the Chinese cohort.No-ACT remained an independent risk factor in both cohorts(hazard ratio=1.589,95%confidence interval:1.485-1.700 and hazard ratio=1.865,95%confidence interval:1.465-2.375,respectively).In the SEER cohort,patients in the ACT group consistently demonstrated better 5-year OS rates both before and after propensity score matching(79.4%vs 66.1%and 79.4%vs 69.4%,both P<0.0001).Similarly,these findings were further validated in the Chinese cohort(91.2%vs 82.1%and 90.0%vs 82.8%,both P<0.0001).ACT improved prognosis even in T3 and grade 1/2 patients.CONCLUSION This research,based on two large population-based cohorts,demonstrates that stage II colon cancer patients with 12 or more LNs retrieved can still benefit from ACT.
基金This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Nippon Medical School Hospital(No.B-2022-582).
文摘BACKGROUND Tissue hardness is closely related to disease pathophysiology.Shear-wave ela-stography(SWE)is a simple and noninvasive ultrasound technique that has been used to evaluate the presence of lymph node metastases and differentiate between benign and malignant tumors.AIM To investigate SWE usefulness in measuring lymph node hardness to predict metastasis presence or absence in surgically removed lymph nodes.METHODS This observational study obtained data from patients who underwent surgery for esophageal or gastric cancer at Nippon Medical School Hospital.The hardness of the surgically removed lymph nodes was measured using SWE.The lymph nodes with hardness values≥2.2 m/s were considered clinically positive for metastasis,whereas those with lower hardness values were considered clinically negative.The lymph nodes subsequently underwent pathological examination to determine the presence of metastasis,and the SWE results and pathological assessments were compared.RESULTS A total of 1077 lymph nodes were evaluated;18 and 15 cases of esophageal and gastric cancer were identified,respectively.The optimal cutoff value for lymph node size was calculated to be 5.1 mm,and the area under the curve value was 0.74(95%confidence interval:0.69-0.84).When limited to a lymph node larger than the cut off value,the SWE sensitivity and specificity for metastasis identification were 0.76 and 0.82,respectively.CONCLUSION SWE was useful in detecting lymph node metastases in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
