External validity of a prognostic nomogram for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on the 8th edition of the AJCC/UICC staging system: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system does not perform well for guiding individualized induction or adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We attempted to externally validate the Pan's nomogram, developed based on the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging system, for patients with locoregionally advanced disease. In addition, we investigated the reliability of Pan's nomogram for selection of participants in future clinical trials.

The total number of lymph nodes harvested from pathological T3N0 rectal cancer patients: Prognostic significance and potential indication for postoperative radiotherapy.

Background: Lymph node status is important in staging colorectal cancer. The use of combination treatment for pathological T3N0 (pT3N0) rectal cancer patients has been controversial. We aimed to explore the prognostic significance of the total number of lymph nodes harvested from pT3N0 rectal cancer patients.

Validation and comparison of the 7th and 8th edition of AJCC staging systems for non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and proposed staging systems from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Guangxi.

Objectives: We aimed to validate and compare the 7th and 8th edition of AJCC staging systems for non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and proposed staging systems from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Guangxi.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively included 899 patients treated between November 5, 2002 and May 27, 2010. Separation and discrimination of each staging system in overall survival were primarily compared.

Validation of published nomograms and accordingly individualized induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objectives: We have attempted to validate two published nomograms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and individualize induction chemotherapy (IC) accordingly.

Materials And Methods: From 2007 to 2011, 920 patients were included in the study. The validity of the nomograms was assessed by Harrell's concordance index (C-index), areas under the curve (AUC), and calibration curves.

Outcomes of Induction Chemotherapy Plus Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) Versus IMRT Plus Concurrent Chemotherapy for Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Propensity Matched Study.

Purpose: It deserves investigation whether induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is inferior to the current standard of IMRT plus concurrent chemotherapy (CC) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: Patients who received IC (94 patients) or CC (302 patients) plus IMRT at our center between March 2003 and November 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity-score matching method was used to match patients in both arms at equal ratio.

Effect of intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy alone in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Albeit intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is currently the recommended radiation technique in treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the effect of IMRT versus two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy (2DCRT) alone is still contradictory.

Results: In the original unmatched cohort of 1198 patients, IMRT obtained comparable 5-year overall survival (OS) (91.3% vs 87.

Pathological Assessment of the AJCC Tumor Regression Grading System After Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Chinese Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

We used American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging Manual system to assess the prognostic significance of tumor regression grading (TRG) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) (T3/4 or N+) patients who were treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT).The 4 AJCC-TRG classifications were evaluated on surgical specimens from 295 LARC patients receiving CRT. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model.

Evaluation of Body Mass Index and Survival of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Propensity-Matched Analysis: An Observational Case-Control Study.

The effect of pretreatment body mass index on survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains contradictory.All patients (N = 1778) underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Body mass index was categorized as underweight (<18.

Tumor deposits: markers of poor prognosis in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Tumor deposits (TDs) were reported to be poor prognoses in colorectal carcinoma, but the significance in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) (T3-4/N+) following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT) and surgery is unclear. Since adjuvant chemotherapy showed no benefit for LARC following neo-CRT, it is of great value to investigate whether TDs can identify the subgroup of patients who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Between 2004 and 2012, 310 LARC patients following neo-CRT and surgery were retrospectively reviewed.

Elevated CA19-9 as the Most Significant Prognostic Factor in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy.

It remains controversial regarding the prognostic significance of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) (T3-4/N+) patients with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT). And it is unknown whether CA19-9 can identify patients who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.Overall, 303 LARC patients with neo-CRT between 2004 and 2010 were recruited.

Propensity score matching analysis of cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy in low risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era.

Background: Patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma were reported to benefit from adding cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy to two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy. But this benefit becomes uncertain in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era, owing to its significant advantage.

Methods: We enrolled 661 low risk (T1N1M0, T2N0-1M0 or T3N0M0, the 2010 UICC/AJCC staging system) patients who underwent IMRT with or without concurrent chemotherapy.

Pretreatment anemia and survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Due to the low incidence of pretreatment anemia in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the true prognostic impact of pretreatment anemia may be underestimated before. We retrospectively analyzed the association of pretreatment anemia with disease-specific survival (DSS), distant-metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional-relapse-free survival (LRFS) by Cox regression in a cohort of 5830 patients, stratifying by midtreatment anemia, smoking, body mass index (BMI), etc. Pretreatment anemia was significantly associated with adverse DSS (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.

Effect of taxanes-based induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A large scale propensity-matched study.

Objectives: The effect of taxanes-based induction chemotherapy (IC) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) was quite contradictory in two phase II randomized controlled trials with small sample size. We aimed to investigate it in this large scale propensity-matched study.

Materials And Methods: Totally, 779 LA-NPC patients who underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plus concurrent chemotherapy with or without taxanes-based IC were included.

A Low Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio Predicts Unfavorable Prognosis in Pathological T3N0 Rectal Cancer Patients Following Total Mesorectal Excision.

Neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard treatment option for stage II and III rectal cancer. However, for pT3N0 rectal cancer patients who receive upfront TME, the lack of an efficient method to predict their prognosis hampers postoperative treatment. A low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is associated with an unfavorable prognosis for certain malignancies; however, this association has not been investigated in rectal cancer.

The prognostic impact of preoperative blood monocyte count in pathological T3N0M0 rectal cancer without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

It remains controversial whether adjuvant therapy should be delivered to pathological T3N0M0 rectal cancer without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Thus identification of patients at high risk is of particular importance. Herein, we aimed to evaluate whether the absolute peripheral blood monocyte count can stratify the pathological T3N0M0M0 rectal cancer patients in survival.

Tailored selection of the interval between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer: analysis based on the pathologic stage or chemoradiation response.

Background: The optimal interval between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and surgery has yet to be established. Additionally, it is unknown whether patients with different pathologic stages or chemoradiation responses should undergo different intervals between CRT and surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether this interval has a differential effect on the oncologic outcome of patients with different chemoradiation responses or pathologic stages.