Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Chemotherapy and chemoradiation have become essential adjuncts to improve the survival of patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the perioperative period. Although preoperative treatment plus surgery is commonly used, controversy remains regarding the optimal treatment strategy for patients with locally advanced ESCC.

Methods: A retrospective review of clinical stage II and III ESCC patients who underwent esophagectomy at Henan Cancer Hospital between October 2014 and October 2017 was performed.

A multicenter randomized, controlled clinical trial of adjuvant sintilimab for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

No adjuvant treatment has been established for patients who remain at high risk of recurrence and incidental pathologic lymph node metastasis for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this open-label, multicenter, phase III, randomized controlled trial, ESCC patients who did not achieve pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery and clinical T1-2 N0 patients with incidental pathologic lymph node metastasis following initial surgery were randomized at a 2:1 ratio to receive either a sintilimab regimen or observational management (NCT05495152). The primary end point was disease-free survival for all randomized patients.

Patterns and Influence of Lymph Nodal Metastases After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery for Thoracic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to define the pattern of lymph nodal metastases in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) followed by esophagectomy and to evaluate its influence on prognosis.

Methods: A total of 398 patients with clinical stage T3N0 or T1-3N+ ESCC who underwent NCT and radical esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy were included. The distribution and frequency of metastases were counted separately for each lymph node station.

Initial experience with modified en bloc robot-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy for thoracic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The feasibility and safety of en bloc robot-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy (RAMIE) need to be verified.

Methods: Forty-seven patients who received conventional RAMIE and 31 who received modified en bloc RAMIE at Henan Cancer Hospital were included in the study cohort. We compared the perioperative outcomes of conventional RAMIE and modified en bloc RAMIE.

Survival impact of the number of lymph nodes dissection in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

This study aimed to investigate the survival impact of the number of lymph nodes dissection (LND) in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We retrospectively analyzed the clinical pathological data and survival of 407 ESCC patients who underwent esophagectomy after NCT between January 2015 and December 2016. The relationship between the number of LNDs and 5-year overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) was plotted by using restricted cubic spline analysis.

Perioperative Outcomes and Learning Curve of Robot-Assisted McKeown Esophagectomy.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing robot-assisted McKeown esophagectomy (RAME) and the learning curves of surgeons performing RAME at a single center.

Methods: Perioperative outcomes of RAME and video-assisted McKeown esophagectomy (VAME) were compared after eliminating confounding factors by propensity score matching (PSM). The cumulative sum (CUSUM) method was used to evaluate the learning curves of RAME for a single surgical team.

β-Carboline Alkaloids From the Deep-Sea Fungus sp. MCCC 3A01244 as a New Type of Anti-pulmonary Fibrosis Agent That Inhibits TGF-β/Smad Signaling Pathway.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a scarring disease of lung tissue, which seriously threatens human health. Treatment options are currently limited, and effective strategies are still lacking. In the present study, 25 compounds were isolated from the deep-sea fungus sp.

Identification of a seven-cell cycle signature predicting overall survival for gastric cancer.

While genetic alterations in several regulators of the cell cycle have a significant impact on the gastric carcinogenesis process, the prognostic role of them remains to be further elucidated. The TCGA-STAD training set were downloaded and the mRNA expression matrix of cell cycle genes was extracted and corrected for further analysis after taking the intersection with GSE84437 dataset. Differentially expressed mRNAs were identified between tumor and normal tissue samples in TCGA-STAD.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-positive Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Improves Survival.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with positive lymph nodes after esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Cancer Hospital) in Zhengzhou, China from 2013 to 2017 were selected for this retrospective cohort study. Patients with positive lymph nodes were grouped into the surgery alone group or the adjuvant chemotherapy group.

Biotransformations of anthranilic acid and phthalimide to potent antihyperlipidemic alkaloids by the marine-derived fungus Scedosporium apiospermum F41-1.

A new diphenylamine derivative, scediphenylamine A (1), together with six phthalimide derivatives (2-7) and ten other known compounds (8-17) were obtained from the marine-derived fungus Scedosporium apiospermum F41-1 fed with synthetically prepared anthranilic acid and phthalimide. The structure and absolute configuration of the new compound were determined by HRMS, NMR, and X-ray crystallography. Evaluation of their lipid-lowering effect in 3T3-L1 adipocytes showed that scediphenylamine A (1), N-phthaloyl-tryptophan-methyl ester (4), 5-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl) pentanamide (5), perlolyrine (10) and flazine (11) significantly reduced triglyceride level in 3T3-L1 cells by inhibiting adipogenic differentiation and synthesis with the EC values of 4.

Awareness for Endoscopic Screening Among Accompanying Children of Hospitalized Esophageal Cancer Patients in Henan.

The free generalized endoscopic screening for diagnosis of early esophageal cancer and precancerous lesion could not be satisfactorily implemented in China. At present, the decision to accept endoscopic screening at their own expense may largely depend on the public awareness. This study was aimed to investigate the awareness and other influencing factors associated with the accompanying children of esophageal cancer patients after their hospitalization.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a single-Centre, open-label, randomized, controlled, clinical trial (HCHTOG1903).

Background: Neoadjuvant therapy plus oesophagectomy has been accepted as the standard treatment for patients with potentially curable locally advanced oesophageal cancer. No completed randomized controlled trial (RCT) has directly compared neoadjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiation in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the current RCT is to investigate the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus surgery on overall survival for patients with resectable locally advanced ESCC.

Potential Antidiabetic Fumiquinazoline Alkaloids from the Marine-Derived Fungus F41-1.

Fumiquinazoline alkaloids have attracted much attention from medicinal and natural product chemists due to their interesting structures and biological potential. In this study, three new and 12 known fumiquinazoline alkaloids were isolated and characterized from the marine fungus F41-1. The structures of the new compounds and their absolute configurations were determined using NMR spectroscopy, ECD, and OR calculations.

BRCA2 loss-of-function germline mutations are associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk in Chinese.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) occurs with highest frequency in China with over 90% mortality, highlighting the need for early detection and improved treatment strategies. We aimed to identify ESCC cancer predisposition gene(s). Our study included 4,517 individuals.

Expression of P-EGFR and P-Akt protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its prognosis.

The phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (P-EGFR) and phosphorylated Akt (P-Akt) protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were studied, and its significance in clinical prognosis of patients was assessed. The expression of P-EGFR and P-Akt protein in 83 cases of ESCC and 83 normal esophageal tissues was determined by immunohistochemical staining. Log-rank test and correlation analysis were used to analyze the prognosis of ESCC.

Truth telling for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Henan, China.

Objective: : This study aims to investigate the truth-telling status and the relevant factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients in Henan, China.

Methods: : A cross-sectional study from April to June 2015 using questionnaires was given to 301 family members of hospitalized ESCC patients based in three affiliated hospitals of Zhengzhou University (i.e.

Carbon precipitation from heavy hydrocarbon fluid in deep planetary interiors.

The phase diagram of the carbon-hydrogen system is of great importance to planetary sciences, as hydrocarbons comprise a significant part of icy giant planets and are involved in reduced carbon-oxygen-hydrogen fluid in the deep Earth. Here we use resistively- and laser-heated diamond anvil cells to measure methane melting and chemical reactivity up to 80 GPa and 2,000 K. We show that methane melts congruently below 40 GPa.