Feasibility and long-term outcomes of post-chemotherapy-based consolidation radiotherapy in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer.

Background: The target definition of consolidation radiotherapy (RT) for extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) has not been standardized. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of post-chemotherapy based consolidation RT in ES-SCLC.

Methods: All ES-SCLC patients without initial brain metastases who completed ≥ 4 cycles of systemic therapy at Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from 2012 to 2021 were included in this retrospective study.

Clinical characteristics and novel strategies of immune checkpoint inhibitor rechallenge therapy for non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive review.

Treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has entered the immunotherapy era, marked by significant survival improvements due to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, owing to factors, such as disease progression, long-term use, and side effects, some patients discontinue immunotherapy, resulting in limited subsequent treatment option and a negative impact on their survival and quality of life. We have collected relevant data which reveal that ICI rechallenge may be an effective clinical strategy.

Case report: A successful re-challenge report of GLS-010 (Zimberelimab), a novel fully humanized mAb to PD-1, in a case of recurrent endometrial cancer.

With the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), there is growing concern about reports of immune-related adverse events (irAE). In clinical practice, patients who experience severe toxicities by ICI-based therapies would require utmost caution in resuming ICI therapy because of the potential risk of serious irAEs caused by the reintroduction of immunotherapy. In this study, we report a case of recurrent endometrial cancer patient with PD-L1 positive as well as dMMR suffering from immunotherapy-associated myocarditis after first-line treatment with ICI combined with a multi-targeted anti-angiogenic agent.

Durable tracking anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in cancer patients recovered from COVID-19.

Cancer patients are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and generally have higher mortality rate. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG is an important consideration for the patients in this COVID-19 pandemic. Recent researches suggested the rapid decay of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the general population, but the decline rate of the antibodies in cancer patients was unknown.

Targeting NEK2 impairs oncogenesis and radioresistance via inhibiting the Wnt1/β-catenin signaling pathway in cervical cancer.

Background: NEK2, a serine/threonine kinase involved in mitosis, has been found to function in chromosome instability, tumor progression and metastasis, but its role in cervical cancer radioresistance remains unknown.

Methods: We detected the protein levels of NEK2 in cervical carcinoma tissues and paired paracarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. The roles of NEK2 in oncogenesis were examined using cell growth and colony formation assays, EdU assay, apoptosis assay as well as in vivo mouse model.

PAK6 promotes cervical cancer progression through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6), a member of the serine/threonine kinase family, has been reported to be involved in numerous types of cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the role of PAK6 in cervical cancer. In the present study, PAK6 expression was evaluated in tissue microarrays and cell lines by using immunohistochemistry and western blotting.

Gynecological malignancies with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during the convalescence of outbreak.

• COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. • Gynecologic malignancies with lung metastasis should be alert to asymptomatic infection. • Gynecologic malignancies with asymptomatic COVID-19 can be controlled under strict measures.

Patients with Cancer Appear More Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2: A Multicenter Study during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The novel COVID-19 outbreak has affected more than 200 countries and territories as of March 2020. Given that patients with cancer are generally more vulnerable to infections, systematic analysis of diverse cohorts of patients with cancer affected by COVID-19 is needed. We performed a multicenter study including 105 patients with cancer and 536 age-matched noncancer patients confirmed with COVID-19.

Low heme oxygenase-1 expression promotes gastric cancer cell apoptosis, inhibits proliferation and invasion, and correlates with increased overall survival in gastric cancer patients.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays a key role in anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, and anti-proliferation in various types of cancers. However, the relationship between HO-1 expression and gastric cancer development remains largely unknown. In this study, the protein expression of HO-1 in human gastric cancer was measured by immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections of 89 paired gastric carcinoma tissues and adjacent non-cancer tissues.

Small-arc volumetric-modulated arc therapy: A new approach that is superior to fixed-field IMRT in optimizing dosimetric and treatment-relevant parameters for patients undergoing whole-breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery.

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is considered to deliver a better dose distribution and to shorten treatment time. There is a lack of research regarding breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) using VMAT with prone positioning. We developed a new small-arc VMAT methodology and compared it to conventional (fixed-field) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the dosimetric and treatment relevant parameters for breast cancer patients in the prone position.

Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines.

Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have a poor prognosis. However, the related mechanisms are unclear, thus we investigated the expression of HO-1 in ESCC tissue and explored possible mechanisms of tumor progression. Expression of HO-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry in 143 ESCC tumors.

Endothelial NO synthase and reactive oxygen species mediated effect of simvastatin on vessel structure and function: pleiotropic and dose-dependent effect on tumor vascular stabilization.

Statins have been confirmed with protective effect to microvessels in diabetic retinopathy, implicated as reducing vascular permeability, maintaining endothelial junction integrity and improving blood perfusion, which are surrogate markers of vascular 'normalization', but no data are currently available on efficacy of statins on tumor endothelial functions. Since statins have been shown to exhibit a biphasic dose-related response on biological behaviour of microvessels, we sought to determine whether statins with bipolar concentrations can ameliorate vessel dysfunction and then increase efficiency of chemotherapeutics in Lewis lung carcinoma and B16F10 melanoma models. Our in vitro study showed that simvastatin reduces hypoxia-induced endothelium leakage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in a concentration-dependent manner.

Methylation associated inactivation of RASSF1A and its synergistic effect with activated K-Ras in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes associated with promoter methylation is considered to be a hallmark of oncogenesis. RASSF1A is a candidate tumor suppressor gene which was found to be inactivated in many human cancers. Although we have had a preliminary cognition about the function of RASSF1A, the exact mechanisms about how RASSF1A functions in human cancers were largely unknown.

Effects of Oxymatrine on the apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cell line and its mechanism.

The effects of Oxymatrine (Oxy) on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cell line and the mechanism were investigated. The human esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cells were cultured in vitro. The Oxy-induced apoptosis of Eca 109 cells was assayed by using flow cytometry.