Relative effects of direct spread, lymph node metastasis and venous invasion in relation to blood borne distant metastasis present at the time of resection of colorectal cancer

Venous Invasion in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Is Independently Associated With Disease-free Survival and Overall Survival

In this study, we evaluated venous invasion and its association with survival in patients with resected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PanNET). Surgical Pathology Archives were searched for pancreatectomies performed for PanNET between October 1, 2005, and December 31, 2019. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides were evaluated for venous invasion, and Movat's stain was performed in all cases with no venous invasion detected on H&E stains. Pathology reports and electronic medical records were also reviewed. Venous invasion was identified in 23 of 145 (15.9%) cases on H&E stains, and Movat's stain identified additional 34 cases with venous invasion (39.3% overall). Orphan arteries with adjacent well-defined tumor nodules or subtle hyalinizing nodules in hyalinizing tumors are highly specific for venous invasion. In stage I-III cases (n=122), venous invasion was associated with larger tumor size, higher World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade, perineural invasion, extrapancreatic extension, lymph node metastasis, and liver metastasis ( P <0.05). In univariate analyses, tumor size, WHO grade, venous invasion, perineural invasion, T stage, and lymph node metastasis all correlated with disease-free survival; however, only venous invasion was associated with worse disease-free survival in multivariate analyses ( P <0.01). In all-stage cases, venous invasion was the only attributor associated with worse overall survival in multivariate analyses ( P =0.03). In summary, venous invasion in PanNET can be histologically subtle, and Movat's stain can greatly increase the detection rate. More importantly, enhanced venous invasion by Movat's stain correlates independently with disease-free survival in patients with stage I-III tumors and overall survival in all-stage patients.

β-Elemene regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and inhibits invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells

OBJECTIVES

To study the inhibitory effect of β-elemene on invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells and its possible mechanism.

METHODS

Human colon cancer HCT116 cells were treated with different concentrations of β-elemene. The proliferation inhibition rate of the cells was detected by MTT assay, cell migration rate was detected by scratched assay, and cell invasion rate was evaluated by Transwell cell invasion assay. The expressions of Vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin were detected by Western blotting. The mRNA expressions of Vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin were detected by real-time PCR.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the expressions of migration rate, invasion rate, scratch healing rate, N-cadherin, and Vimentin protein of HCT116 cells were decreased after β-elemene treatment, while the expression of E-cadherin protein was increased, and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation was increased (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

β-Elemene may inhibit cell proliferation and invasion and metastasis by inhibiting EMT signaling pathway in human colon cancer cell line HCT116.

Biological and Clinical Aspects of Metastatic Spinal Tumors

Simple Summary

Spine metastases are a common life-threatening complication of advanced-stage malignancies and often result in poor prognosis. Symptomatic spine metastases develop in the course of about 10% of malignant neoplasms. Therefore, it is essential for contemporary medicine to understand metastatic processes in order to find appropriate, targeted therapeutic options. Our literature review aimed to describe the up-to-date knowledge about the molecular pathways and biomarkers engaged in the spine’s metastatic processes. Moreover, we described current data regarding bone-targeted treatment, the emerging targeted therapies, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy used for the treatment of spine metastases. We hope that knowledge comprehensively presented in our review will contribute to the development of novel drugs targeting specific biomarkers and pathways. The more we learn about the molecular aspects of cancer metastasis, the easier it will be to look for treatment methods that will allow us to precisely kill tumor cells.

Abstract

Spine metastases are a common life-threatening complication of advanced-stage malignancies and often result in poor prognosis. Symptomatic spine metastases develop in the course of about 10% of malignant neoplasms. Therefore, it is essential for contemporary medicine to understand metastatic processes in order to find appropriate, targeted therapeutic options. Thanks to continuous research, there appears more and more detailed knowledge about cancer and metastasis, but these transformations are extremely complicated, e.g., due to the complexity of reactions, the variety of places where they occur, or the participation of both tumor cells and host cells in these transitions. The right target points in tumor metastasis mechanisms are still being researched; that will help us in the proper diagnosis as well as in finding the right treatment. In this literature review, we described the current knowledge about the molecular pathways and biomarkers engaged in metastatic processes involving the spine. We also presented a current bone-targeted treatment for spine metastases and the emerging therapies targeting the discussed molecular mechanisms.