Renal Cell Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease

Effect of gout and diabetic kidney disease on renal cancer development in Korea

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and gout are risk factors for renal cancer. We analysed the effects of comorbid diabetic kidney disease and gout on renal cancer.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study enrolled 847 884 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent health assessments provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service in 2009. Based on CKD occurrence (glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) and gout (two outpatient visits or one hospitalization within 5 years), patients were classified into four groups: CKD-Gout- (87.5%), CKD-Gout+ (2.5%), CKD+Gout- (9.3%) and CKD+Gout+ (0.7%). Patients with incident renal cancer (International Classification of Diseases code C64) were followed up until December 2018.

Results

Renal cancer was diagnosed in 2376 patients (0.3%). Renal cancer incidence increased in sequential order of CKD-Gout- [0.29/1000 person-years (PY), CKD+Gout- and CKD-Gout+ (0.44 and 0.48/1000 PY, respectively) and CKD+Gout+ (1.14/1000 PY). Comorbid gout increased renal cancer risk depending on CKD occurrence {hazard ratio [HR] 1.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.58 among those without CKD; HR 1.95 [95% CI 1.45-2.63] among those with CKD; P-value for interaction = 0.024}. The interaction was significant, particularly in men and patients with a shorter diabetes duration (<5 years) and lesser medication use (no insulin or fewer than three classes of oral hypoglycaemic agents).

Conclusions

CKD and gout individually contributed to renal cancer incidence, and the risk is further increased when gout coexists with CKD. Screening for gout and appropriate management of CKD at an early T2DM stage may be beneficial.

Causal Relationship Between Kidney Function and Cancer Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Patients treated with kidney replacement therapy experience a 1.5- to 2-fold increased risk of cancer and cancer mortality compared with the general population. Whether this excess risk extends to people with earlier stage chronic kidney disease and whether reduced kidney function is causally related to cancer is unclear.

STUDY DESIGN

Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n=567,460) and urinary albumin-creatine ratio (UACR) (n=127,865) from the CKDGen consortium and cancer outcomes from the UK Biobank (n = 407,329).

EXPOSURE

eGFR and UACR.

OUTCOME

Overall cancer incidence, cancer-related mortality and site-specific colorectal, lung, and urinary tract cancer incidence.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Univariable and multivariable MR conducted for all outcomes.

RESULTS

The mean eGFR and median UACR were 91.4mL/min/1.73m2 and 9.32mg/g, respectively, in the CKDGen, and 90.4mL/min/1.73m2 and 9.29mg/g, respectively, in the UK Biobank. There were 98,093 cases of cancer, 15,850 cases of cancer-related death, 6,664 colorectal, 3584 lung, and 3,271 urinary tract cancer cases, respectively. The genetic instruments for eGFR and UACR comprised 34 and 38 variants, respectively. Genetically predicted kidney function (eGFR and UACR) was not associated with overall cancer risk or cancer death. The association between genetically predicted eGFR and UACR and overall cancer incidence had an odds ratio of 0.88 ([95% CI, 0.40-1.97], P=0.8) and 0.90 ([95% CI, 0.78-1.04], P=0.2) respectively, using the inverse-variance weighted method. An adjusted generalized additive model for eGFR and cancer demonstrated evidence of nonlinearity. However, there was no evidence of a causal association between eGFR and cancer in a stratified MR.

LIMITATIONS

To avoid overlapping samples a smaller GWAS for UACR was used, which reduced the strength of the instrument and may introduce population stratification.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study did not show a causal association between kidney function, overall cancer incidence, and cancer-related death.

PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Does reduced kidney function cause cancer? Patients with chronic kidney disease have been shown to have an increased risk of cancer and cancer-related death. However, it is not clear whether kidney disease is causally related to cancer or the association is due to other factors such as immune suppression and inflammation or a result of distortion of the analyses from unidentified variables (confounding). We used large, published genetic studies as well a database including 407,329 people in the United Kingdom in a series of Mendelian randomization analysis. Mendelian randomization uses the random assignment of genetic variants at birth to investigate causal relationships without confounding from measured and unmeasured confounders. We found that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between reduced kidney function and cancer.

Same Organ, Two Cancers: Complete Analysis of Renal Cell Carcinomas and Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinomas

Background and Objectives: Renal cell carcinomas and upper tract urothelial carcinomas are types of malignancies that originate in the kidneys. Each of these examples shows an increasing trend in the frequency and the mortality rate. This study aims to comprehensively define carcinomas by analyzing clinical, paraclinical, and histological aspects to predict aggressiveness and mortality. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective investigation on a group of patients suspected of kidney cancers. Results: We identified 188 cases. We observed a higher mortality rate and older age in individuals with urothelial carcinomas. Anemia, acute kidney injury, hematuria, and perineural invasion were the main risk factors that predicted their mortality. Tumor size in renal cell carcinomas correlates with the presence of necrosis and sarcomatoid areas. Factors that indicate a higher rate of death are older age, exceeding the renal capsule, a lesion that includes the entire kidney, lymphovascular invasion, acute kidney injury, and anemia. Conclusions: Even if they originate at the renal level, and the clinical-paraclinical picture is similar, the histopathological characteristics make the difference. In addition, to these are added the previously mentioned common parameters that can represent important prognostic factors. In conclusion, the characteristics commonly identified in one type of cancer may act as risk factors for the other tumor. The detected data include threshold values and risk factors, making a significant contribution to the existing literature.

Decreased risk of renal cell carcinoma in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at a higher risk of developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) than the general population. In vitro and in vivo investigations of the effects of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2I) have shown a significantly reduced risk of RCC. However, the impact of these drugs on the incidence of RCC in the human population is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between SGLT2I use and RCC risk in patients with T2D. We undertook a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Health and Welfare Data Science Center database (2016-2020). The primary outcome was the risk of incident RCC by estimating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multiple Cox regression modeling was applied to analyze the association between SGLT2I use and RCC risk in patients with T2D. In a cohort of 241,772 patients with T2D who were using SGLT2Is and 483,544 participants who were not, 220 and 609 RCC cases, respectively, were recorded. The mean follow-up period of the study subjects was 2 years. There was a decreased risk of RCC for SGLT2I users after adjusting for the index year, sex, age, comorbidities, and concurrent medication (adjusted HR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58-0.81). The sensitivity test for the propensity score 1:1-matched analyses showed similar results (adjusted HR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.55-0.81). The subgroup analysis revealed consistent results for sex, age (<70 years), and comorbidity with chronic kidney disease. The present study indicates that SGLT2I therapy significantly decreases RCC risk in patients with T2D. This finding was also consistent among the sensitivity test and subgroup analysis for those with or without chronic kidney disease/hypertension.

Clinical and Genomic Features of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma and Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Analysis of a Multi-Institutional Database

BACKGROUND

Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (ACKD) are at an increased risk of developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but molecular alterations in RCC specimens arising from ACKD and overall survival (OS) in affected patients are not well defined.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Total Cancer Care® protocol, 296 consented adult patients with RCC and somatic tumor whole exome sequencing were included. Patients with ACKD were defined as those with serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dL prior to RCC diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of 296 patients with RCC, 61 met the criteria for ACKD. The most common somatic mutations in the overall cohort were in VHL (126, 42.6%), PBRM1 (102, 34.5%), and SETD2 (54, 18.2%). BAP1 had a decreased mutational frequency in RCC specimens from patients without ACKD as compared to those with ACKD (10.6% versus 1.6%), but this was not statistically significant in univariable (OR 0.14, p = 0.056) or multivariable (OR 0.15, p = 0.067) analysis. Median OS was not reached in either cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the clinicogenomic ORIEN database, our study found lower rates of BAP1 mutations in RCC specimens from patients with ACKD, which may reflect a BAP1-independent mutational driver of RCC in patients with ACKD.

An epidemiological and clinicopathological study of type 1 vs. type 2 morphological subtypes of papillary renal cell carcinoma- results from a nation-wide study covering 50 years in Iceland

INTRODUCTION

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second most common histology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), accounting for 10-15% of cases. Traditionally, pRCC is divided into type 1 and type 2, although this division is currently debated as a prognostic factor of survival. Our aim was to investigate the epidemiology and survival of the pRCC subtypes in a whole nation cohort of patients during a 50-year period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Population based retrospective study including consecutive cases of RCC in Iceland from 1971-2020. Comparisons were made between histological classifications of RCC, with emphasis on pRCC subtypes (type 1 vs. 2) for outcome estimation. Changes in RCC incidence were analyzed in 5-year intervals after age standardization. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used for outcome analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1.725 cases were identified, with 74.4%, 2.1% and 9.2% having clear cell (ccRCC), chromophobe (chRCC), and pRCC, respectively. The age standardized incidence (ASI) of pRCC was 1.97/100.000 for males and 0.5/100.000 for females, and the proportion of pRCC increased from 3.7% to 11.5% between the first and last intervals of the study (p < 0.001). Age standardized cancer specific mortality (ASCSM) of pRCC was 0.6/100.000 and 0.19/100.000 for males and females, respectively. The annual average increase in ASI was 3.6% for type 1 pRCC, but the ASI for type 2 pRCC and ASCSM for both subtypes did not change significantly. Male to female ratio was 4.4 for type 1 pRCC and 2.3 for type 2. The average tumor size for type 1 and 2 was 58.8 and 73.7 mm, respectively. Metastasis at diagnosis was found in 8.7% in the type 1 pRCC, compared to 30.0% of patients with type 2 pRCC (p < 0.001). Estimated 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) were 94.4%, 80.7%, and 69.3% for chRCC, pRCC and ccRCC, respectively (p < 0.001). For the pRCC subtypes, type 1 was associated with better 5-year CSS than type 2 (86.3% vs. 66.0%, p < 0.001), although this difference was not significant after adjusting for cancer stage and grading.

CONCLUSIONS

pRCC histology was slightly less common in Iceland than in other countries. Males are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with pRCC, compared to other RCC histologies. The subtype of pRCC was not found to be an independent risk factor for worse survival, and as suggested by the most recent WHO Classification of Urinary Tumors, grade and TNM-stage seem to be the most important factors for estimation of survival for pRCC patients.

Correlation between bilateral GFR in patients with localized renal cancer after partial nephrectomy

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between the residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR) on the operated side and the GFR on the contralateral side following partial nephrectomy (PN) in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical records from May 2018 to July 2023, involving 118 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for unilateral localized kidney tumors (T1-T2). Glomerular filtration rate data were assessed using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography imaging [using 9mTc-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) renal dynamic imaging]. The independent determinants of postoperative renal function or renal function change were determined using linear regression analysis. In addition, the patient's demographic, clinical, and nephrometry characteristics were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 58 patients were finally enrolled. The preoperative and postoperative GFR of bilateral kidneys showed a significant positive correlation. Postoperative GFR of the operated kidney was the independent predictor of GFR of contralateral kidney (p = 0.001). Tumor diameter (p = 0.036), age (p = 0.005), and postoperative GFR of the contralateral kidney (p = 0.001) were all independent predictors of postoperative GFR of the operated kidney. ΔGFR1 was the independent predictor of ΔGFR2. Results showed that a more pronounced postoperative decline in GFR on the operated side corresponded to a weaker compensatory capacity of the contralateral-side kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

During the course of the surgical procedure, the active endeavor to safeguard the renal function of the operated kidney side holds paramount importance, which yields positive outcomes for postoperative kidney function on the contralateral side, consequently contributing to the overall preservation of renal function.

Anemia in patients ≥ 75 years with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: an important poor prognostic factor in the international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database consortium model

BACKGROUND

Due to an increase in life expectancy, the incidence of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in patients aged ≥75 years has been increasing. In this study we investigated the characteristics before treatment and the outcomes of systemic therapies for patients aged ≥75 years with mRCC and compared the results with those for patients aged < 75 years in order to determine whether differences in age influenced survival.

METHODS

A total of 206 consecutive Japanese patients with mRCC, including 47 patients aged ≥75 years, who received systemic therapy were included. Clinical data from medical records were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively. Survival analyses were determined using a Kaplan-Meier method, and analyzed with a log-rank test.

RESULTS

Elderly patients categorized as favorable risk group based on the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) stratification system were significantly lower. Among IMDC risk factors, the rate of anemia was significantly higher in elderly patients. No statistically significant benefit in progression free survival for first and second line treatment was observed, whereas improvements in overall survival as well as cancer specific survival were seen in patients aged < 75 years.

CONCLUSIONS

For mRCC patients aged ≥75 years, a higher proportion of base line anemia, which resulted in higher rates of IMDC intermediate/poor risk, would be responsible for shorter OS/CSS. Furthermore, mRCC patients aged ≥75 years tend to receive BSC instead of second line active treatment. Overcoming under-treatment in elderly patients might help to prolong survival in mRCC.

Renal Cell Carcinoma in End-Stage Kidney Disease and the Role of Transplantation

Kidney transplant patients have a higher risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) compared to non-transplanted end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. This increased risk has largely been associated with the use of immunosuppression; however, recent genetic research highlights the significance of tissue specificity in cancer driver genes. The implication of tissue specificity becomes more obscure when addressing transplant patients, as two distinct metabolic environments are present within one individual. The oncogenic potential of donor renal tissue is largely unknown but assumed to pose minimal risk to the kidney transplant recipient (KTR). Our review challenges this notion by examining how donor and recipient microenvironments impact a transplant recipient's associated risk of renal cell carcinoma. In doing so, we attempt to encapsulate how ESKD-RCC and KTR-RCC differ in their incidence, pathogenesis, outcome, and approach to management.

Complement System and the Kidney: Its Role in Renal Diseases, Kidney Transplantation and Renal Cell Carcinoma

The crosstalk among the complement system, immune cells, and mediators of inflammation provides an efficient mechanism to protect the organism against infections and support the repair of damaged tissues. Alterations in this complex machinery play a role in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Core complement proteins C3 and C5, their activation fragments, their receptors, and their regulators have been shown to be active intracellularly as the complosome. The kidney is particularly vulnerable to complement-induced damage, and emerging findings have revealed the role of complement system dysregulation in a wide range of kidney disorders, including glomerulopathies and ischemia-reperfusion injury during kidney transplantation. Different studies have shown that activation of the complement system is an important component of tumorigenesis and its elements have been proved to be present in the TME of various human malignancies. The role of the complement system in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been recently explored. Clear cell and papillary RCC upregulate most of the complement genes relative to normal kidney tissue. The aim of this narrative review is to provide novel insights into the role of complement in kidney disorders.

The Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease on the Mortality Rates of Patients with Urological Cancers-An Analysis of a Uro-Oncology Database from Eastern Europe

(1) Background: The relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and urological cancers is complex, as most of these cancers are diagnosed in patients with advanced ages, when the kidney function may be already impaired. On the other hand, urological cancers could represent a risk factor for CKD, significantly reducing the life expectancy of the patients. The main objective of our study was to analyze the impact of CKD on the overall mortality of patients diagnosed with the most frequent types of urological cancers. (2) Material and Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective cohort study on a group of 5831 consecutive newly diagnosed cancer patients, followed over a 2-year period (2019-2020), from a large Oncology Hospital in Romania. From this group, we selected only the patients diagnosed with urological malignancies, focusing on prostate cancer, bladder cancer and renal cancer; finally, 249 patients were included in our analysis. (3) Results: In the group of patients with prostate cancer (n = 146), the 2-year overall mortality was 62.5% for patients with CKD, compared with 39.3% for those with no initial CKD (p < 0.05). In the group of patients with bladder cancer (n = 62), the 2-year overall mortality was 80% for patients with initial CKD, compared with 45.2% for the patients with no initial CKD (p < 0.05). Finally, in the group of patients with renal cell carcinoma (n = 41), the 2-year overall mortality was 60% for patients with initial CKD, compared with 50% for the patient group with no initial CKD (p < 0.05). Various correlations between specific oncologic and nephrological parameters were also analyzed. (4) Conclusions: The presence of CKD at the moment of the urological cancer diagnosis is associated with significantly higher 2-year mortality rates.

Kidney Cancer Diagnosis and Surgery Selection by Machine Learning from CT Scans Combined with Clinical Metadata

Kidney cancers are one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Accurate diagnosis is a critical step in the management of kidney cancer patients and is influenced by multiple factors including tumor size or volume, cancer types and stages, etc. For malignant tumors, partial or radical surgery of the kidney might be required, but for clinicians, the basis for making this decision is often unclear. Partial nephrectomy could result in patient death due to cancer if kidney removal was necessary, whereas radical nephrectomy in less severe cases could resign patients to lifelong dialysis or need for future transplantation without sufficient cause. Using machine learning to consider clinical data alongside computed tomography images could potentially help resolve some of these surgical ambiguities, by enabling a more robust classification of kidney cancers and selection of optimal surgical approaches. In this study, we used the publicly available KiTS dataset of contrast-enhanced CT images and corresponding patient metadata to differentiate four major classes of kidney cancer: clear cell (ccRCC), chromophobe (chRCC), papillary (pRCC) renal cell carcinoma, and oncocytoma (ONC). We rationalized these data to overcome the high field of view (FoV), extract tumor regions of interest (ROIs), classify patients using deep machine-learning models, and extract/post-process CT image features for combination with clinical data. Regardless of marked data imbalance, our combined approach achieved a high level of performance (85.66% accuracy, 84.18% precision, 85.66% recall, and 84.92% F1-score). When selecting surgical procedures for malignant tumors (RCC), our method proved even more reliable (90.63% accuracy, 90.83% precision, 90.61% recall, and 90.50% F1-score). Using feature ranking, we confirmed that tumor volume and cancer stage are the most relevant clinical features for predicting surgical procedures. Once fully mature, the approach we propose could be used to assist surgeons in performing nephrectomies by guiding the choices of optimal procedures in individual patients with kidney cancer.

The Role of Inflammation in CKD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects many adults worldwide. Persistent low-grade inflammation is a substantial factor in its development and progression and has correlated with increased mortality and cardiovascular problems. This low-grade inflammation is a product of dysregulation of the normal balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory markers. Various factors such as increased innate immune system activation, reactive oxygen species production, periodontal disease, dysregulation of anti-inflammatory systems and intestinal dysbiosis result in the dysregulation of this balance. Furthermore, this low-grade inflammation has down-effects such as hypertension, renal fibrosis and acceleration of renal function decline. Moreover, low-grade inflammation over time has been linked to malignancy in CKD. As CKD progresses, many patients require dialysis, which has a negative bidirectional relationship with persistent inflammation. Treatment options for inflammation in CKD are vast, including cytokine inhibitors, statins and diets. However, more research is needed to create a standardized management plan. In this review, we will examine the normal physiology of the kidney and its relationship with the immune system. We will then delve into the pathology behind persistent inflammation, the various causes of inflammation, the downstream effects of inflammation, dialysis and potential treatments for inflammation in CKD.

The Role of the Cardiac Biomarkers in the Renal Cell Carcinoma Multidisciplinary Management

Renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive malignancy, is often incidentally diagnosed. The patient remains asymptomatic to the late stage of the disease, when the local or distant metastases are already present. Surgical treatment remains the choice for these patients, although the plan must adapt to the characteristics of the patients and the extension of the neoplasm. Systemic therapy is sometimes needed. It includes immunotherapy, target therapy, or both, with a high level of toxicity. Cardiac biomarkers have prognosis and monitoring values in this setting. Their role in postoperative identification of myocardial injury and heart failure already have been demonstrated, as well as their importance in preoperative evaluation from the cardiac point of view and the progression of renal cancer. The cardiac biomarkers are also part of the new cardio-oncologic approach to establishing and monitoring systemic therapy. They are complementary tests for assessment of the baseline toxicity risk and tools to guide therapy. The goal must be to continue the treatment as long as possible with the initiation and optimisation of the cardiological treatment. Cardiac atrial biomarkers are reported to have also antitumoral and anti-inflammatory properties. This review aims to present the role of cardiac biomarkers in the multidisciplinary management of renal cell carcinoma patients.

MUC1 Expression Affects the Immunoflogosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma Microenvironment through Complement System Activation and Immune Infiltrate Modulation

Mucin1 (MUC1), a glycoprotein associated with an aggressive cancer phenotype and chemoresistance, is aberrantly overexpressed in a subset of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Recent studies suggest that MUC1 plays a role in modulating cancer cell metabolism, but its role in regulating immunoflogosis in the tumor microenvironment remains poorly understood. In a previous study, we showed that pentraxin-3 (PTX3) can affect the immunoflogosis in the ccRCC microenvironment by activating the classical pathway of the complement system (C1q) and releasing proangiogenic factors (C3a, C5a). In this scenario, we evaluated the PTX3 expression and analyzed the potential role of complement system activation on tumor site and immune microenvironment modulation, stratifying samples in tumors with high (MUC1H) versus tumors with low MUC1 expression (MUC1L). We found that PTX3 tissue expression was significantly higher in MUC1H ccRCC. In addition, C1q deposition and the expressions of CD59, C3aR, and C5aR were extensively present in MUC1H ccRCC tissue samples and colocalized with PTX3. Finally, MUC1 expression was associated with an increased number of infiltrating mast cells, M2-macrophage, and IDO1+ cells, and a reduced number of CD8+ T cells. Taken together, our results suggest that expression of MUC1 can modulate the immunoflogosis in the ccRCC microenvironment by activating the classical pathway of the complement system and regulating the immune infiltrate, promoting an immune-silent microenvironment.

Network pharmacology and bioinformatics study on the treatment of renal fibrosis with persicae semen-carthami flos drug pair

To use network pharmacology and bioinformatics technology to reveal the mechanism of persicae semen-carthami flos drug pair in the treatment of renal fibrosis (RF). Compounds in traditional Chinese medicine were obtained through the Herb database. Appropriate compounds and corresponding drug targets were screened out based on the 5 rules of Lipinski and pharmacokinetics. Screening of suitable disease miRNAs by microarray chips in the GEO database. Find differentially expressed genes by analyzing miRNAs. Protein-protein interaction analysis and enrichment analysis of therapeutic targets were performed using String database and Omicshare platform. Molecular docking via the DockThor platform. A total of 28 drug compounds and 228 drug targets were screened in this study. A total of 9 miRNAs and 6649 disease targets were obtained by GEO2R software analysis. Finally, 97 therapeutic targets were obtained. A total of 1124 Gene Ontology enrichment analysis results were obtained. Therapeutic targets play multiple roles in biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular organization. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the persicae semen-carthami flos drug pair played a role in the treatment of RF mainly through calcium signaling pathway, pathways in cancer, cAMP signaling pathway, and other pathways. Molecular docking showed that the traditional Chinese medicine compounds had good binding ability to the target. Persicae semen and carthami flos play a role in the treatment of RF through multiple targets and multiple pathways. It provides ideas and references for follow-up research and new drug development.

Multifactorial Diseases of the Heart, Kidneys, Lungs, and Liver and Incident Cancer: Epidemiology and Shared Mechanisms

Within the aging population, the frequency of cancer is increasing dramatically. In addition, multiple genetic and environmental factors lead to common multifactorial diseases, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the connection between cancer and multifactorial diseases, as well as how one can affect the other, resulting in a vicious cycle. Although the exact mechanistic explanations behind this remain to be fully explored, some progress has been made in uncovering the common pathologic mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the nature of the link between cancer and common multifactorial conditions, as well as specific shared mechanisms, some of which may represent either preventive or therapeutic targets. Rather than organ-specific interactions, we herein focus on the shared mechanisms among the multifactorial diseases, which may explain the increased cancer risk. More research on this subject will highlight the significance of developing new drugs that target multiple systems rather than just one disease.