[Juvenile nasopharyngeal carcinoma: anatomoclinic, biologic, therapeutic and evolutive aspects]

Relationship between miR-338-3p and Clinicopathological Parameters, Prognosis, and STAT3 mRNA Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective

To investigate the expression of miR-338-3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship with STAT3 mRNA expression as well as their relationship with clinical pathological parameters and prognosis of patients.

Methods

From September 2016 to September 2018, 71 patients with NPC were selected as the NPC group, and 71 samples of NPC tissues were collected during the operation. A total of 23 patients who underwent biopsy due to chronic nasopharyngitis were selected as the control group and 23 nasopharyngeal mucosal tissues were collected. The expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal tissue of two groups were detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and the relationship between the two was analyzed. To collect clinical data of NPC patients and analyze the relationship between the expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 in NPC tissues and clinical pathological parameters of the patients, we followed up the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma for three years to observe the relationship between miR-338-3p, STAT3, and the prognosis of the patients.

Results

The relative expression levels of miR-338-3p in nasopharyngeal tissues of the NPC group and the control group were 0.39 ± 0.05 and 1.01 ± 0.09, respectively (P < 0.05). The relative expression levels of STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal tissues of the NPC group and the control group were 3.82 ± 0.21 and 1.04 ± 0.11, respectively (P > 0.05). miR-338-3p was negatively correlated with the relative expression of STAT3 mRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (r = 0.038, P > 0.05). The expression of miR-338-3p was related to the age of the patient, clinical TNM stage, T stage, and distant metastasis (all P < 0.05). STAT3 expression was correlated with clinical TNM stage, T stage, and distant metastasis in our patient (P < 0.05). The expressions of miR-338-3p and STAT3 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues from different gender, histological type, N stage, M stage, and degree of differentiation showed no statistical differences (P > 0.05). The survival rate of the group with low miR-338-3p expression was significantly lower than that of the group with high miR-338-3p expression (P > 0.05). The survival rate of patients with the high STAT3 expression group was significantly lower than that of patients with the low STAT3 expression group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

There is a negative correlation between the low expression of miR-338-3p and the high expression of STAT3 in NPC, which are all related to the TNM stage, T stage, and prognosis of the patient.

Epidemiological Profile and Clinicopathological, Therapeutic, and Prognostic Characteristics of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Northern Morocco

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a multifactorial disease mainly affecting the Asian and North African populations including Morocco. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Northern Morocco as well as its clinicopathological, therapeutic, and prognostic characteristics.

Methods

129 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma followed at the regional center of oncology of Tangier in the period between April 2017 and July 2019, and diagnosed elsewhere from March 2000 to February 2019, were included in this study. Statistical analysis of the data was realized using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

Results

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represented 5% of all cases with a median age of 50. The most affected age group was 40–54 years (41.1%). Of all patients, 65.9% were men and 34.1% were women with a sex ratio of 1.93 (Male/Female). Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas were the most common histological type affecting 96.12% of patients. At diagnosis, the majority of patients (82.2%) had an advanced stage of NPC (III, VIa, b, c) including 5.4% of metastatic cases (IVc). Most cases (86%) had lymph node involvement with cervical mass being the most common clinical presentation. 81.4% of patients received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Among these patients, 54.3% had concurrent radiochemotherapy preceded by induction chemotherapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 86.8% for all patients. It represented 91.3% for early stages, 87.9% for locally advanced stages, and 57.1% for the metastatic stage significantly. The disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was 87.6% knowing that relapse occurred in 16 cases.

Conclusions

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a particular disease with a late declaration. It is common in Morocco as is the case in other endemic areas with a high prevalence. Patients’ survival is significantly influenced by disease staging.

[Therapeutic outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinomas: a single-center study conducted at the Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital in Monastir, Tunisia]

Introduction

les carcinomes nasopharyngés (CNP) sont relativement fréquents dans le pourtour méditerranéen. La survie a été largement améliorée avec les nouvelles techniques d´irradiation et les nouvelles molécules de chimiothérapie. L´objectif de notre étude est d´analyser les résultats thérapeutiques et décrire les facteurs pronostiques des CNP.

Méthodes

il s´agit d´une étude rétrospective menée entre janvier 1995 et décembre 2014, des observations de patients traités et suivis dans notre service pour un carcinome du nasopharynx. Le recueil des données a été réalisé à partir d´une fiche type. L´analyse statistique a été réalisée à l´aide du logiciel SPSS. La survie a été calculée selon la méthode de Kaplan-Meier.

Résultats

soixante-treize cas de CNP ont été colligés. L´âge moyen était de 48 ans. Une prédominance masculine a été notée. La majorité des tumeurs (56%) étaient localement avancées (T3-T4). Après un recul moyen de 45,5 mois, le taux de récidives locorégionales était de 19,4%. Trois patients (4%) ont présenté des métastases osseuses. La survie globale à 5 ans était de 65%. Les facteurs influençant positivement la survie globale à l´analyse étaient le stade TNM précoce et le fractionnement de 1,8 Grays/séance de la radiothérapie. Les taux de récidives locales et ganglionnaires étaient respectivement de 13,8% et 5,5%, essentiellement pour des tumeurs classées T4 N2. Les séquelles thérapeutiques étaient dominées par les otites séromuqueuses (42,7%), le trismus (38,7%) et la xérostomie (32%).

Conclusion

la survie globale des CNP s´est améliorée particulièrement avec l´avènement de la radio-chimiothérapie concomitante. Néanmoins, la toxicité tardive invalidante demeure non négligeable. Les facteurs de bon pronostic retrouvés dans cette étude étaient le stade tumoral précoce ainsi que la modalité de fractionnement de la radiothérapie.

Paediatric cancer in low-income and middle-income countries

Patterns of cancer incidence across the world have undergone substantial changes as a result of industrialisation and economic development. However, the economies of most countries remain at an early or intermediate stage of development-these stages are characterised by poverty, too few health-care providers, weak health systems, and poor access to education, modern technology, and health care because of scattered rural populations. Low-income and middle-income countries also have younger populations and therefore a larger proportion of children with cancer than high-income countries. Most of these children die from the disease. Chronic infections, which remain the most common causes of disease-related death in all except high-income countries, can also be major risk factors for childhood cancer in poorer regions. We discuss childhood cancer in relation to global development and propose strategies that could result in improved survival. Education of the public, more and better-trained health professionals, strengthened cancer services, locally relevant research, regional hospital networks, international collaboration, and health insurance are all essential components of an enhanced model of care.

An orthotopic model of metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its application in elucidating a therapeutic target that inhibits metastasis

To define and therapeutically target mechanisms that mediate nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) metastasis, we have developed a unique orthotopic xenograft mouse model that accurately recapitulates the invasive and metastatic behavior of human disease. Based on clinical and laboratory evidence that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis is involved in aggressive NPC tumor behavior, we chose it as a therapeutic target to test the utility of our orthotopic system for evaluating the effectiveness of a targeted treatment for metastatic NPC. Demonstrated herein, we have shown that both the development and growth of metastatic lesions are markedly reduced by the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus. Thus, this orthotopic model provides a platform to study potential therapeutics for advanced NPC and demonstrates that targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is a promising intervention against disseminated disease.