Surgical Treatment Outcomes of Spinal Metastases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The First Report of 30 Patients from a Single Center

Surgical Outcome and Prognosis of Patients with Spinal Metastasis from Esophageal Cancer: The Experience from a Single Center

BACKGROUND

The spine is one of the common sites of esophageal cancer metastasis, with a worse prognosis than that of metastasis occurring in other sites. However, the exact mechanism underlying metastatic spinal esophageal cancer (MSEC) is poorly understood possibly due to the short survival time of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes and factors affecting the prognosis of patients with MSEC.

METHODS

Enrolled in this retrospective study were 20 consecutive patients who received surgical treatment for MSEC in our hospital from 2013 to 2020. The impact of surgery on patient's quality of life was assessed by visual analog scale score and American Spinal Injury Association grade. Prognostic variables relative to traditional clinical parameters and inflammation and nutrition indicators were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The median survival time of patients with MSEC was 6 months, with a one-year survival rate of 20%. Pain relief was achieved in most patients, and nerve function was recovered in part of the patients after surgery. Analysis of clinical factors showed that total tumor resection was beneficial to overall survival of patients with MSEC. Laboratory indicators of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were identified as independent prognostic factors for patients with MSEC.

CONCLUSIONS

Timely surgical intervention can improve the quality of life of patients with MSEC. The preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio could help predict the overall survival of patients with MSEC. These findings may help in decision-making for the treatment of patients with MSEC.

Accurate prognostic prediction for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma using a ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNA risk model

INTRODUCTION

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered type of programmed cell death that plays a crucial role in tumor occurrence and progression. However, no prognostic model has been established yet for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).

METHODS

In the present study, lncRNA expression profiles, sex, age, TMN stage, and other clinical data of ccRCC samples were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. In addition, ferroptosis-related lncRNAs were identified using co-expression analysis, and the risk model was established using Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses. Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the risk model for the overall survival (OS) of patients with ccRCC. Moreover, the functional enrichment of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs was performed and visualized using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes.

RESULTS

Eight prognostic ferroptosis-related lncRNAs were identified, such as LINC01615, AC026401.3, LINC00944, AL590094.1, DLGAP1-AS2, AC016773.1, AC147651.1, and AP000439.2, making up the ferroptosis-related lncRNA risk model. The risk model effectively divided patients with ccRCC into high- and low-risk groups, and their survival time was calculated. The high-risk group showed significantly shorter OS compared to the low-risk group. The nomogram to predict the survival rate of the patients revealed that the risk score was the most critical factor affecting OS in patients with ccRCC. The ferroptosis-related lncRNA risk model was an independent predictor of prognostic risk assessment in patients with ccRCC.

CONCLUSION

The ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model and genomic clinicopathological nomogram have the potential to accurately predict the prognosis of patients with ccRCC and could serve as potential therapeutic targets in the future.

Salidroside suppresses the activation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via targeting miR-4262/GRP78 axis

To study the effect of Salidroside on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and its mechanism. NPC cells were cultured, MTT was used to detect the effect of Salidroside on cell proliferation, apoptosis detected by flow cytometry assay, Western blot was used to detect the related protein expression. MiR-4262 and GRP78 used qRT-PCR for evaluation. Mimics/mimic NC and miR-4262 inhibitor/inhibitor NC were transfected into CNE2 and HONE1 cell lines, and cell viability was detected by MTT. Caspase-3, −8 and −9 activities were detected by caspase colorimetric assay kit. Targetscan predicted that downstream target of miR-4262. Relative luciferase activity was detected by luciferase assay. The effect of Salidroside on the growth of transplanted tumor in nude mice was observed. After Salidroside treatment, cell proliferation decreased and apoptosis increased, Bax protein expression increased and Bcl-2 decreased; miR-4262 expression level in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was lower than that in adjacent tissues. GRP78 was the target of miR-4262 and downregulate the expression of miR-4262 in NPC cells can increase the expression of GRP78, and the expression of GRP78 decreased after upregulating the expression of miR-4262. Salidroside could inhibit the growth of NPC xenografts in nude mice. The level of Bax was increased and Bcl-2 was decreased in Salidroside group. Salidroside can significantly inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of NPC cells via regulating miR-4262/GRP78 signal axis.

Radical resection for solitary thoracic spinous-process metastasis: a case report and technical note

INTRODUCTION

Bone metastases confined to the posterior elements of the spine are rarely treated, as there exist no established radical surgical treatment options for this area. Herein, we present a case report of and technical note on a patient who underwent radical resection for a metastatic tumor in the thoracic spinous process.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 34-year-old male presented with a nasopharyngeal carcinoma with a solitary metastatic focus in the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra. Imaging revealed that the tumor was confined to the spinous process and the surrounding soft tissues. No tumor was noted in the pedicles, vertebral body, and cortical bone on the ventral side of the lamina, as well as within the spinal canal. As treatment for this solitary metastatic lesion, we decided to perform radical resection with sufficient margins that would include the involved spinous process and all surrounding soft tissues exhibiting evidence of tumor infiltration. The posterior elements of the 9th-11th vertebrae, multifidus muscles, and skin were widely resected en bloc using a T-saw. The posterior elements of the spinal column were resected at the level of pedicles without full visualization of the involved dural sac. The tumor-infiltrated soft tissues surrounding the T10 vertebral spinous process were excised without full visualization of the tumor. Adjuvant therapy was not administered postoperatively. During the second year of follow-up, no signs of recurrence or metastasis were noted.

DISCUSSION

Our proposed technique allows wide resection of a solitary focus of metastasis in the posterior elements of the spine.