血小板与性别的交互作用对食管鳞癌根治术患者预后的影响

  目的  探讨血小板(platelets, PLT)对食管鳞癌(esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ESCC)根治术患者预后的影响及其与性别、年龄间的交互作用。  方法  选取2014年2月1日―2018年11月30日582例符合入组标准的ESCC患者进行回顾性分析。Kaplan-Meier法用于绘制生存曲线并行log-rank检验。运用Cox比例风险回归模型进行多因素分析,计算总生存时间(overall survival, OS)、无病生存时间(disease free survival, DFS)的危险系数(hazard ratios, HR)及其95% CI。  结果  PLT仅与性别存在交互作用(HR=2.417, 95% CI: 1.150~5.078, P=0.018)。分层分析显示,男性PLT增多组的死亡风险是PLT正常组的1.713倍(HR=1.713, 95% CI: 1.203~2.441, P=0.003);女性PLT增多组与PLT正常组预后差异无统计学意义(HR=0.590, 95% CI: 0.299~1.165, P=0.129)。  结论  PLT与性别对ESCC根治术患者预后的预测存在交互作用,采用PLT预测患者预后时应注意性别的差异。     

辅助同步放化疗对比单纯化疗治疗D2术后胃癌的meta分析

目的该荟萃分析旨在探讨辅助放化疗治疗D2根治术后胃癌患者的疗效和安全性。方法设计计算机检索中国生物医学文献数据库、CNKI数据库、PubMed、Cochrane对照试验注册中心(CENTRAL)数据库和Cochrane图书馆自其建库时间至2013年5月31日所有关于探索同步放化疗治疗D2根治性手术后胃癌的随机对照研究。风险比(HR)是主要的结局指标,而比值比(OR)用来分析二分类变量。采用标准的荟萃分析技术汇总分析从研究中提取的具体风险估计。结果 4项共包含989例患者的研究被纳入最终分析。meta分析得出总生存(OS)合并HR值为0.81(95%CI 0.62~1.06,P=0.13,Z=1.51),没有异质性的证据(P=0.87,I2=0%)。同步放化疗可显著降低5年无病生存(DFS)的风险(HR=0.74,95%CI 0.57~0.95,P=0.02,Z=2.37)。局部复发的合并OR值为0.49(95%CI 0.33~0.73,P=0.00,Z=3.59)。远处转移的合并OR值为0.76(95%CI 0.57~1.03,P=0.07,Z=1.79)。结论本荟萃分析表明,胃癌D2术后同步放化疗可以显著改善DFS,却不能显著改善OS;可以显著提高肿瘤局部控制率,却不能显著降低远处转移率;采用术后同步放化疗是可行的,其耐受性良好。     

中性粒细胞淋巴细胞比率及血小板淋巴细胞比率在乳腺癌合并感染患者术后生存期的预测研究

目的研究中性粒细胞淋巴细胞比率(NLR)及血小板淋巴细胞比率(PLR)在乳腺癌合并感染患者术后生存期的预测,为提高生存期提供依据。方法选取2010年10月-2015年10月医院诊治89例乳腺癌合并感染患者资料进行分析;采用自拟问卷调查表对患者基本资料进行统计,计算患者治疗前后PLR和NLR指标,分析两指标对乳腺癌合并感染患者术后生存期的影响。结果患者治疗后PLR≥300患者5年总生存率(Overall survival,OS)为72.8%;3年无病生存率(Disease-free survival,DFS)为30.8%;治疗前150PLR300患者5年OS为91.2%,3年DFS为69.4%;治疗后PLR150患者OS为100.0%;3年DFS为99.1%,患者治疗后不同PLR OS生存率和DFS生存率差异有统计学意义(P0.05);患者治疗后对于NLR≥5患者5年OS为76.1%;3年DFS为31.2%;治疗后对于NLR5组患者5年OS为98.3%,3年DFS为91.8%。患者治疗后不同NLR下OS及DFS生存率差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论 NLR及PLR能够准确的预测乳腺癌合并感染患者术后生存期,正确的指导患者临床治疗,值得推广应用。     

华裔女性生殖系统肿瘤的预后分析: 基于SEER数据库的回顾性研究

目的 利用 SEER 数据库中华裔女性生殖系统肿瘤的患者数据,展开预后因素研究,以指导临床预后判断和治疗决策。 方法 从 SEER 数据库中提取出患者的人口统计学指标,分期指标,肿瘤特征、诊断治疗指标和生存结果。采用 Kaplan-Meier 法构建生存曲线,利用 long-Rank 检验评估曲线之间的统计学差异;并使用VIF 指标,逐步回归对预后因素进行选择,依据选择的重要预后因素,建立 COX 多因素风险回归模型,依据建模结果绘制列线图和 ROC 曲线,从而量化预后因素,进而帮助临床判断和决策。 结果 年龄增加 (OS: HR =7.543 95% CI : 2.672~21.290 P <0.05),进入更年期 (OS: HR =1.024 95% CI : 0.454~2.312 P <0.05),无伴侣 (OS: HR =1.273 95% CI : 0.931~1.742 P <0.05),春秋季发病 (OS: HR =0.532 95% CI : 0.327~0.867 P <0.05),肿瘤大于6 cm(OS: HR =1.656 95% CI : 1.075~2.551 P <0.05),未手术治疗 (OS: HR =2.554 95% CI : 0.911~7.159 P <0.05),AJCC分期为Ⅳ分期 (OS: HR =8.406 95% CI : 5.980~11.816 P <0.05),病理类型为腺鳞癌 (OS: HR =3.399 95% CI : 1.526~7.571 P <0.05),肿瘤低分化 (OS: HR =1.228 95% CI : 0.868~1.738 P <0.05), 双侧均发病 (OS: HR =1.513 95% CI : 1.051~2.179 P <0.05) 是降低华裔女性生殖系统常见恶性肿瘤总生存率的独立预后因素。 结论 年龄增加、进入更年期、无伴侣、春秋季发病、肿瘤分化、腺鳞癌、Ⅳ分期、肿瘤过大会增加华裔女性生殖系统恶性肿瘤的死亡风险,有伴侣、接受手术治疗、Ⅰ分期对于生殖系统肿瘤的总体生存状况有一定的保护作用。     

MicroRNA与弥漫大B淋巴瘤预后关系的系统综述和Meta分析

目的 综合分析不同的微小RNA （microRNAs，miRs）对弥漫大B淋巴瘤（diffuse large B cell lymphoma，DLBCL）的预后价值。方法 计算机检索2007年1月~2017年7月收录在万方数据库、维普中文科技期刊全文数据库、中国期刊全文数据库、PubMed数据库和Embase数据库的相关文献，筛选后采用Stata 12.0进行Meta分析。结果 最终纳入30篇文献，2 574研究对象。综合分析发现，miR-21的低表达降低了DLBCL患者的无复发生存期（relapse free survival，RFS）（HR=0.61，95% CI:0.40~0.94，P=0.024）；miR-155的高表达降低了DLBCL患者的无进展生存期（progress free survival，PFS）（HR=2.50，95% CI:1.54~4.06，P<0.001）；miR-222的高表达降低了DLBCL患者的PFS （HR=2.33，95% CI:1.53~3.57，P<0.001）。结论 基于所有分析结果可知，miR特别是miR-21，miR-222和miR-155是影响DLBCL的RFS和PFS重要预后因子。     

抗血管药物治疗Ⅲ/Ⅳ期和复发性卵巢癌疗效的荟萃分析

目的评估血管生成抑制剂治疗Ⅲ/Ⅳ期和复发性卵巢癌的价值。方法检索Pub Med、Cochrane Library、Embase、Web of Science和CNKI数据库,检索血管生成抑制剂治疗Ⅲ/Ⅳ期和复发性卵巢癌的随机对照试验,根据纳入与排除标准筛选符合要求的研究,并使用Stata 14.0软件进行统计学处理,合并分析纳入研究的效应量,探索血管生成抑制剂治疗Ⅲ/Ⅳ期和复发性卵巢癌的疗效。结果血管生成抑制剂能够显著延长卵巢癌患者的无进展生存期(progression-free survival,PFS)和总生存期(overall survival,OS)[PFS=0.71(95%CI:0.63~0.79,P0.05),OS=0.87(95%CI:0.74~0.86,P0.05)]。结论血管生成抑制剂可以改善卵巢癌患者的PFS和OS,尤其是对复发性卵巢癌患者的改善更具有推广意义。     

BMI及临床特征对不同生理阶段乳腺癌复发转移的影响分析

目的 探讨体重指数(BMI)及临床特征对不同生理阶段乳腺癌复发转移的影响。方法 回顾性收集四川省肿瘤医院1999年至2010年收治的女性原发性乳腺癌743例。根据绝经状态和年龄将患者划分为育龄期、围绝经期、绝经后3组,分析影响各组乳腺癌无病生存期(DFS)的因素。结果 多因素分析发现,高BMI(23.0~29.9 kg/m2)和低BMI(< 18.5 kg/m2)均能降低绝经后患者的DFS (HR高BMI = 2.60, 95%CI: 1.06~6.37;HR低BMI = 6.92, 95%CI: 1.93~24.81);三阴降低围绝经和绝经后患者的DFS (HR = 4.78, 95%CI: 1.06~21.58;HR = 2.64, 95%CI: 1.33~5.28);淋巴结转移数≥4个降低育龄患者的DFS(HR = 4.08, 95%CI: 1.52~10.97 )。结论 BMI及三阴对不同生理阶段乳腺癌预后均有影响,尤其是高低BMI均能降低患者的无病生存期,提示患者应保持适当体重,减少复发转移风险。     

胃癌患者根治术后外周血中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值影响预后的研究

目的探讨根治术后胃癌患者血常规中中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞绝对值的比值(NLR)与预后的关系。方法选取有完整术后病理及随访资料的根治术后胃癌患者共215例,所有患者未接受术前新辅助放、化疗,计算每例患者术后的NLR,结合临床、病理参数指标,COX多因素回归分析各因素对术后无病生存(DFS)的影响,Kaplan-Meier方法绘制术后DFS曲线并计算中位DFS,比较不同NLR时DFS的差异。结果卡方分析显示,术后NLR水平与肿瘤的T分期相关。COX回归分析表明,T分期、肿瘤分化及NLR是影响术后DFS的独立预后因素(P<0.05)。术后NLR≤6.8与NLR>6.8的患者,术后中位DFS分别是69个月和56个月(P<0.001)。结论术后NLR水平是影响胃癌根治术后生存的独立预后因素。     

新辅助化疗联合手术治疗ⅡB期宫颈癌患者的疗效及其影响因素分析

目的探讨采取新辅助化疗(NACT)联合手术治疗与同步放化疗治疗的国际妇产科联盟(FIGO)临床分期为Ⅱ_B期宫颈癌患者的疗效及其影响因素。 方法选取2010年1月至2018年12月,大连医科大学附属第二医院收治的196例Ⅱ_B期宫颈癌患者为研究对象。按照治疗方案,将其分为联合手术治疗组(n＝95,采取NACT联合手术治疗)与同步放化疗组(n＝101,仅采取同步放化疗)。采用回顾性分析方法,收集2组患者总体生存(OS)期、无进展生存(PFS)期及治疗相关不良反应情况。采用Kaplan-Meier法计算2组患者5年OS率、PFS率等,并采用对数秩检验进行比较。对本研究所有患者的OS期、PFS期影响因素,进行多因素Cox比例风险回归分析。对2组患者的治疗相关不良反应率比较,采用χ²检验。本研究遵循的程序符合2013年新修订的《世界医学协会赫尔辛基宣言》要求。 结果①本研究联合手术治疗组患者的5年OS率、PFS率分别为91.9%与84.0%,均显著高于同步放化疗组的64.2%与64.8%,并且差异均有统计学意义(χ²＝5.920、P＝0.015,χ²＝4.560、P＝0.033)。②对本研究所有患者的OS期与PFS期影响因素的多因素Cox比例风险回归分析结果显示,治疗方式是其OS期的独立影响因素(HR＝0.267,95%CI：0.094～0.758,P＝0.013);治疗方式、肿瘤组织病理类型、肿瘤细胞分化程度、肿瘤直径、患者年龄,均非其PFS期的独立影响因素(P>0.05)。③对联合手术治疗组患者OS期与PFS期影响因素的多因素Cox比例风险回归分析结果显示,手术切缘情况为其OS期、PFS期的独立影响因素(HR＝0.027,95%CI：0.003～0.281,P＝0.003;HR＝0.004,95%CI：0.000～0.197,P＝0.006)。④联合手术治疗组患者的放射性膀胱炎发生率为4.2%(4/95),显著低于同步放化疗组的13.9%(14/101),并且差异有统计学意义(χ²＝5.467、P＝0.019)。 结论对于Ⅱ_B期宫颈癌患者采取术前NACT,再联合手术治疗的疗效优于同步放化疗。采取NACT联合手术治疗患者的手术切缘情况,为其OS期、PFS期的独立影响因素。由于本研究仅为回顾性研究,仍需多中心、大样本、随机对照试验进一步证实NACT联合手术治疗该病患者的疗效及其影响因素。     

治疗前NLR和PLR对宫颈鳞癌患者预后的影响

目的探讨经手术治疗的宫颈鳞癌患者治疗前中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比(neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio,NLR)及血小板与淋巴细胞比(platelet-to-lymphocyteratio,PLR)与总生存期(overall survival,OS)、无病生存期(disease-free survival,DFS)和各临床病理因素的相关性。方法回顾性分析中山大学附属第一医院于2005年1月1日至2009年12月31日期间初治的并且经过手术治疗的143例宫颈鳞癌患者的临床病理资料,根据统计学方法选取NLR和PLR截断值,将患者根据截断值分组,分析NLR和PLR与患者生存、复发情况的相关性以及与临床病理因素的相关性。结果选取NLR=2.8和PLR=125分别作为截断值,高NLR组5年生存率为30.3%,低NLR组5年生存率为80%,差异有统计学意义(P=0.000)。高NLR组复发率为69.7%,低NLR组复发率为24.5%,差异有统计学意义(P=0.000)。高PLR组5年生存率为53.7%,低PLR组5年生存率为81.6%,差异有统计学意义(P=0.000)。高PLR组复发率为50%,低PLR组复发率为22.4%,差异有统计学意义(P=0.000)。经过单因素和多因素分析,国际妇产科联盟(International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics,FIGO)分期、术前化疗、病灶大小、外周血血小板计数(platelet,PLT),NLR值和PLR值是影响宫颈鳞癌患者总生存率和无病生存率的独立危险因素。结论治疗前NLR及PLR均是影响宫颈鳞癌患者总生存时间和无病生存时间的独立危险因素。     

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and nutritional status are clinically useful in predicting prognosis in colorectal cancer patients

Abstract

Background: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and nutritional status may provide a prognostic value in colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of nutritional status and NLR in CRC patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in CRC patients. The independent variables were body mass index (BMI), weight loss (WL) and NLR. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds chance of low NLR. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to evaluate the overall survival at 5?years old.

Results: In the 148 patients evaluated, the most prevalent nutritional status was overweight/obesity (43.2%) and 27.0% had severe WL. Sixty-seven subjects (45.3%) had NLR ≥ 3 that was associated with the lower OS (P?<?0.001). There was a higher OS for overweight/obese patients (P?=?0.002) and a lower among subjects with severe WL (P?=?0.009). The NLR ≥3 (HR: 3.639; 95% CI, 1.708–7.771) was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS. Patients without WL (HR: 0.367, 95% CI, 0.141–0.954) and classified as overweight/obesity (HR: 0.260; 95% CI, 0.106–0.639) presented better prognostic.

Conclusion: NLR, WL, BMI assessments are promising prognostic indicators in the CRC.     

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prognostic Value of Serum High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels for Solid Tumors

Numerous studies have demonstrated that serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels correlate strongly with cancer patient survival. However, other studies have had the opposite results. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of HDL-C levels in people with cancer. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (last update by December 28, 2017) for studies evaluating the effect of serum HDL-C levels on cancer patient prognosis. Data from 25 studies covering13,140 patients were included. Combined hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed using fixed-effects and random-effects models. High serum HDL-C levels were associated with better OS (pooled HR = 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.60–0.82). In the subgroup, the relative high level of HDL-C yielded a favorable outcome in most of tumor types. However, in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma subgroup, the correlation was not significant (combined HR = 1.31; 95% CI (0.91–1.90)). High serum HDL-C levels were associated with better DFS (pooled HR = 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.50–0.81)). This meta-analysis demonstrates that high serum HDL-C levels are associated with better OS in patients with solid tumors, but not nasopharyngeal carcinoma; and high serum HDL-C levels are associated with better DFS.     

Prognostic Value of Prealbumin in Liver Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Accumulated studies have reported the prognostic significance of prealbumin in liver cancer, but the results were not conclusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between pretreatment serum prealbumin and clinical outcome of liver cancer patients through a meta-analysis. We comprehensively searched EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane library to identify eligible studies. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment serum prealbumin in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of liver cancer patients. A total of 3470 patients from 10 eligible studies were finally included for analysis. The combined effects of prealbumin on liver cancer patients’ OS and RFS were HR?=?1.83, 95% CI: 1.46–2.30, P?<?0.001 and HR?=?1.47, 95% CI: 1.01–2.14, P?=?0.045, respectively. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis showed that the pooled HR of prealbumin on liver cancer patients’ OS was stable. Since potential publication bias was identified in the OS studies, the trim-and-fill method therefore was performed to explore publication bias, and the results showed reliability. This meta-analysis shows that low pretreatment serum prealbumin is significantly associated with poor prognosis of liver cancer patients.     

Experience and results of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment in children between 1989-2005 in Navarre

BACKGROUND. The determination of prognostic factors in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is increasingly important in establishing a correct treatment. We analyse the overall survival (OS), event free survival (EFS) and prognostic factors in our 16 years experience of treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. METHODS. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses of the prognostic factors we considered most significant in our serie of patients. RESULTS. From January 1989 to December 2005, 50 cases of ALL were reported in 58 patients with LA. We analysed a subgroup of 41 patients with LLA as they were included in standard protocols. In this group the EFS was 78% and OS 87.8%. Inmunophenotype is a predictor of prognosis when we compare Common with Others, with a HR of 13.82 (CI95%: 1.019-166.008) p<0.05; Protocol of Treatment of the Paediatric Haematology Oncology Society (SHOP) (94-99/89) with HR of 0.065 (CI95%: 0.005-0.008) p<0.02; and Age (>120 months/12-120 months) with a HR of 13.82 (CI95%: 0.58-329.48) p=0.1. CONCLUSIONS. The OS in our series is similar to that reported in the literature. Inmunophenotype and protocols of treatment are the most significant prognostic factors.     

Aldehyde dehydrogenase serves as a biomarker for worse survival profiles in ovarian cancer patients: an updated meta-analysis

Background

The purpose of this comprehensive meta-analysis was to assess the association of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) expression with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)/progression-free survival (PFS) in ovarian cancer patients.

Methods

Systematic searches of Pubmed databases was performed to identify relevant literature published before February 28, 2018. A total of 14 studies (13 articles) with 2210 ovarian cancer patients were pooled. All included studies were performed by using Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for detection of ALDH expression. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted from included studies to evaluate the correlation of ALDH expression with OS and DFS/PFS.

Results

High expression of ALDH was associated with worse OS (HR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.18–1.73) and poor DFS/PFS (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.12–2.14). No evidence of publication bias was observed in OS (Begg’s test, P?=?0.113; Egger’s test, P?=?0.355) and DFS/PFS (Begg’s test, P?=?0.655; Egger’s test, P?=?0.189) in ovarian cancer patients. The subgroup of studies with cut-off value of low expression showed that high expression of ALDH was correlated with poor OS (HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.14–1.62) and DFS/PFS (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.45–2.20) in ovarian cancer patients, with no observed heterogeneity (OS: I² =?0%, P?=?0.45; DFS/PFS: I² =?0%, P?=?0.55).

Conclusion

In conclusion, high expression of ALDH is correlated with worse survival profiles in ovarian cancer patients, indicating that ALDH might act as a potential molecular biomarker for prognosis of ovarian cancer.

     

Effects of dietary, drinking, and smoking habits on the prognosis of gastric cancer

Although it has been clarified that dietary, drinking, and smoking habits contribute to the onset of gastric cancer, little is known about their impact on prognosis of gastric cancer. To examine this question, a prognostic analysis was conducted using data from Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute and Hospital. From January 1988 to December 1994, information on 877 gastric cancer patients (578 men and 299 women) regarding habitual smoking and drinking, food consumption, histological grade, and clinical stage of tumor as well as follow-up results were collected. Survival status of all patients was followed up until December 1998, and the survival function was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Proportional hazard analysis was used to test the effect of each lifestyle item on gastric cancer death. After controlling for age, gender, histological grade, and stage of disease, hazard ratios (HR) were calculated. Values for consumption of raw vegetables [HR = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.56-0.98], tofu (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.42-0.99), and chicken meat (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.39-0.95) more than three times per week demonstrated significantly decreased risk. However, the risk ratio was 2.53 (95% CI = 1.22-5.29) for habitual smokers, and an inverse dose-response relationship was also found between ever smoking and gastric cancer patient survival. Therefore, this study suggested that frequent intake of raw vegetables and tofu is favorable, whereas habitual smoking is an adverse prognostic factor for gastric cancer. Our study implies that an improvement of survival of Japanese gastric cancer might be achieved by lifestyle improvement.     

水果摄入对胃癌发生影响的Meta分析

目的 通过Meta分析研究水果摄入对胃癌发生的影响.方法 通过Medline、Pubmed、Ovid数据库及万方数据库、中国期刊全文数据库、重庆维普数据库等工具检索2001年1月至2012年10月国内外发表的关于水果摄入与胃癌关系的队列研究,收集文献资料.采用Meta分析的方法对数据进行分析,根据异质性采用不同的模型对检索文献的相对危险度（RR）值及其95％可信区间（CI）值进行合并,并根据地区、随访时间、调整因素进行亚组分析.结果 共纳入队列研究文献7篇,随访人数1 173 859例,其中胃癌患者3679例;总合并效应量为0.89（95％ CI：0.78 ～ 1.01）,提示水果摄入对胃癌的发生保护性作用不具有独立性;亚组分析结果表明,随访时间≥10年的合并效应量为0.94（95％ CI：0.85 ～0.99）,调整了年龄、吸烟、饮酒等生活习惯因素的效应量为0.81（95％CI：0.54 ～0.99）,提示排除了不良生活习惯等因素的影响,水果的摄入对胃癌的发生具有保护作用.结论 水果摄入对胃癌发生具有抑制作用,建议在饮食中适当增加水果以预防胃癌的发生.     

Alcohol Consumption and Mortality in the Korean Multi-center Cancer Cohort Study

Objectives

To examine the association between alcohol consumption habit, types of beverages, alcohol consumption quantity, and overall and cancer-specific mortality among Korean adults.

Methods

The alcohol consumption information of a total of 16 320 participants who were 20 years or older from the Korean Multi-center Cancer Cohort were analyzed to examine the association between alcohol consumption habit and mortality (median follow-up of 9.3 years). The Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of alcohol consumption to mortality adjusting for age, sex, geographic areas, education, smoking status, and body mass index.

Results

Alcohol drinkers showed an increased risk for total mortality compared with never drinkers (HR, 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 2.14 for past drinkers; HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.39 for current drinkers), while past drinkers only were associated with higher risk for cancer deaths (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.34 to 2.53). The quantity of alcohol consumed per week showed a J-shaped association with risk of mortality. Relative to light drinkers (0.01 to 90 g/wk), never drinkers and heavy drinkers (>504 g/wk) had an increased risk for all-cause and cancer deaths: (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.45) and (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.83) for all-cause mortality; and (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.11) and (HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.39 to 3.09) for all cancer mortality, respectively. Heavy drinkers (>504 g/wk) showed an elevated risk for death from stomach and liver cancers.

Conclusions

The present study supports the existence of a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption quantity and the risk of all-cause and cancer deaths. Heavy drinkers had an increased risk of death from cancer overall and liver and stomach cancer.     

Blood type and family cancer history in relation to precancerous gastric lesions

BACKGROUND: The increased odds of stomach cancer among subjects with blood type A have been reported in epidemiological studies. AIM: To study the relation of family history of gastric cancer and ABO blood type with precancerous gastric lesions in a high-risk area for stomach cancer. Subjects and setting We examined 3400 adults aged 35-64 in a population-based gastric endoscopic screening in a county in China with one of the highest rates of stomach cancer in the world. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data on family cancer history, ABO blood type and other characteristics of the participants were obtained by interview and blood test. Responses were compared between those with the most advanced gastric lesions, dysplasia (DYS) or intestinal metaplasia (IM), versus those with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) or superficial gastritis (SG). RESULTS: The prevalence odds ratio (OR) for blood type A relative to other types was 1.39 (95% CI : 1.12-1.73) for DYS and 1.28 (95% CI : 1.06-1.53) for IM. The OR associated with parental history of stomach cancer was 1.88 (95% CI : 1.20-2.95) for DYS, but the numbers were too small to evaluate aggregation among siblings. The combined OR associated with blood type A and a parental of history of gastric cancer was 2.61 (95% CI : 1.59-4.30) for DYS and 1.46 (95% CI : 0.93-2.31) for IM. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that genetic factors play a role in developing precancerous gastric lesions.     

Evaluation of nutritional and inflammatory status of advanced colorectal cancer patients and its correlation with survival

The purpose of this study was to evaluate novel inflammatory and nutritional prognostic factors in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC). All ACRC patients attending the clinic for palliative treatment were eligible for study. Demographics, including performance status (PS), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (Alb), Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), weight, weight history, body mass index (BMI), and nutritional status using the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PGSGA), were collected and correlated with survival. At a median follow-up of 29.8 mo, with a minimum follow-up of 15.7 mo, the median survival was 9.9 mo (0.8-21.8 mo). Fifteen (29%) patients were newly diagnosed (stage IV colorectal cancer), and 36 (71%) had received prior chemotherapy. Although the median BMI was 27 kg/m2 (range = 17-41 kg/m2), 28 of 50 (56%) were nutritionally at risk. In fact, 19 patients (38%) were critically in need of nutrition intervention (PGSGA score of > or =9). Thirty-three of 48 patients (69%) had an elevated CRP (>10 mg/l with a median of 21.1 mg/L), and 7 patients (15%) had both a CRP of >10 mg/l and hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/l). A significant positive correlation was found between PGSGA score and CRP (P = 0.003; r = 0.430). Using univariate analysis, significantly worse survival was found for patients with poorer PS (P = 0.001), high GPS (P = 0.04), low Alb (P = 0.017), elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP; P = 0.018), PGSGA score of > 9 (P = 0.001), and PGSGA group B/C (P = 0.02). Using the Cox proportional hazard model for multivariate survival analysis, type of treatment (hazard ratio, HR = 1.48; 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.11-1.79; P = 0.005), PS (HR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.11-5.09; P = 0.026), GPS (HR = 2.27; 95% CI = 1.09-4.73; P = 0.028), and SAP (HR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.18-1.07; P =0.069) remained significant predictors of survival. These preliminary data suggest that the type of treatment, PS, GPS, and SAP are important predictors of survival in ACRC.