Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

Patients with cancer are at high risk of malnutrition, which is the most common complication and independent risk factor for death in cancer patients. This article elaborates on the creation and structure of the diagnostic and treatment systems for cancer malnutrition in China, as well as the process from the initial understanding to the gradual establishment and continuous innovative development of the these systems. It briefly describes the commonly used methods for cancer nutrition screening and assessment in clinical practice at present and introduces the new methods in clinical application in recent years. The aim is to provide reference basis for further optimizing this diagnostic and treatment system, thereby improving the diagnosis and treatment level of cancer malnutrition in China, thus, enhancing the prognosis of patients and reducing the medical expenses.

The cost economics of early-stage lung cancer treatments is a key focus in the field of lung cancer. The primary treatment modalities for early-stage lung cancer include radiotherapy and thoracic surgery, each offering distinct advantages in therapeutic outcomes and costs. To better understand the cost-effectiveness of radiotherapy versus thoracic surgery for early-stage lung cancer, this paper reviews the progress of recent research on economic evaluations of these two treatment approaches.

Ultrasound-guided local ablation therapy for liver tumors has extensive clinical application because of its minimal invasiveness, proven effectiveness, low complication rates, and suitability for repeat treatments. Ultrasound-guided interventional therapy has continuously evolved in terms of the following: technological advancements, from the initial utilization of percutaneous ethanol injection to thermal ablation therapies exemplified by radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation and presently advancing toward emerging techniques such as irreversible electroporation; imaging methods, from conventional ultrasound guidance to contrast-enhanced ultrasound and fusion imaging for precise guidance and assessment; supplementary strategies, from monotherapy to auxiliary method and synergistic therapy; and innovative treatment concepts, from early-stage small hepatocellular carcinoma to intermediate and even large liver cancers. The development of ultrasound-guided local ablation of liver cancers has progressed from an initial phase of rapid advancement to a mature stage characterized by further enhancements. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the status of technical equipment, treatment processes, efficacy, complications, and challenges encountered in ultrasound-guided local ablation for liver tumors, with the objective of offering valuable insights for interventional ultrasound physicians.

Objective To investigate the expression of ubiquitin binding enzyme E2T (UBE2T) in breast cancer (BRCA) and its role and mechanism in the prognosis of BRCA patients. Methods The Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to analyze UBE2T expression in BRCA tissues, and the effects of UBE2T expression on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curve. In vitro, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to confirm the knock-down and overexpression efficiency, to analyze its effect on tumor cell biological behavior. The effect of UBE2T on cell epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) was studied by Western blot. A xenograft tumor model was established to verify the effect of UBE2T knockdown on the growth of BRCA cells in vivo. Results The UBE2T expression levels in BRCA and adjacent tissues were statistically different (P<0.001), and the expression was increased in tissues with distant metastasis or late stage (all P<0.05). The DFS and OS were decreased in the UBE2T high-level group (both P<0.05). UBE2T was highly expressed in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and lowly expressed in MDA-MB-361 cells (all P<0.01). After UBE2T was silenced by shRNA, the proliferation ability of tumor cells significantly decreased, whereas it increased after UBE2T up-expression (all P<0.05). The apoptotic rates of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in the silent groups were significantly higher than those in the shNC groups, while the apoptotic rates of MAD-MB-361 cells in the overexpression group decreased (all P<0.001). The mobility in the knockdown groups were lower than in the shNC groups, while the mobility in the overexpression group significantly increased (both P<0.01). The migration and invasion cells in the shUBE2T groups were lower than those in the shNC groups, and the migration and invasion cells in the UBE2T group were higher than those in the vector group (all P<0.01). Downregulation of UBE2T decreased the expression levels of N-cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin (all P<0.05) and increased that of E-cadherin; however, the result of UBE2T upregulation was opposite (all P<0.01). TIMER results showed that UBE2T was positively correlated with E-cadherin (P<0.001), N-cadherin (P=0.013), and Snail (P<0.001) and negatively correlated with Vimentin (P<0.001). In vivo experiments showed that downregulation of UBE2T slowed down the growth of transplanted tumors. Conclusion UBE2T is highly expressed in BRCA tissues and may affect the prognosis. UBE2T can promote the proliferation of BRCA cells, inhibit apoptosis, and increase the migration and invasion abilities by changing the expression levels of EMT-related proteins.

Objective To investigate the effect of SerpinA5 on the malignant biological behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its molecular mechanism. Methods The expression levels of the SerpinA5 gene in various tumors and adjacent normal tissues were analyzed by using the TIMER2.0 database. The expression levels of SerpinA5 in the ESCC cell line and esophageal epithelial cells were detected through Western blot analysis. Stably transfected KYSE150 cell line with overexpression of SerpinA5 was constructed through lentiviral transfection, and overexpression efficiency was detected via Western blot analysis. The effects of SerpinA5 overexpression on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of ESCC cells were detected by employing the CCK8, plate cloning, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays. The nude mice subcutaneous xenograft model with SerpinA5 overexpression was constructed. Tumor growth was observed, and tumor volume and mass were measured. The cell proliferation level of the subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice was detected via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was employed to determine the interaction between SerpinA5 and Fn. Western blot analysis was applied to detect the expression levels of proteins (Fn, Integrin-β1, FAK, and p-FAK) related to the Fn/Integrin-β1 signaling pathway in transplanted tumors. Results SerpinA5 was expressed at low levels in ESCC tissues and cell lines. In ESCC cells, SerpinA5 overexpression can considerably inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promote cell apoptosis. In the subcutaneous xenograft experiment on nude mice, the tumor volume and weight of the SerpinA5 overexpression group were lower than those of the negative control group. IHC results demonstrated that SerpinA5 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation of ESCC cells in tumor tissues. Co-IP confirmed the interaction between SerpinA5 and Fn. Western blot analysis results showed that the expression levels of Fn, Integrin-β1, and p-FAK in the Fn/Integrin-β1 signaling pathway of ESCC cells in the subcutaneous xenograft tumors of nude mice significantly decreased after SerpinA5 overexpression. Conclusion Serpin A5 may inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion and promote apoptosis of ESCC cells by regulating the Fn/Integrin-β1 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the research hotspots and development trends in the field of cancer treatment in the past decade. Methods The CNKI and Web of Science Core Collection databases were searched for Chinese and English articles related to cancer treatment published over the last 10 years. Bibliometric research methods were employed, including keyword cluster analysis of published literature. Results A total of 45 455 Chinese articles and 866 958 English articles were retrieved. Combining the visualization analysis results and the current research dilemma of tumor treatment revealed that the current research hotspots of tumor treatment domestically and internationally can primarily focus on four key areas. In the realm of targeted therapy, efforts are directed towards the discovery of new drug targets, overcoming resistance to targeted therapy, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates. In the field of immunotherapy, the emphasis lies in enhancing the response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors, determining the mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy, and improving the safety of treatment. The research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) covers evidence-based evaluation studies on TCM treatment, the identification of populations that can gain the most benefit from TCM, and strategies for improving the quality of life. In the area of novel drug development, cutting-edge technologies, such as organoid-based screening for anticancer drugs, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, are under investigation. Conclusion New targeted drugs, immune efficacy improvement, multidisciplinary integration, nano-delivery, and TCM innovation are the key research directions in the field of tumor therapy in the future.

Objective To investigate the relationship between cyclin A2 (CCNA2) and the prognosis of colon cancer, and its possible mechanism from the perspective of immune infiltration. Methods We downloaded the transcriptome data of colon cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Clinicopathological feature analysis and survival analysis were performed based on the expression levels of CCNA2. A total of 75 specimens of colon cancer and normal tissues were collected, and the expression level of CCNA2 was analyzed using immunohistochemical methods. Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore its relationship with clinicopathological features. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to assess the potential molecular functions of CCNA2 in colon cancer. CIBERSORT algorithm was applied to calculate the correlation between CCNA2 and immune-cell infiltration in colon cancer. Results Database and immunohistochemical analyses indicated that CCNA2 was expressed at a significantly higher level in colon cancer tissues than normal tissues (P<0.001). The overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval were all longer in the group with high CCNA2 expression than the group with low expression (all P<0.05). In tumor tissues, the expression level of CCNA2 decreased with increased pathological and TNM stages (P<0.05). The expression level of CCNA2 in normal tissues was consistently lower than that in colon cancer tissues across all clinical stages (all P<0.001). GSEA suggested that Wnt/β-catenin, KRAS, and other signaling pathways were enriched when CCNA2 was lowly expressed. CIBERSORT analysis revealed an increase in the infiltration of immune cells such as regulatory T cells and macrophages M0 when CCNA2 expression was low. Conclusion CCNA2 is highly expressed in colon cancer and closely associated with grade of pathology and TNM stage. It may recruit regulatory T cells through the KRAS and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, thereby reducing immune-cell infiltration and promoting colon cancer progression, leading to poor prognosis.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of pazopanib combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced synovial sarcoma (SS). Methods A total of 64 patients with advanced SS treated with pazopanib combined with different chemotherapy regimens were selected. Among them, 26 patients received first-line chemotherapy regimen, 19 patients received second-line chemotherapy regimen, and 19 patients received third-line chemotherapy regimen. The therapeutic efficacy and safety of different treatment regimens were evaluated. Results Out of the 64 patients, 33 achieved partial response (PR), 12 had stable disease (SD), and 19 experienced progression disease (PD). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 51.6% (33/64) and 70.3% (45/64), respectively, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.55 months (95%CI: 6.320–8.780 months). Among the 26 patients treated with the first-line chemotherapy regimen, the ORR was 65.4% (17/26), the DCR was 73.1% (19/26), and the median PFS was 9.167 months (95%CI: 6.362–11.971 months). For the 19 patients receiving second-line chemotherapy regimen, the ORR was 47.4% (9/19), the DCR was 73.7% (14/19), and the median PFS was 7.55 months (95%CI: 6.054–9.046 months). Among the 19 patients treated with the third-line chemotherapy regimen, the ORR was 36.8% (7/19), the DCR was 63.2% (12/19), and the median PFS was 6.09 months (95%CI: 3.158–9.022 months). The majority of adverse events were grade Ⅰ/Ⅱ, whereas grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ adverse events rarely occurred. No deaths occurred during the course of treatment. Conclusion Pazopanib combined with chemotherapy shows good efficacy in the treatment of advanced SS, with acceptable adverse events.

Objective To examine the current status and trends of colorectal cancer (CRC) burden among Chinese residents from 1990 to 2021. Methods Data on CRC burden in China, Asia, and the global population from 1990 to 2021 were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease database for descriptive analysis. An age-period-cohort model was employed to estimate the effects of age, period, and cohort on CRC mortality and to forecast changes in disease burden. Results In 2021, China’s age-standardized mortality rate, prevalence rate, and DALY rate for CRC were higher than global and Asian averages. The estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) from 1990 to 2021 were −0.49% (95%CI: −0.55% to −0.43%) for mortality, 3.17% (95%CI: 3.03%−3.31%) for prevalence, and −0.62% (95%CI: −0.71% to −0.54%) for DALYs. Areas with high and medium-high sociodemographic indexes (SDIs) showed significant decreases in standardized mortality and DALY rates, but these rates remained higher compared with other regions. CRC mortality increased with age in the Chinese population, more prominently in males than in females. Using the 2002–2006 period as a reference (RR=1), the period effect on CRC mortality risk for women was higher than that for men until 2004, after which it declined considerably. With the 1957 birth cohort as a reference (RR=1), CRC mortality risk generally decreased across subsequent birth cohorts. Predictions indicate that by 2035, the standardized prevalence rate will be 267.21 per 100 000, and the standardized mortality rate will be 12.29 per 100 000. Conclusion From 1990 to 2021, China’s age-standardized CRC mortality and DALY rates have decreased, while the standardized prevalence rate has increased. These findings suggest the government to establish a comprehensive multi-level CRC prevention network.