Objective:To investigate the relationship between EGFR mutations and pulmonary tuberculosis in lung adenocarcino-ma. Methods:We detected EGFR mutations in 506 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by PCR amplification and sequencing and ana-lyzed the relationship between the mutations observed and pulmonary tuberculosis. Survival analysis was performed using the Ka-plan-Meier method with log-rank tests. Result:A total of 218 patients showed EGFR mutations;of these patients, 25 had a clinical his-tory of pulmonary tuberculosis. Compared with lung adenocarcinoma patients with no history of tuberculosis, patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis showed higher incidence rates of EGFR mutations, especially of exon 21 (P=0.047, P=0.002). Higher incidence rates of EGFR mutations, especially of exon 21, were observed in patients with lung cancer and tuberculosis in the same lobe or the same side of the lung than in those who had lung cancer and tuberculosis in opposite sides of the lung (P=0.02, P=0.03). Survival analy-sis showed that adenocarcinoma patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis have 2-year survival rates lower than that of adeno-carcinoma patients with no history of the disease (P=0.039). In patients adenocarcinoma associated with tuberculosis patients without EGFR-TKIs treatment, the 2-year survival rates of EGFR mutation patients and those without EGFR mutation showed no statistically significant difference (P=0.948). At the same time, we got the same results in adenocarcinoma associated with tuberculosis patients with EGFR-TKIs treatment (P=0.425). Conclusion:Lung adenocarcinoma patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis have high-er incidence rates of EGFR mutations, and EGFR mutations are not related to disease prognosis.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the protein expression of coxsackie-virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in partial subtypes of pulmonary adeno-carcinoma, as well as its expression with clinico-pathological factors and prognosis. Methods:CAR expression was immunohistochemically assessed in 137 cases of lung cancer with bronchiole-alveolar carcinoma (PWBF) fea-tures, and analyzed in relation to various clinico-pathological parameters. All data were analyzed using SPSS statistics software, and Ka-plan-Meier survival curves were constructed. A Log-rank test was also conducted. Results: The CAR positive rates in PWBF, other types of lung cancer, and normal lung tissue were 71.5%, 50.0%, and 13.3%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In addition, a statistically significant difference was observed between the positive expression of CAR and other clini-co-pathologic parameters, such as pathological type and histological differentiation. No statistical significance was observed in other pa-rameters, such as gender, age, smoking, and tumor diameter. Patients with CAR positivity were characterized by longer survival times than the others;however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion:CAR is related to the occurrence and devel-opment of lung cancer, especially PWBF. The higher expression of CAR in PWBF for gene therapy with adenovirus vectors opened a broader space. The conspicuous regulation of CAR may be reliable evidence and may bright future for the gene therapy of other types of lung cancer.

Objective: To discuss the clinical features of basaloid squamous carcinoma(BSC)and the factors relating to its prognosis and to compare patient survival between poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma(PDSC)and BSC. Methods: Clinical and pathological data of BSC and PDSC cases seen in our hospital between January 2004 and December 2008 were reviewed. Results: There were no statistical differences in demographic and clinical features between PDSC and BSC patients,with the exception that a larger proportion of BSC patients were female(P=-0.001).Additionally,higher tobacco consumption was observed among BSC male patients (P=0.003).There were no significant differences in survival rate between BSC and PDSC groups(X2=0.03,P=0.5470).The median survival time of BSC and PDSC patients was 19 months and 30 months，respectively.The 4-year survival rate was 22.4%and 36.1%，respectively(u=0.740,P=0.230).No significant difference was found in survival rate between stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ patients(X~2=0.109，P=0.2974).The median survival time of stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ patients was 19 months and 46 months，respectively；and the 4-year survival rate of stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ patients was 47.3% and 45.2%，respectively(u=0.122，P=0.450).Using Cox proportional hazard model，we found that surgical types and clinical stages of BSC were correlated with its prognosis.Compared with that of patients who received lobectomy,the postoperative mortality hazard of patients who received pneumonectomy and segmentectomy was increased by 1.379 times(P=0.031)and 1.634 times(P=0.061)，respectively.A more advanced clinical stage was associated with an increase in the postoperative morta,ty hazard ratio(X~2=14.12,P=0.000).The postoperative mortality hazard of patients of stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ was 2.437 times higher than that of stage Ⅰ patients(P=0.018).There were no statistical differences in postoperative mortality risk between stage Ⅰ patients and stage Ⅱ patients(P=0.057). Conclusion: Compared with that of PDSC,the incidence of BSC is higher among females.However,there is no difference in the prognosis between BSC and PDSC.BSC can be treated with the same therapies as those for other types of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).

Objective To investigate the expression of CXCR7 in gastric carcinoma tissues and the role of CXCR7 in tumor growth, adhesion and invasion of gastric cancer. Methods The expression levels of CXCR7, Survivin, CD44v6 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 were detected by immunnohistochemistry method in gastric cancer specimens came from 160 patients (gastric cancer group) and 30 specimens of normal gastric tissues (control group). Results The expression of CXCR7 protein was significantly higher in gastric cancer group than that of control group (P<0.05). The positive CXCR7 staining was significantly different with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and clinical staging ( P<0.05). CXCR7 expression was positively correlated with Survivin, CD44v6 and MMP-3. Conclusion CXCR7 might take part in progression of gastric cancer by anti-apoptosis (Survivin). CXCR7 might take part in the lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer and mediate the adhesion and invasion by CD44v6 and MMP-3.

Malignant pheochromocytomas are rare tumors that arise from chromaffin tissue, and the diagnostic criterion of malig-nancy is based on the development of metastases. In the case a patient suffers the tumor with liver, lung and bone metastases. However, the test results of tumor markers, gastroscopy, chest and abdominal CT, and PET-CT examination are hard to make a definite diagnosis. The patient was finally diagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma with liver, lung and bone metastases following the needle biopsy of liver and underwent the excision of a right adrenal pheochromocytoma. Therapeutic standard for the malignant pheochromocytomas is not available so far. It is reported that chemotherapeutic CVD regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and daecarbazine) and suni-tinib may be effectual in the alike cases. The patient received two cycles of CVD and one cycle of sunitinib, nevertheless, slow progres-sion of the disease remained after the treatment. The results of multi-disciplinary treatment have suggested that 131I-MIBG may just be a choice for this patient.