Objective To investigate the influence factors for immediate outcome after thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods The clinical data of 108 patients with MG who received thymectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2009 to July 2012 were retrospectively investigated, including gender, age, duration of disease, clinical classification, pathological classification of thymus and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChRab). The immediate outcome after thymectomy was also observed. Thirty-two cases of MG who had immediate outcome after thymectomy were enrolled into experimental group, while 76 cases who did not have immediate outcome after thymectomy were regarded as control group. Results The immediate outcome after thymectomy was associated with duration of disease (χ2=98.550, P<0.01), clinical classification (χ2=40.434, P<0.01), pathological classification of thymus (χ2=11.154, P=0.004) and AChRab (χ2=5.590, P=0.018). There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the one-year (31.3% in the experimental group vs 14.5% in the control group, χ2=4.046, P=0.044), two-year (40.6% vs 21.1%, χ2=4.392, P=0.036) and three-year complete remission rates (46.9% vs 25.0%, χ2=4.995, P=0.025). Conclusion Duration of disease, clinical classification, pathological classification of thymus and AChRab could be influence factors for immediate outcome and complete remission for patients with MG after thymectomy.

It is difficult to define whether the thymoma is benign or malignant because of its morphological heterogeneity. The structure of the mediastinum is complex,and the tumor′s invasion of different structures will have different effects on the prognosis of the patients. These characteristics make it difficult for clinicians to assess their prognosis. The histology classification and clinical staging were used to determine the prognosis. But the existing staging types are complex and are not well matched with the prognosis.

Objective To evaluate serum albumin (ALB) combined with hemoglobin (Hb) (ALB-Hb) in the prediction of prognosis of patients with proximal gastric cancer.Methods Clinial data of 311 patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ proximal gastric cancer who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively analyzed in Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from Sep 2001 to Nov 2014.The preoperative ALB-Hb was calculated as following:patients with both elevated serum albumin (≥40.25 g/L) and hemoglobin (≥120 in male or ≥110 g/L infemale) were given a score of 0,and patients with only one or none were given a score of 1 or2,respectively.The ALB-HB scores of 0 points had 175 cases (56.2％),1 point had 87 cases (28.0％),and 2 points had 49 cases (15.8％).The optimal cut-off value of serum albumin,platelet count and maximum tumor diameter were defined by ROC curve;Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the correlation coefficient between serum albumin and HB;Survival analysis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method.The prognostic factors for patients with proximal gastric cancer was analyzed by COX proportional hazards model.The ROC curve was used to compare the prognostic value of serum albumin,hemoglobin,and ALB-Hb.Results Patients with ALB-Hb score of 2 were associated with age,serum platelet level,and maximum tumor diameter (all P ＜ 0.05).The median survival time was 41 months (3-134 months).233 cases (74.9％) died and 78 cases (25.1％) survived as of Jan 2018.There was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) among A1B-Hb scores of 0,1,and 2 (P =0.011).Univariate analysis demonstrated that platelet count,ALB-Hb score,maximum tumor diameter,and clinical stage were related to the prognosis of patients with proximal gastric cancer (all P ＜ 0.05).By multivariate analysis there were statistically significant differences in pathological parameters:ALB-Hb score (HR =1.249,95％ CI 1.047-1.489,P =0.013),maximum tumor diameter (HR =1.352,95％ CI 1.016-1.799,P=0.038) and TNM clinical stage (HR=1.667 95％ CI 1.266-2.194,P＜0.001) is an independent risk factor for prognosis.ALB-Hb score compared to serum albumin and hemoglobin alone,has a higher AUC value (P =0.019).Conclusions The preoperative ALB-Hb score is superior to serum albumin or hemoglobin alone in assessing the prognosis for patients with stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ proximal gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Fibrinogen and platelets have been reported to play important roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. The aim of this research was to investigate the combination of functions of fibrinogen, platelets, and mean platelet volume (MPV) in predicting the survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 1,946 patients with GC and 299 patients with benign gastric tumor to analyze their fibrinogen, platelet, and MPV levels, and other clinicopathological characteristics along with their prognoses. Several indicators were evaluated along with fibrinogen, platelets, and MPV and their prognostic abilities were assessed. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted to determine the independent risk factors for overall survival. RESULTS: Increased levels of fibrinogen, platelets, and MPV were observed with the progress of the GC stages. Elevated fibrinogen, platelets, and the combined indicators, including fibrinogen*MPV (FM), platelet*fibrinogen*MPV (PFM), fibrinogen/MPV (FMR), platelet*fibrinogen (PF), platelet*fibrinogen/MPV (PFMR), platelet*MPV (PM), and platelet/MPV (PMR), foreboded poor prognosis. Meanwhile fibrinogen and FMR can be considered as independent risk factors for overall survival in patients with non-metastatic GC. But these indicators can hardly predict survival of patients in stage IV. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated fibrinogen, platelets, and MPV levels were in accordance with advanced stages, and fibrinogen, platelet, and MPV, in combination, can be used to predict survival of patients with non-metastatic GC. FMR was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival of patients with GC.
Blood Platelets ; Carcinogenesis ; Fibrinogen* ; Humans ; Mean Platelet Volume* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Objective:To compare the ability of platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in evaluating the prognosis of patients with TNM stageⅠto Ⅲ gastric cancer.Methods:From May 2001 to December 2013, the clinicopathological data of 645 patients with gastric cancer treated at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was used to analyze the differences between NLR, and PLR and clinicopathological characteristics of patients. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were performed to compare the overall survival of patients. Cox proportional hazards regression model was performed to analyze the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. The ability of NLR and PLR to evaluate the prognosis of gastric cancer was compared by receiver operating characteristic curve.Results:The cutoff values of PLR and NLR were 141.50 and 1.94, respectively. PLR was associated with gender, resection method, maximum diameter of tumor, whether chemotherapy, T-stage, N-stage, TNM stage, tumor location, white blood cell, hemoglobin, albumin, and whether total gastrectomy ( χ2=9.224, 10.577, 28.825, 6.831, 29.059, 28.637, 30.748, 18.023, 24.320, 77.274, 9.021 and 10.745, all P<0.05). NLR were associated with resection method, maximum diameter of tumor, T-stage, N-stage and TNM stage, white blood cell, hemoglobin and albumin ( χ2=14.563, 12.092, 22.697, 44.735, 34.151, 7.949, 9.611 and 7.498, all P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that resection method, whether chemotherapy, T-stage, N-stage, PLR and whether total gastrectomy were all independent risk factors for gastric cancer patients ( χ2=23.653, 22.023, 16.697, 24.038, 4.110 and 22.364, all P<0.05). The five-year cumulative survival rate of the patients with PLR<141.50 was higher than that of patients with PLR≥141.50 (55.4% vs. 30.5%), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=47.968, P<0.01). The AUC value of PLR in prognostic evaluation of gastric cancer was 0.629, which was higher than that of NLR (0.596, P<0.01). Conclusion:PLR is better than NLR in the prognostic evaluation of gastric cancer patients.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.Methods 287 gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis were enrolled from Jan 2010 to Dec 2016.Results Compared with PNI ＞ 45,patients in PNI≤45 group were elder [(59 ± 11) vs.(54 ± 11),t =3.734,P =0.000],lower albumin [(35 ± 4) g/L vs.(42 ± 4)g/L,t =15.988,P =0.003)],lower plasm hemoglobin concentration [(110 ± 22)g/L vs.(129 ±24) g/L,t =6.245,P =0.000),higher platelet count/lymphocyte count ratio [PLR,(210 ± 89) vs.(150 ± 66),t =6.547,P =0.000],higher neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio [NLR,(3.7 ± 2.9)vs.(2.4 ± 1.2),t =4.628,P =0.000],lower percentage of pallative gastrectomy (45.5％ to 58.5％,x2 =4.45,P =0.035).Logistic regression analysis showed that age ＞ 58-years,NLR ＞ 2.87,PLR ＞ 170,hemoglobin ≤ 130 g/L,local organ infiltration were risk factors leading to low-PNI (all P ＜ 0.05).The median survival time for all patients was 8.7 months.Univariate analysis revealed that,PNI ＞ 45,serum albumin ＞ 40 g/L,no ascites,lower-grade of peritoneal metastasis,pallative gastrectomy,postoperation chemotherapy were positively associated with better prognosis (all P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate analysis demonstarted that,PNI (HR =0.717,P =0.039).Grade of peritoneal metastasis (HR =1.206,P =0.044),pallative gastrectomy (HR =1.529,P =0.001) were independent prognostic risk factors for the patients with peritoneal metastasis.Conclusion PNI are both predictors of nutrition assessment and of prognosis for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.

OBJECTIVETo compare clinicopathological features and prognosis between patients with carcinoma in the remnant stomach (CRS) and with gastric cancer, and to investigate the prognostic factors in CRS patients.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study was performed on clinicopathological data of 96 CRS patients (CRS group) and selected 440 patients with gastric cancer (GC group) treated at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 1977 to December 2017.

INCLUSION CRITERIA(1) undergoing gastrectomy; (2) diagnosed with CRS or gastric cancer through electronic gastroscopies and pathology; (3) without preoperative neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy; (4) complete clinicopathological and follow-up data. The patients who died of other reasons or were lost during follow-up were excluded. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used to determine differences in clinicopathological factors between two groups. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-rank test was used to compare survival difference between two groups. The prognosis of CRS patients was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTSAs compared to GC group, CRS group had a higher proportion of female [30.2%(29/96) vs. 13.2%(58/ 440), χ=14.095, P=0.000], younger age [(56.4±10.1) years vs. (60.0±9.9) years, t=2.838, P=0.005], more distant metastasis and local organ infiltration [25.0%(24/96) vs. 16.1%(71/440), χ=4.246, P=0.039; 64.6% (62/96) vs. 24.5% (108/440), χ=58.331, P=0.000], lower prognostic nutritional index [(48.0±6.7) vs. (50.4±6.9), t=3.093, P=0.002], lower serum hemoglobin level [(115.0±24.7) g/L vs. (127.9±24.6) g/L, t=4.634, P=0.000], lower serum albumin level [(40.0±4.9) g/L vs. (41.2±5.0) g/L, t=2.038, P=0.042], and earlier occurrence of symptoms [(1.9±1.4) months vs. (3.7±3.2) months, t=5.431, P=0.000]. However, there were no statistically significant differences in TNM staging, postoperative hospital stay, and total hospitalization days between the two groups (all P>0.05). During follow-up, 24(25.0%) patients developed recurrence or distant metastasis and 68 (70.8%) patients died of tumor progression in CRS group, while 71(16.1%) patients developed recurrence or distant metastasis and 378(85.9%) patients died of tumor progression in GC group. The 5-year survival rate of CRS patients was 23.4%, which was higher than 15.0% of gastric cancer patients (P=0.032). Univariate analysis showed that the CRS patients with radical operation (P=0.000), earlier TNM stage (P=0.000), non-distant metastasis (P=0.022), serum hemoglobin level >130 g/L(P=0.013), and serum album level >40 g/L (P=0.042) had better prognosis. Multivariate analysis, enrolling above 5 factors, showed that TNM staging (HR=2.363, 95%CI: 1.478-3.776, P=0.000) and serum hemoglobin level >130 g/L(HR=0.449, 95%CI: 0.244-0.827, P=0.010) were independent factors influencing prognosis of CRS patients.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough CRS patients have better prognosis than gastric cancer patients, but local organ invasion and distant metastasis occurs more readily. TNM staging and serum hemoglobin level are independent prognostic factors for CRS patients.

Aged ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Stump ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinicopathological features and the prognosis between patients with adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) and with adenocarcinoma of gastric antrum (AGA), and to investigate the prognostic factors of AEG and AGA. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on clinicopathological data of 239 AEG patients (AEG group) and 313 AGA patients selected simultaneously (AGA group) undergoing operation at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2001 to December 2012. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) receiving radical surgery (R0 resection); (2) AEG or AGA confirmed by pathological examination of postoperative tissue specimens; (3) without preoperative neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy; (4) complete clinicopathological and follow-up data; (5) patients who died of non-tumor-related causes were excluded. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used to determine differences in clinicopathological factors between two groups. The overall survival (OS) of patients was compared by Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test. Multivariate prognosis analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: As compared to AGA group, AEG group had higher proportion of male [82.0%(196/239) vs. 65.2%(204/313),χ²=19.243,P<0.001], older age [(60±10) years vs. (55±12) years, t=4.895, P<0.001], larger tumor diameter [(5.6±2.4) cm vs. (5.0±3.3) cm, t=2.480,P=0.013], more T4 stage[64.8%(155/239) vs. 55.6%(174/313),Z=-3.998, P<0.001], and more advanced tumor stage [stage III:60.7%(145/239) vs. 55.6%(174/313),Z=-2.564,P=0.010]. There were no statistically significant differences in serum albumin or hemoglobin between two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year OS rate was 33.5% and 56.9% in AEG group and AGA group respectively and the median OS was 60.0(3.0-60.0) months and 33.6(3.0-60.0) months respectively; the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). In AEG group, univariate analysis showed that differences of hemoglobin level (5-year OS rate: 24.0% for <130 g/L, 39.9% for ≥130 g/L, P=0.006), tumor diameter (5-year OS rate: 41.9% for <5 cm,28.8% for ≥5 cm, P=0.014), N stage (5-year OS rate: 42.2% for N0, 40.9% for N1, 31.7% for N2, 15.8% for N3a, 9.0% for N3b, P<0.001) and TNM stage (5-year OS rate: 56.2% for stage I, 38.5% for stage II, 28.3% for stage III,P=0.017) were statistically significant (all P<0.05); multivariate analysis revealed that the worse N stage was an independent risk factor of prognosis survival for AEG patients(HR=1.404,95%CI:1.164-1.693, P<0.001), and serum hemoglobin level ≥130 g/L was an independent protective factor of prognosis survival for AEG patients (HR=0.689,95%CI:0.501-0.946,P=0.021). In AGA group, univariate analysis showed that differences of serum albumin (5-year OS rate: 49.1% for <40 g/L, 61.1% for ≥ 40 g/L, P=0.021), tumor diameter (5-year OS rate: 74.2% for <5 cm, 39.9% for ≥ 5 cm, P<0.001), T stage (5-year OS rate: 98.3% for T1,83.3% for T2,50.0% for T3,36.8% for T4, P<0.001), N stage (5-year OS rate: 89.0% for N0, 62.3% for N1, 50.0% for N2, 33.9% for N3a, 10.3% for N3b, P<0.001) and TNM stage (5-year OS rate: 97.3% for stage I, 75.8% for stage II, 32.8% for stage III, P<0.001) were statistically significant (all P<0.05); multivariate analysis revealed that the worse T stage (HR=1.516,95%CI:1.060-2.167,P=0.023) and the worse N stage (HR=1.453,95%CI:1.209-1.747,P<0.001) were independent risk factors for prognosis of AGA patients. CONCLUSIONS As compared to AGA, AEG presents have poorer prognosis,and is easier to present with later pathological stage and larger tumor diameter. N stage and hemoglobin level are independent factors associated with the OS of AEG patients. T stage and N stage are independent factors associated with the OS of AGA patients.
Adenocarcinoma ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Esophagogastric Junction ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Pyloric Antrum ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery