Objective:To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and associated risk factors on the prognosis of patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1593 breast cancer patients who underwent PMBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between January 2010 and October 2023. Patients were divided into an RT group ( n = 351) and a non-RT group ( n =1242) based on whether postoperative radiotherapy was administered. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of revision surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for pairing. Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t-tests, while categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze survival influencing factors, and include propensity factors with P<0.2 in univariate analysis into multivariate analysis. Results:In the RT group, there were 3 deaths (0.9%) and 21 cases of disease progression (6.0%); in the non-RT group, 7 patients died (0.56%) and 40 experienced disease progression (3.22%). The median OS was 20.1 months (range: 0.1-164.9), and the median PFS was 19.5 months (range: 0.1-160.9). Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and higher N stage were identified as significant risk factors for OS, while neoadjuvant therapy, absence of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and higher T stage were significant risk factors affecting patients' PFS. Radiotherapy significantly reduced the survival risk for PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or those receiving neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.019, 0.027). Compared with other reconstruction methods, implant-based reconstruction was associated with a lower incidence of postmastectomy revision surgery(10.5% vs. 17.0%, P<0.001). Even after radiotherapy, the revision surgery incidence for implant-based reconstruction remained lower than that of other methods (12.2% vs. 14.2%, P=0.591). Compared with other reconstruction types, expander-based reconstruction was associated with an increased incidence of revision surgery (31.9% vs. 10.9%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Postmastectomy radiotherapy can reduce survival risk in PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or who received neoadjuvant therapy, showing positive effects on OS and PFS in high-risk patients. Pregnancy, higher T/N stage, and specific treatment strategies are critical factors influencing the prognosis of PMBR patients. Implant-based reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of revision surgery, which remains low even after RT, whereas expander-based reconstruction may increase the long-term risk of revision surgery.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and associated risk factors on the prognosis of patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1593 breast cancer patients who underwent PMBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between January 2010 and October 2023. Patients were divided into an RT group ( n = 351) and a non-RT group ( n =1242) based on whether postoperative radiotherapy was administered. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of revision surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for pairing. Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t-tests, while categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze survival influencing factors, and include propensity factors with P<0.2 in univariate analysis into multivariate analysis. Results:In the RT group, there were 3 deaths (0.9%) and 21 cases of disease progression (6.0%); in the non-RT group, 7 patients died (0.56%) and 40 experienced disease progression (3.22%). The median OS was 20.1 months (range: 0.1-164.9), and the median PFS was 19.5 months (range: 0.1-160.9). Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and higher N stage were identified as significant risk factors for OS, while neoadjuvant therapy, absence of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and higher T stage were significant risk factors affecting patients' PFS. Radiotherapy significantly reduced the survival risk for PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or those receiving neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.019, 0.027). Compared with other reconstruction methods, implant-based reconstruction was associated with a lower incidence of postmastectomy revision surgery(10.5% vs. 17.0%, P<0.001). Even after radiotherapy, the revision surgery incidence for implant-based reconstruction remained lower than that of other methods (12.2% vs. 14.2%, P=0.591). Compared with other reconstruction types, expander-based reconstruction was associated with an increased incidence of revision surgery (31.9% vs. 10.9%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Postmastectomy radiotherapy can reduce survival risk in PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or who received neoadjuvant therapy, showing positive effects on OS and PFS in high-risk patients. Pregnancy, higher T/N stage, and specific treatment strategies are critical factors influencing the prognosis of PMBR patients. Implant-based reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of revision surgery, which remains low even after RT, whereas expander-based reconstruction may increase the long-term risk of revision surgery.

Background::Breast cancer is ranked among the most prevalent malignancies in the Chinese female population. However, comprehensive reports detailing the latest epidemiological data and attributable disease burden have not been extensively documented.Methods::In 2018, high-quality cancer surveillance data were recorded in 700 population-based cancer registries in China. We extracted data on female breast cancers (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10]: C50) and estimated the incidence and mortality in 2022 according to the baseline data and corresponding trends from 2010 to 2018. Pathological types were classified according to the ICD for Oncology, 3rd Edition codes. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of the years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs).Results::In 2022, approximately 357,200 new female breast cancer cases and 75,000 deaths occurred in China, accounting for 15.59% and 7.94% of total new cancer cases and deaths, respectively. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 33.04 per 100,000. When analyzed by pathological type, the ASIRs for papillary neoplasms, invasive breast carcinoma, rare and salivary gland-type tumors, and other types were 1.13, 29.79, 0.24, and 1.88 per 100,000, respectively. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) was 6.10 per 100,000. A total of 2,628,000 DALYs were found to be attributable to female breast cancer in China, comprising 2,278,300 YLLs and 349,700 YLDs. The ASIR, ASMR, and age-standardized rate (ASR) for DALYs in urban areas were consistently higher than those in rural areas. We observed a four-fold increase in the ASIR and ASR for DALYs and an eight-fold increase in the ASMR among females over 55 years compared with those aged under 55 years.Conclusion::These data provide invaluable insights into the latest epidemiology of female breast cancer in China and highlight the urgency for disease prevention and control strategy formulation.

Objective:To explore the interleukin-31 protein expression in the hypertrophic scar of incision tissue after surgery and its underlying pathological impact.Methods:From February 2022 to February 2023, three HS patients scar tissue (HS) and their normal skin tissue (Control, NS) were obtained. Two patients were female and one patient was male. The tissues were fixed in 4% formalin and embedded in paraffin. Haematoxylin-eosin (HE) stain and immunohistochemical stain were used to evaluate the epidermal thickness, myofibroblasts of dermis and the expression level of IL-31 between HS and NS.Results:The epidermis thickness was (303.88±46.03) μm in HS group, while (133.02±17.40) μm in NS group ( t=12.60, P<0.001). The expression level of IL-31 protein was measured by IRS score and positive cell density. The IRS score was 9.89±2.03 of the basal layer in HS group and was 4.33±1.66 of the basal layer in NS group. The positive cell density was 786 343.83±159 627.97 of the basal layer in HS group ( P<0.001) and was 555 457.61±128 097.21 of the basal layer in NS group ( P=0.014). In the dermis layer, the IRS score was 7.11±1.05 in HS group and was 4.33±0.71 in NS group, the positive cell density was 156 760.97±26 046.10 in HS group ( P<0.001) and was 49 576.01±52 369.33 in NS group ( P<0.001). In the dermis layer, the count of myofibroblasts was 120.44±15.75 in HS group while was 27.39±14.89 in NS group ( t=23.79, P<0.001). Conclusions:Our study demonstrates that both myofibroblast count and IL-31 protein expression level are notably increased in HS patients. The expression of IL-31 protein is prominent in the cytoplasm of myofibroblasts, basal cells, macrophages and mast cells which could implicate that IL-31 may be a potential therapeutic target to enhance the resolution of HS.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis is the main cause of tumor-associated death and mainly responsible for treatment failure of breast cancer. Autophagy accelerates tumor metastasis. In our work, we aimed to investigate the possibility of microRNAs (miRNAs) which participate in the regulation of autophagy to inhibit tumor metastasis. METHODS: MiRNA array and comprehensive analysis were performed to identify miRNAs which participated in the regulation of autophagy to inhibit tumor metastasis. The expression levels of miR-3653 in breast cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In vivo and in vitro assays were conducted to determine the function of miR-3653. The target genes of miR-3653 were detected by a dual luciferase reporter activity assay and Western blot. The relationship between miR-3653 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed by Western blot. Student's t -test was used to analyze the difference between any two groups, and the difference among multiple groups was analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and a Bonferroni post hoc test. RESULTS: miR-3653 was downregulated in breast cancer cells with high metastatic ability, and high expression of miR-3653 blocked autophagic flux in breast cancer cells. Clinically, low expression of miR-3653 in breast cancer tissues (0.054 ± 0.013 vs . 0.131 ± 0.028, t  = 2.475, P  = 0.014) was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (0.015 ± 0.004 vs . 0.078 ± 0.020, t  = 2.319, P  = 0.023) and poor prognosis ( P  < 0.001). miR-3653 ameliorated the malignant phenotypes of breast cancer cells, including proliferation, migration (MDA-MB-231: 0.353 ± 0.013 vs . 1.000 ± 0.038, t  = 16.290, P  < 0.001; MDA-MB-468: 0.200 ± 0.014 vs . 1.000 ± 0.043, t  = 17.530, P  < 0.001), invasion (MDA-MB-231: 0.723 ± 0.056 vs . 1.000 ± 0.035, t  = 4.223, P  = 0.013; MDA-MB-468: 0.222 ± 0.016 vs . 1.000 ± 0.019, t  = 31.050, P  < 0.001), and colony formation (MDA-MB-231: 0.472 ± 0.022 vs . 1.000 ± 0.022, t  = 16.620, P  < 0.001; MDA-MB-468: 0.650 ± 0.040 vs . 1.000 ± 0.098, t  = 3.297, P  = 0.030). The autophagy-associated genes autophagy-related gene 12 ( ATG12 ) and activating molecule in beclin 1-regulated autophagy protein 1 ( AMBRA1 ) are target genes of miR-3653. Further studies showed that miR-3653 inhibited EMT by targeting ATG12 and AMBRA1 . CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that miR-3653 inhibits the autophagy process by targeting ATG12 and AMBRA1 , thereby inhibiting EMT, and provided a new idea and target for the metastasis of breast cancer.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Autophagy/genetics* ; Genes, Regulator ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Neoplasms/genetics*

Objective To explore the rules of acupoint selection and manipulation application of Tuina in the treatment of diabetes peripheral neuropathy(DPN)with data mining technology.Methods The clinical research literature of Tuina for DPN from October 2022 was selected by searching four Chinese databases that CNKI,WanFang,VIP and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database.Using the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance assistance platform software,analyze and summarize the rules of selecting acupoints and applying manipulations in the treatment of DPN with Tuina.Results A total of 110 articles were included,including 65 acupoints and 33 manipulations.The acupoints with the highest frequency are Zusanli(ST 36),Sanyinjiao(SP 6),Taixi(KI 3),Yongquan(KI 1),Taichong(LR 3),Yanglingquan(GB 34),etc.The meridians mainly include Taiyin Spleen Meridian of Foot,Yangming Stomach Meridian of Foot,Taiyang Bladder Meridian of Foot and Shaoyin Kidney Meridian of Foot.Five-shu Points,Lower He-sea Points and Yuan-primary Points are commonly used specific points.The acupoints are mostly distributed in the lower limbs.The categories of Tuina manipulations mainly include squeezing-pressing manipulations,pushing rolling manipulations and composite manipulations.The Tuina manipulations mainly include kneading manipulation,pressing manipulation,point-pressing manipulation,pressing-kneading manipulation and twisting manipulation with both palms.Conclusion The acupoint selection and manipulation application of Tuina in treating DPN have certain rules,and the main treatment principles are to regulate the organs and dredge collaterals,and to replenish qi and promote blood circulation,which can provide objective basis for clinical treatment.

Objective:To explore the effects of acute paraquat poisoning on cognitive function of patients through neuropsychologic test.Methods:In June 2019, 36 patients with acute paraquat poisoning in the emergency department of a provincial hospital in Hebei Province were selected as the case group. 36 healthy individuals were selected as control group. The cognitive function and depressive state were assessed by mini mental state scale, auditory word learning test, digit span test, connection test, Boston Naming Test and geriatric depression scale.Results:The results of Mini-Mental State examination showed that the total score of the case group was lower than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . The results of the Auditory Vocabulary Learning test showed that the scores of delayed recall, clue recall, corrective ability and semantic learning strategies of the case group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in the scores of immediate memory between the two groups ( P>0.05) . The scores of Digit Span test and Boston Naming test in the control group were higher than those in the case group, the Trail Making test time in the control group was shorter than that in the case group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Acute paraquat poisoning can impair human cognitive ability to a certain extent.

Objective:To investigate the application value and clinical effect of tissue expansion in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction.Methods:From January 2013 to May 2019, 173 patients (38.2±8.0 years old) with body mass index (BMI) of (21.5±2.1) kg/m 2 were treated in Peking University Third Hospital. There were 76 cases on the right side and 97 cases on the left side; 8 cases underwent nipple sparing mastectomy, and 165 cases underwent modified radical mastectomy; 150 cases received chemotherapy and 9 cases received radiotherapy. In the first stage, immediate or delayed chest wall soft tissue expansion was performed. In the second stage, implant replacement, autologous tissue transplantation, or the combination of these two methods was performed to complete the breast reconstruction. All patients were followed up and the clinical effect was evaluated by Harris evaluation method. Results:Among 173 cases, 95 cases were provided immediate reconstruction, and 78 cases were applied delayed reconstruction. The period of tissue expansion was (7.7±3.2) months. During the second stage of reconstruction, implant exchange was conducted in 105 cases, 48 cases received implant exchange with autologous fat injection, 17 cases were performed implant exchange with endoscopy-assisted latissimus dorsi muscle transfer, and 3 cases were applied deep inferior epigastric perforator flap (DIEP) transplantation. The average follow-up time was 12.6 months (3.5-41.0 months). One patient had local tumor recurrence, and the implant was finally removed. The reconstruction effects were evaluated by Harris method, which showed that 23 cases had excellent appearance, 129 cases were good, 13 cases were fair, 7 cases were poor, and 88.4% (152/172) patients were good or above.Conclusions:Tissue expansion plays an important role as a transfer station in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. In the second stage, the breast reconstruction method can be flexibly selected. Tissue expansion has a wide range of indications, and is especially suitable for immediate post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. Good result can be obtained by using this technique.

Objective:To explore the effects of acute paraquat poisoning on cognitive function of patients through neuropsychologic test.Methods:In June 2019, 36 patients with acute paraquat poisoning in the emergency department of a provincial hospital in Hebei Province were selected as the case group. 36 healthy individuals were selected as control group. The cognitive function and depressive state were assessed by mini mental state scale, auditory word learning test, digit span test, connection test, Boston Naming Test and geriatric depression scale.Results:The results of Mini-Mental State examination showed that the total score of the case group was lower than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . The results of the Auditory Vocabulary Learning test showed that the scores of delayed recall, clue recall, corrective ability and semantic learning strategies of the case group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in the scores of immediate memory between the two groups ( P>0.05) . The scores of Digit Span test and Boston Naming test in the control group were higher than those in the case group, the Trail Making test time in the control group was shorter than that in the case group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Acute paraquat poisoning can impair human cognitive ability to a certain extent.

Objective:To investigate the application value and clinical effect of tissue expansion in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction.Methods:From January 2013 to May 2019, 173 patients (38.2±8.0 years old) with body mass index (BMI) of (21.5±2.1) kg/m 2 were treated in Peking University Third Hospital. There were 76 cases on the right side and 97 cases on the left side; 8 cases underwent nipple sparing mastectomy, and 165 cases underwent modified radical mastectomy; 150 cases received chemotherapy and 9 cases received radiotherapy. In the first stage, immediate or delayed chest wall soft tissue expansion was performed. In the second stage, implant replacement, autologous tissue transplantation, or the combination of these two methods was performed to complete the breast reconstruction. All patients were followed up and the clinical effect was evaluated by Harris evaluation method. Results:Among 173 cases, 95 cases were provided immediate reconstruction, and 78 cases were applied delayed reconstruction. The period of tissue expansion was (7.7±3.2) months. During the second stage of reconstruction, implant exchange was conducted in 105 cases, 48 cases received implant exchange with autologous fat injection, 17 cases were performed implant exchange with endoscopy-assisted latissimus dorsi muscle transfer, and 3 cases were applied deep inferior epigastric perforator flap (DIEP) transplantation. The average follow-up time was 12.6 months (3.5-41.0 months). One patient had local tumor recurrence, and the implant was finally removed. The reconstruction effects were evaluated by Harris method, which showed that 23 cases had excellent appearance, 129 cases were good, 13 cases were fair, 7 cases were poor, and 88.4% (152/172) patients were good or above.Conclusions:Tissue expansion plays an important role as a transfer station in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. In the second stage, the breast reconstruction method can be flexibly selected. Tissue expansion has a wide range of indications, and is especially suitable for immediate post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. Good result can be obtained by using this technique.