Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Yinlian Gargle in the treatment of acute radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis after nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy.Methods Thirty-two patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma,who had received first radiation,were randomly split into two groups:the trial group(19 cases)and the control group(13 cases).After all groups were treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy,the control group was given rinse treatment with saline whereas the trial group was given Yinlian Gargle.The incidence of severe acute radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis,the duration and intensity of oropharyngeal discomfort and pain(NRS score),quality of life(QOL-NPC score),duration and intensity of radiation-induced side effects(SE-QOL-NPC score)and symptoms of dry mouth(SE1 score)were monitored before and after intervention in two groups.Results The incidence of grade Ⅲ or above radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis until the sixth week of radiotherapy in the trial group was considerably lower than that in the control group(P＜0.001),while the incidence of grade I or above radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis at 1 month after radiotherapy in the trial group was obviously lower than that in the control group(P＜0.001).The NRS score of pharyngeal discomfort of the trial group was lower than that of the control group starting from the second week of radiotherapy(P＜0.05).The NRS score of oral and oropharyngeal pain was lower than that of the control group starting from the fourth week of radiotherapy(P＜0.05).The SE1 score of the trial group was higher than that of the control group starting from the fifth week of radiotherapy(P＜0.05).After one month of the completion of the radiotherapy,the NRS score of pharyngeal discomfort and the NRS score of oral and oropharyngeal pain in the trial group were lower than those of the control group(P＜0.001).The QOL-NPC score,SE-QOL-NPC score,and SE1 score were all higher than those in the control group(P = 0.05 or P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer can greatly reduce their risk of developing severe acute radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis,effectively delay and relieve related symptoms,and enhance quality of life by consistently using Yinlian Gargle during radiotherapy.Additionally,a month after the completion of radiotherapy,it still has positive therapeutic effects on acute radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis.

Objective To compare the root resorption of posterior teeth between fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners in adult patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion undergoing camouflage treatment by using cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)measurements.Methods Thirty-two cases of skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion patients who had previously undergone camouflage treat-ment were retrospectively selected.Based on the type of orthodontic appliance used,they were divided into two groups(the fixed appli-ance group and the clear aligner group),each comprising 16 cases.CBCT images of the entire dental arch before and after treatment were collected for these patients,and three-dimensional reconstructions of the mandibular central incisors,first premolars,and first molars were generated using Mimics software.Changes in root volume and length of mandibular teeth before and after treatment were measured and compared between the two groups.Results Both groups showed significant reductions in measured root volume of the teeth after orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).In the clear aligner group,the mean reduction in root length of mandibular central incisors was(0.52±0.60)mm,while in the fixed appliance group,the reduction in root length of mandibular central incisors and first premolars was(0.47±0.38)mm and(0.38±0.25)mm,respectively.These differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Except for the sig-nificantly lower reduction in root volume of mandibular central incisors in the clear aligner group compared to the fixed appliance group(P＜0.05),there were no statistically significant differences in other root resorption-related parameters between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion In camouflage treatment of adult skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion patients,clear aligners can reduce the amount of root resorption in mandibular anterior teeth to a certain extent compared to fixed orthodontic appliances.However,there is no significant difference between the two appliances in the posterior teeth region.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive T 1-2N 1M 0 breast cancer in the context of HER2-targeted therapy. Methods:This study collected the clinical data of 105 female patients with HER2-positive T 1-2N 1M 0 breast cancer who underwent modified radical mastectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from January 2013 to December 2019. Then, the clinical outcomes of these patients were observed, and the prognostic factors and the efficacy of PMRT were analyzed. Results:The median follow-up time was 50 months (ranging from 14 to 107 months), and the 5-year overall survival (OS), local-regional recurrence-free survival(LRFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were 81.6%, 91.9%, and 76.2%, respectively. The multivariate analysis indicated that independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS include the age, pathologic grade, and tumor size; the independent risk factors for LRFS include positive lymph node ratio (LNR) and hormone receptor (HR) status; and the independent prognostic factor for DFS was PMRT (HR: 2.85, 95% CI: 1.10-8.80, P < 0.05). The subgroup analysis suggested that PMRT significantly improved the OS of various high-risk subgroups ( χ2=4.01-9.18, P < 0.05). However, the further stratified analysis indicated that PMRT only increased the OS of the patients who did not receive HER2-targeted therapy in various high-risk subgroups ( χ2=4.50-6.70, P < 0.05), while there was no statistical difference before and after PMRT for the individuals who received targeted treatment ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:PMRT is an independent prognostic factor for the DFS of patients with HER2-positive T 1-2N 1M 0 breast cancer who underwent modified radical mastectomy. PMRT can improve the OS of high-risk patients with ages < 45 years old, pathologic grade Ⅲ, tumor diameter ≥ 3 cm, LNR > 10%, and HR (-) who received no HER2-targeted therapy. However, the efficacy may be compromised to some extent in the context of the application of HER2-targeted therapy.

Objective:To explore the effects of the deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) technique on cardiac dosimetry in internal mammary node irradiation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMN-IMRT) for postoperative left breast cancer.Methods:Totally 23 left breast cancer patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from Octorber 2021 to July 2022 receiving postoperative IMN-IMRT were enrolled in this study. The changes in dosimetric parameters for their heart and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in the DIBH mode were observed, and the potential factors affecting DIBH effects were analyzed.Results:Compared with the free breath (FB) mode, the DIBH mode manifested a heart volume decrease by 18% ( t = 10.47, P < 0.001), a left lung volume increase by 42% ( t = -14.55, P < 0.001), and significantly reduced dosimetric parameters ( Dmean, Dmax, V5- V30) for the heart and LAD, exhibiting statistically significant differences ( t=-13.38 to -3.30, P<0.05). As indicated by the Pearson correlation analysis, the relative ratio of cardiac dose reduction was positively correlated with that of left lung expansion ( r = 0.82, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the patient′age ( r = -0.56, P = 0.005). Conclusions:DIBH can effectively reduce the heart and LAD radiation doses in IMN-IMRT for postoperative left breast cancer and that the patient's age, and the DIBH effects might be affected by the vital capacity.

New drug discovery is under growing pressure to satisfy the demand from a wide range of domains, especially from the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare services. Assessment of drug efficacy and safety prior to human clinical trials is a crucial part of drug development, which deserves greater emphasis to reduce the cost and time in drug discovery. Recent advances in microfabrication and tissue engineering have given rise to organ-on-a-chip, an in vitro model capable of recapitulating human organ functions in vivo and providing insight into disease pathophysiology, which offers a potential alternative to animal models for more efficient pre-clinical screening of drug candidates. In this review, we first give a snapshot of general considerations for organ-on-a-chip device design. Then, we comprehensively review the recent advances in organ-on-a-chip for drug screening. Finally, we summarize some key challenges of the progress in this field and discuss future prospects of organ-on-a-chip development. Overall, this review highlights the new avenue that organ-on-a-chip opens for drug development, therapeutic innovation, and precision medicine.

Objective:To observe the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cervical cancer cell line Siha irradiated by X-rays with clinical conventional fraction radiotherapy model and investigate the role of exosomes in this process.Methods:Siha cells were irradiated by 6 MV-X rays with 50 Gy in 25 fractions. EMT was evaluated by cell morphology, EMT biomarkers and cell migration and invasion ability. Exosomes released from cells were detected by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and its function in EMT was explored by using an exosome inhibitor GW4869 (10 μmol/L).Results:After irradiation, EMT phenomenon was induced in the survived Siha cells, including the incidence of mesenchymal phenotype, upregulation of epithelial marker E-cadherin ( t=9.66, P<0.05), downregulation of mesenchymal marker N-cadherin ( t=41.61, P<0.05), and increase of cell migration and invasion abilities ( t=6.11, 13.22; P<0.05). Meanwhile, the secretion of exosomes was also increased after irradiation ( t=7.51, P<0.05). When the cells were pre-treated with GW4869, radiation-induced exosome secretion was reduced ( t=7.28, P<0.05), so that radiation-induced EMT was reversed. Conclusions:Ionizing radiation with clinical conventional fraction radiotherapy model promotes EMT of cervical cancer cells through increasing the secretion of exosomes.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and changing trends of primary liver cancer in Yunnan province from 2005 to 2014, in order to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer in this region.Methods:A retrospective survey was used to select inpatient cases of liver cancer who were initially diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2005 to 2014 with simple random sampling. Patients socio-demographic and clinicopathological characteristics were extracted by a unified and standardized questionnaire, and the data were statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 1000 cases with liver cancer were included, aged (53.2±11.2) years, with a male-to-female ratio of 5.99/1.00. There was no significant change in the gender and age composition ratio of patients in the past 10 years. The proportion of patients with lower education level (primary or junior high school) were increased from 21.8% to 23.4%, and the proportion of patients with relatively higher education level were decreased from 58% to 38.2% ( P<0.001). Smokers and non-smokers patients were decreased and increased from 58.8% to 44.4%, and 41.2% to 55.6% ( P<0.001). The proportion of drinker patients were decreased from 46.4% to 35.2%. The proportion of patients with advanced liver cancer (stage C and D) were increased, while the proportion of patients with stage A and B showed a downward trend ( P<0.001). The proportion of HBsAg-positive patients showed an upward trend, that is, rising from 69% in 2005 to 82% in 2014 ( P=0.043). The proportion of HBeAg-positive patients showed a steady trend ( P=0.008). The use rate of ultrasound examination in patients with liver cancer were decreased from 91.0% to 58.0% ( P=0.001), while the use rate of computed tomography (CT), MRI, and PET/CT examinations were increased from 81.0% to 84.0% ( P=0.05), 0 to 22% ( P<0.001), and 0 to 3% ( P=0.026) between 2005 to 2014. The proportion of surgical patients were increased ( P=0.005), but the proportion of interventional patients did not change significantly ( P=0.590). Surgery and interventional therapy were the most common treatment methods, and the proportion of patients treated with surgery over the past 10 years showed an upward trend ( P=0.005), while the proportion of interventional therapy remained at a high level with no significant change ( P=0.590). Conclusion:In Yunnan province, the incidence of liver cancer increases with age, and the proportion of male with liver cancer is almost six times that of women. Moreover, the low positive rate of alpha-fetoprotein levels and advanced clinical stage in this region are presently the main challenges against the liver cancer prevention and treatment. The application scope of CT, magnetic resonance imaging, PET-CT and other examination methods has gradually expanded, but the treatment methods are still mainly surgery and interventional therapy.

[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the lung cancer-associated driver gene mutations in peripheral blood of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Yunnan area, and to explore their association with clinical pathological features. Methods: Peripheral blood of 304 patients with stage Ⅳ NSCLC were collected from Molecular Diagnostic Center of Yunnan Cancer Hospital during January 2019 to December 2019. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technique was used to detect the mutation of NSCLC related driver genes, chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between the major mutant genes and the clinicopathological features of patients, and Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors. Results: In the peripheral blood of 304 patients with stage Ⅳ NSCLC, there were 120 (39.47%) cases with EGFR mutations, 12 (3.95%) cases with ALK fusion, 36 (11.84%) case with other mutations such as KRAS, BRAF and RET. The main EGFR mutations were 19del and L858R (69.17%). The mutation rate of EGFR was higher in female, young, non-smoking, non-chemotherapy and lung adenocarcinoma patients (49.26% vs 31.55%, 45.39% vs 33.56%, 45.92% vs 27.78%, 45.07% vs 26.37%, 42.39% vs 10.71%, all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that female, no history of chemotherapy and lung adenocarcinoma were independent risk factors for EGFR mutations (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Using NGS technology to detect the driver genes in peripheral blood of patients with advanced NSCLC in Yunnan area showed that the mutation rate of EGFR was higher in women and lung adenocarcinoma patients without chemotherapy history.

Objective:To analyze the EGFR mutation profile of lung cancer patients in Yunnan, and to provide evidence for clinical personalized treatment.Methods:Demographic and clinical data of 2 967 lung cancer patients undergoing EGFR identification were collected and analyzed from January 2014 to August 2019 in Yunnan Cancer Hospital.Results:The proportion of EGFR mutation in 2 967 patients with lung cancer was 46.2%. Univariate analysis showed that the proportion of EGFR mutation in women was higher than that in men ( P<0.001) and displayed a downward trend with age ( P=0.03). The mutation rate of ethnic minorities was higher than Han ( P=0.012). Mutation rate in patients without smoking history was higher than those with smoking history ( P<0.001), and patients without drinking history was higher than patients with drinking history ( P<0.001). Mutation rate in patients without family history of lung cancer was higher than those with family history ( P=0.008). The mutation rate of adenocarcinoma was higher than other pathological types ( P<0.001). The mutation rate was different among stages, and it was higher in early patients than that in advanced patients ( P<0.001). The mutation rate of tissue specimens was higher than those of cytology and peripheral blood samples ( P<0.001). The mutation rate of Xuanwei area was lower than that in non-Xuanwei area ( P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that gender ( P<0.001), age ( P=0.036), smoking history ( P<0.001), pathological type ( P<0.001), specimen type ( P<0.001), and whether or not Xuanwei area ( P<0.001) were the independent factors of EGFR mutation.The EGFR mutation was more common in female, non-smokers, adenocarcinoma, non-Xuanwei area, tissue specimen and young lung cancer patients.The mutation types of EGFR in 1 370 cases mainly included 19-Del and L858R. The predominant mutation of EGFR in Xuanwei area was L858R, while in non-Xuanwei area was 19-Del.The mutation rates of G719X, G719X+ L861Q, G719X+ S768I, and S768I in Xuanwei were higher while the mutation rates of 19-Del, L858R, and 20-ins were lower than non-Xuanwei area ( P<0.05). The 19-Del mutation rate of ethnic minorities is higher than that of Han ( P<0.001). The combined mutation rate of G719X, L861Q in Han was higher than that of ethnic minorities ( P=0.005). Conclusions:The EGFR mutation rate in lung cancer patients in Yunnan is similar to Asian and Chinese, and higher in female, non-smokers, adenocarcinomas, young and non-Xuanwei area patients. The most common types of EGFR mutation in Yunnan are 19-Del and L858R. The predominant mutation of EGFR in Xuanwei area is L858R, while in non-Xuanwei area is 19-Del. The mutation rates of G719X, G719X+ L861Q, G719X+ S768I and S768I are higher in Xuanwei patients than those in non-Xuanwei patients. The combined mutation rate of G719X and L861Q in Han nationality is higher than that of ethnic minorities.

Objective:To analyze the expressions of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) driver genes and their mutation distribution characteristics in the Yunnan-Kweichow plateau, and to provide evidences for personalized molecular targeted therapy of lung cancer in high-incidence areas.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of patients with NSCLC who underwent combined lung cancer 8 gene detection, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), rat sarcoma viral oncogene (RAS), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), RET proto-oncogene (RET), v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (BRAF), ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2), and cellular-mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor (MET), from January 2016 to August 2019 in Yunnan Cancer Hospital. Besides, we analyzed the expressions of NSCLC driver genes and their mutation distributions.Results:The positive rate of NSCLC driver genes in Yunnan was 67.05%(1 508/2 249). The mutation rates in Xishuangbanna (76.92%), Yuxi (72.38%), Xuanwei (71.88%), Qujing (71.24%), and Honghe (71.79%) were significantly higher than other areas. The mutation rates of Hui (84.38%), Hani (85.00%), Zhuang (75.00%), Buyi (100%), Manchu (100%), Tujia (100%) and Achang (100%) are significantly higher than the minority national average. Driver gene mutations were related to gender ( P<0.001), smoking history ( P<0.001), age ( P<0.001), pathological type ( P<0.001), and whether the Xuanwei area ( P=0.027), but not related to the nationality ( P=0.748) and family history of lung cancer ( P=0.676). The mutation rates of EGFR, RAS, BRAF, HER-2 and MET genes were 44.46%, 10.98%, 1.24%, 0.89% and 0.76%, and the rearrangement rates of ALK, RET and ROS1 genes were 4.67%, 1.29% and 0.89%, respectively.The mutation rate of EGFR in females was 56.67%, which was higher than 33.19% in males ( P<0.001). The mutation rate of RAS in males was 12.66%, which was higher than 9.17% in females ( P=0.010). The mutation rate of RAS in the Han was 11.49%, which was higher than 7.17% in the minority ( P=0.032). The rate of RAS mutation in Xuanwei patients was 24.74%, significantly higher than 8.15% in non-Xuanwei area ( P<0.001), and the EGFR mutation rate was 40.63%, which was lower than 45.25% in non-Xuanwei area ( P=0.045). The rate of ALK rearrangement in Xuanwei patients was 1.56%, which was significantly lower than 5.31% in the non-Xuanwei area ( P<0.001), and no HER-2 mutation patients were detected in Xuanwei area. The mutation rate of EGFR in patients with non-smoking history was 51.10%, significantly higher than 29.70% of patients with smoking history ( P<0.001). Meanwhile, the rate of ALK rearrangement with non-smoking history patients was 5.35%, which was also higher than 3.16% of patients with smoking history ( P<0.001). The rate of RAS mutation in patients with non-smoking history was 9.34%, lower than 14.63% of patients with smoking history ( P=0.008). Conclusions:The positive rate of driven gene expression in NSCLC patients from the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau is slightly lower than the national average. The rates of EGFR and RAS mutations are similar to the domestic average. The rates of ROS1, ALK and RET genes rearrangements and the rates of BRAF, HER2 and MET gene mutations are slightly lower than the national average. EGFR, RAS and ALK genes in the NSCLC patients from Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau have high positive rates, and display different demographic and clinical characteristics, which are of great significance in the selection of targeted therapy populations.