1.Expert consensus on the application of artificial intelligence in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment (2026 edition)
Wenzhao ZHONG ; Haibo WANG ; Yi HU ; Hao ZHANG ; Jigang DAI ; Junqiang FAN ; Guibin QIAO ; Fan YANG ; Jian HU ; Fengwei TAN ; Xuening YANG ; Qiang PU ; Zihao CHEN ; Hongxia TIAN ; Lunxu LIU ; Hecheng LI ; Xiaolong YAN ; Zongyang YU ; Zhenbin QIU ; Yihua SUN ; Jing HU ; Yuhang SHI ; Zhifei GUO ; Peng ZHANG ; Kezhong CHEN ; Shugeng GAO ; Yilong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(06):848-856
With the continuous deepening of the concept of precision diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer, how to achieve higher efficiency and accuracy in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment pathways in clinical practice has become an important issue that urgently needs to be overcome. The current clinical difficulty lies in the fact that despite continuous advancements in imaging and molecular diagnostic technologies, there are still limitations in manual efficiency and subjective experience when it comes to massive data analysis and multi-scale feature extraction. Artificial intelligence (AI), especially algorithm systems based on deep learning, is an innovative technology capable of deeply empowering medical big data. This method utilizes algorithms such as convolutional neural networks, combined with radiomics, pathomics, and multi-modal data fusion analysis, demonstrating immense potential in early precise detection and benign-malignant differentiation of pulmonary nodules, digital pathological subtype recognition and non-invasive prediction of driver genes, precise 3D surgical planning and automatic delineation of radiotherapy target volumes, as well as dynamic risk warning during follow-up. This innovative technology provides a brand-new solution for realizing intelligent and individualized lung cancer diagnosis and treatment models. This consensus, based on the latest evidence from evidence-based medicine and combined with the development trends in the AI field and real-world clinical needs, was ultimately formed by gathering the consensus opinions of multidisciplinary experts in radiology, pathology, thoracic surgery, and other fields. The main content covers the application specifications of AI in the three core scenarios of lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the technical standards for data collection and algorithm validation, as well as the ethical and regulatory challenges faced at the current stage. It aims to clarify the applicable boundaries of AI as a clinical auxiliary decision support tool, providing scientific guidance and standardized exploration directions for peers currently engaged in or planning to carry out AI-assisted clinical diagnosis, treatment, and translation of lung cancer.
2.The prognostic value and immune regulatory role of BRF1 in pan-cancer, and its function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Jianxin XU ; Zihao LI ; Wang LÜ ; ; Zhiyang XU ; Yunfeng YI ; Songlin CHEN ; Jian HU ; Luming WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(01):122-131
Objective To investigate the expression profile, prognostic value, gene co-expression network, and immunomodulatory role of BRF1 in a pan-cancer context, and to explore its biological functions and molecular regulatory mechanisms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods The pan-cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was utilized to analyze the differential expression of BRF1 in tumor versus normal tissues, its association with patient survival, pathway enrichment for co-expressed genes, and immune features (including immune checkpoints, cytokines, and immune cell infiltration). The expression profile of BRF1 in ESCC was validated using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In vitro, BRF1 was knocked down in ESCC cells using siRNA. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed by MTT and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression levels of proliferation- and migration-related proteins were detected by Western blotting. The correlation between BRF1 and ferroptosis was analyzed using TCGA data. Results BRF1 was significantly upregulated in over 20 types of cancer, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma. BRF1 was found to positively regulate the T-cell-mediated cell death pathway in esophageal adenocarcinoma and was associated with the circadian rhythm regulation pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The correlation of BRF1 with immune checkpoints, cytokine networks, and immune cell infiltration was found to be cancer type-specific. In vitro experiments demonstrated that knocking down BRF1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of ESCC cells, accompanied by the downregulation of the proliferation marker PCNA. Cell migration was also significantly impaired, with decreased expression of Vimentin and MMPs and increased expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, the expression of BRF1 was positively correlated with that of ferroptosis-antagonizing genes, such as GPX4, HSPA5, and SLC7A11. Conclusion BRF1 plays complex roles in pan-cancer, participating in the regulation of tumorigenesis, progression, and immune infiltration. BRF1 promotes the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells, a mechanism potentially associated with the regulation of ferroptosis resistance. These findings suggest that BRF1 could be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.
3.Clinical phenotype and genetic analysis of a child with Autosomal dominant intellectual developmental disorder type 5 caused by SYNGAP1 gene variant: A case report and literature review.
Zihao WANG ; Lifen DUAN ; Zhangxiang WANYAN ; Ruixi TAO ; Weitao YE ; Zhaoqing YANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2026;43(3):213-219
OBJECTIVE:
To delineate the clinical and genetic features of a Chinese girl harboring a rare de novo variant of SYNGAP1 associated with Mental retardation, autosomal dominant 5 (MRD5), and to conduct a comprehensive genotype-phenotype correlation analysis within the Chinese population through an extensive literature review.
METHODS:
A 5-year-old girl presenting with seizures without an obvious cause was enrolled in September 2020. Genomic DNA was extracted from the patient and her parents. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband to identify suspected pathogenic variants based on her clinical phenotype. Sanger sequencing was used for validation, followed by bioinformatic analysis of the variant. Additionally, data from 54 previously reported Chinese cases with SYNGAP1 variants were integrated to summarize the distribution of variant types and clinical characteristics. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Kunming Children's Hospital (Ethics No.: 2021-03-055-K01).
RESULTS:
WES identified a heterozygous nonsense variant, SYNGAP1 c.725G>A (p.Trp242*), in the proband. Sanger sequencing confirmed it was a de novo variant. According to the ACMG guidelines, this variant was classified as pathogenic (PVS1+PS2). Based on the clinical manifestations, the patient was diagnosed with MRD5. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that this variant introduces a premature stop codon at tryptophan 242, disrupting the PH domain and leading to the loss of the C2, Ras-GAP, and C-terminal domains. The pooled analysis of Chinese cases revealed that nonsense (38.2%) and frameshift (36.4%) variants were the predominant types. Intellectual disability/developmental delay was present in 100.0% of patients, epilepsy in 83.6%, and autism spectrum disorder in 41.3%. The incidence of epilepsy differed significantly among variant types (P = 0.045). Exons 8 and 15 were identified as mutation hotspots.
CONCLUSION
This study has identified a SYNGAP1 c.725G>A variant in the Chinese population and confirmed it as a potential cause of MRD5, which expanded the mutational spectrum of this disorder.
Humans
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Female
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Child, Preschool
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Intellectual Disability/genetics*
;
ras GTPase-Activating Proteins/genetics*
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Phenotype
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Exome Sequencing
;
Genetic Association Studies
4.The value of preoperative LNLR combined with cM0(i+)staging in prognostic assessment and model construction for clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Yu QIAO ; Zhenlong WANG ; Haibin ZHOU ; Huayang ZHENG ; Zihao LI ; Yao DONG ; Geng TIAN ; Tie CHONG ; Yue CHONG
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(3):207-216
Objective To construct and evaluate a prognostic model for clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC)based on preoperative lipid ratios, cM0(i+)staging, and other clinical characteristics, so as to provide a precise tool for clinical prognosis assessment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 215 ccRCC patients treated in our hospital during May 2014 and May 2023. Lipid ratios were calculated using preoperative lipid data, and patients were divided into cM0(i+)stage or cM0 stage according to postoperative circulating tumor cells(CTCs)test results. The optimal lipid ratio and cutoff value were selected using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and the X-tile method. Patients were subdivided into three groups based on the level of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to non-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(LNLR)and cM0(i+)staging:Group A [LNLR>1.68 and diagnosed with cM0(i+)], Group B [LNLR>1.68 or diagnosed with cM0(i+)], and Group C(LNLR ≤1.68 and diagnosed with cM0). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to plot survival curves for patients in different groups. The log-rank test was employed to compare differences in recurrence-free survival(RFS)among the subgroups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent risk factors influencing RFS, and a nomogram prediction model was constructed based on these results. The predictive performance of the model was validated using ROC curves, calibration curves, and decision curves. Results ROC curves were plotted for lipid markers, and LNLR was identified as the most predictive for RFS. Its optimal cutoff point was 1. 68. Patients in Group A experienced a significantly shorter postoperative RFS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified preoperative LNLR, cM0(i+)staging, pathological grade, and stage as independent risk factors for RFS. A nomogram model was constructed based on these risk factors. The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS was 0.896(95% CI:0.8121-0.9627), 0.890(95%CI:0.7879-0.9641), and 0.870(95%CI:0.7697-0.9526), indicating good discriminatory ability and predictive performance. Calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between predicted and actual outcomes. Clinical decision curve analysis showed high clinical net benefit. Conclusion Preoperative LNLR level is an independent risk factor for RFS in ccRCC patients. The prognostic prediction model based on LNLR, cM0(i+)staging, patient pathological grade, and staging demonstrates good predictive performance for RFS and holds potential clinical application value.
5.Construction and clinical application exploration of an artificial intelligence-based high-quality lung cancer surgery dataset
Xuhua HUANG ; Yunfeng NIE ; Liang SHEN ; Pengxu KONG ; Xin TAN ; Zihao LI ; Wang LV ; Min ZHOU ; Xudong LV ; Jian HU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(05):717-727
Objective To construct a lung cancer surgery-oriented disease-specific database covering the entire perioperative care pathway, thereby improving the quality and usability of key surgical data elements. Methods Real-world clinical data were extracted from a single-center thoracic surgery department. A standardized data model was established based on the open electronic health record (openEHR) standard. Large language model (LLM), optical character recognition (OCR), and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven techniques were employed to extract, structure, and perform quality control on unstructured clinical narratives, imaging reports, and radiological data, with a focus on capturing surgically relevant perioperative indicator. Results A multimodal database comprising 19 917 patients was established, including 7 930 males and 11 987 females, with ages ranging from 15 to 97 (61.7±9.7) years. The database includes 582 structured data variables, textual report data corresponding to 69 clinical indicators, 13 000 pulmonary function test PDF reports, and chest CT imaging data from 16 884 patients. This database comprehensively covers major information relevant to surgical diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, significantly improving the completeness and granularity of surgical detail data. Large language models (LLMs) and optical character recognition (OCR) technologies enhanced the efficiency of converting unstructured data into structured formats, while a multi-level manual verification process ensured data accuracy and traceability. The database supports real-world research including comparisons of surgical procedures, prediction of postoperative complications, prognosis assessment, and multimodal data association analyses.
6.Treating Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque from the Perspective of "Abscess and Ulcer within the Vessels"
Yajie WANG ; Min WU ; Zihao ZHANG ; Zeping WANG ; Longtao LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(12):1349-1352
The morphological characteristics and pathological progression of vulnerable plaques in atherosclerosis (AS) exhibit a high degree of similarity to the concept of "abscesses and ulcers" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore, vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques can be analogized as "abscesses and ulcers within the vessels", for which deficiency, stasis and toxin constitute the core pathogenesis. The pathological evolution progresses through three sequential stages, deficiency leading to pathological substances, with phlegm and stasis accumulating into a mass; the mass transforming into putridity, with internal decay and external thinning; putridity brewing toxin, and toxin accumulation threatening rupture, ultimately resulting in plaque instability. Accordingly, a stage-specific treatment strategy is established. In the early stage, it is suggested to supplement deficiency, resolve the mass, dissipate stasis, and prevent putridity, using Liujunzi Decoction (六君子汤) combined with Danshen Decoction (丹参饮) with modifications. In the middle stage, the treatment should focus on transforming putridity to generate new tissue, and rectifying healthy qi to consolidate the body, with modified Tuoli Xiaodu Powder (托里消毒散). In the late stage, the treatment principle is clearing and resolving putridity toxin, cooling the blood, and preventing ulcerative rupture, using modified Simiao Yong'an Decoction (四妙勇安汤) combined with Xijiao Dihuang Decoction (犀角地黄汤).
7.Pathophysiological Effects of Cold Environment on Gastrointestinal Blast Combined Injury in Beagle Dogs
Tiantian GONG ; Xinpei WANG ; Tiange GUO ; Yang AN ; Zihao MENG ; Minghui YAO ; He ZHANG
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(4):507-514
ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of a cold environment on the pathophysiological changes in dogs after abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury. MethodsEight healthy common-grade adult male Beagles were selected and randomly divided into a cold group and a normal temperature group, with 4 dogs in each group. Prior to surgery, Beagles dogs were fasted and deprived of water for 12 hours; after establishing a vein at the edge of the ear, propofol (2 mg·kg-1·min-1) was continuously infused using a microinfusion pump to maintain anesthesia. Tracheal intubation was performed while preserving spontaneous breathing, and the electroencephalogram bifrequency index was maintained at 40-60 to ensure stable anesthesia. A model of abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury in Beagle dogs was established using a multifunctional combat trauma modeling platform. After blast injury, the cold group was exposed to a cold chamber at -20 ℃ combined with 10% body surface area ice water immersion for 40 min, while the normal temperature group was kept in an environment at (25±2) ℃ for 40 min after blast injury. Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation were monitored in both groups before blast injury, immediately after blast injury, and 40 min after blast injury. And arterial blood gas parameters, including pH, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2), actual bicarbonate radical (HCO3-), lactic acid (Lac), and blood base excess (BEb), were measured. After the experiment, gastrointestinal tissues (gastric antrum and upper jejunum 5 cm distal to the suspensory ligament of the duodenum) were harvested for pathological analysis via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining combined with semi-quantitative scoring. ResultsPhysiological indicators showed that the body temperature of the cold group was significantly lower than that of the normal temperature group (P<0.01), and the heart rate and systolic blood pressure of the cold group were significantly higher than those of the normal temperature group (P<0.000 1). PaCO2 was markedly elevated and BEb was markedly decreased in the cold group relative to the normal temperature group (P<0.000 1), suggesting aggravated respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis. Pathological analysis showed that gastro-intestinal tissue damage was more severe in the cold group: the gastric mucosal epithelial shedding rate was > 60% (vs. <25% in the normal temperature group), the necrosis rate of the epithelial cells at the tips of intestinal villi reached more than 70% (vs. < 30% in the normal temperature group), and inflammatory cell infiltration involved the submucosa (vs. limited to the superficial mucosa in the normal temperature group). The semi-quantitative scoring results were consistent with the pathological analysis results, further confirming that the cold environment exacerbated gastrointestinal tissue damage caused by abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury. ConclusionA cold environment can exacerbate circulatory dysfunction and gastrointestinal tissue damage in Beagle dogs after blast injury, providing experimental evidence for early rewarming intervention for combat trauma in cold regions.
8.An analysis of deaths in medical X-ray diagnostic workers in Jiangsu province during 1950-2021
Xindi WEI ; Wei CHEN ; Jin WANG ; Zihao ZHANG ; Yuji MIAO ; Yuanyuan ZHOU ; Xiangyong FAN ; Jinhan WANG ; Yeqing GU
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(7):655-662
Objective:To study the risk and pattern of deaths caused by various diseases in the population and in the case of long-term occupational X-ray exposure.Methods:Using a combination of retrospective and prospective cohort research methods, an exposure group of medical X-ray diagnostic workers who worked in the radiology department of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital between 1950 and 1980 and a control group of medical workers from other departments who did not work with radiolog during the same period in the same hospital were selected to form a study cohort. The cumulative number of person years of observation in the cohort during 1950-2011 was calculated, and the Cox regression model was used to calculate the risk of deaths of medical X-ray diagnostic workers for various diseases through adjusting sex, attained age, birth age, and starting working age.Results:A total of 6 953 follow-up visits was completed to the cohort, including 3 649 in the radiation group and 3 304 in the control group, with a total of 347 362 person years of observation. There were 2 099 deaths in the cohort as of December 31, 2021. Cox regression results showed that diseases with a significantly higher risk of death in the radiation group compared with the control group were: all-cancer ( RR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.04-1.39, Z=2.56, P<0.05, including lung cancer RR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.17-1.98, Z=3.10, P<0.01, and pancreatic cancer RR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.11-3.46, Z=2.31, P<0.05); diseases of the circulatory system ( RR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.06-1.57, Z=2.58, P<0.01); endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases ( RR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.06-3.42, Z=2.14, P<0.05). Stratified analyses showed that, of male workers, the radiation group had an increased risk of death caused by all-cancer and lung cancer ( Z=3.50, 2.92, P<0.01); of the age group at starting ages 26 to 30, the radiation group had an increased risk of death distributed to circulatory diseases ( Z=2.06, P<0.05); and in the age group at attained ages elder than 61 years, the radiation group had an increased risk of death distributed to all cancers, lung cancer, and circulatory diseases ( Z=2.90-4.31, P<0.01). Conclusions:As has been shown, threre is an increasing risk of death distributed to lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and circulatory diseases in medical X-ray diagnostic workers in Jiangsu province. Further in-depth research in related areas may be conducted in the future.
9.Monitoring and analysis of internal exposure of 131I treatment staff in nuclear medicine department in Jiangsu province from 2021 to 2024
Xiaodong SHI ; Zihao ZHANG ; Xiaoyong YANG ; Jin WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Jiayi MA
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(6):512-518
Objective:To understand the basic situation of occupational internal exposure to 131I among nuclear medicine staff in Jiangsu province, and to analyze the relevant factors that contribute to the formation of internal exposure. Methods:A four-year external direct measurement of thyroid organ counting was conducted on nuclear medicine staff who underwent 131I treatment in Jiangsu province. The result were statistically analyzed, and the effective dose of accumulated internal exposure was estimated. The relationship between the detection rate of internal exposure and 10 possible factors was analyzed. Results:A total of 847 person-times were monitored during the monitoring period, of which 345 person-times were detected for 131I, with a detection rate of 40.7%. The highest individual monitoring result for internal exposure was 24.83 kBq, with an average value of 77.3 Bq and a median of 28.3 Bq among the detected individuals. The average committed effective dose of internal exposure for staff was 0.201 mSv, with a median of 0.074 mSv among the detected individuals. Conclusions:There is statistically significant difference in the detection rate of individual doses of internal exposure among nuclear medicine staff in each year. It has been observed that the main factors related to the detection rate are age, hospital grade, job position, location, whether there is an automatic dispensing operation, operating method, exposure level and length of exposure. Sufficient attention should be given to the situation of internal exposure, and further effective monitoring should be conducted on all such staff members.
10.Preliminary study on occupational internal exposure to 131I among nuclear medicine workers in a hospital in Nanjing
Jiayi MA ; Zihao ZHANG ; Yuanyuan ZHOU ; Qun CHEN ; Xiaoyong YANG ; Jin WANG ; Xiaodong SHI
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(10):1009-1014
Objective:To investigate the basic situation of occupational internal exposure to 131I among staff in the nuclear medicine department. Methods:Direct in- vitro measurements of thyroid doses from internal exposure were conducted for six months on 36 staff members of a hospital′s nuclear medicine department in Nanjing using the ORTEC Detective-100 portable high-purity germanium (HPGe) spectrometer. The cumulative effective doses were estimated, and the distribution of internal doses and their relationship with job type and external doses were analyzed. Results:During the monitoring period, a total of 203 monitorings were made. Of the monitoring result, 85.7% were below the recording level. Of the result exceeding the recording level, 12.8% were below the investigation level, while 1.5% exceeded the investigation level. The highest personal internal dose during the monitoring period was 2.54 mSv, the lowest was 0.015 mSv, and the median was 0.094 mSv.Conclusions:During the monitoring period, 14.3% of the monitored staff had result above the recorded levels. In the working environment of radionuclide treatment, there is no significant difference in the internal dose received between doctors, nurses, technicians, or other relevant personnel.

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