Objective To validate the efficacy of the prediction model for difficulty of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) through an independent cohort. Methods A total of 617 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2021 to December 2023 were included. The general data of patients were collected, and the predictive value of the prediction model for POEM difficulty in the validation cohort was estimated. The stratified analysis was undergone according to the difficulty risk scores. Results In 617 consecutive patients, technical difficulty was observed in 90 cases (14.6%). The predictive model demonstrated moderate discriminatory capacity with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.711 (95%CI 0.643-0.780). Patients were stratified into three risk categories according to the difficulty risk scores: low-risk (＜0.1), medium-risk (0.1-0.25), and high-risk (≥0.25). The corresponding technical difficulty rates were 7.3%, 16.9%, and 51.6%, respectively. Conclusion The prediction model for POEM difficulty built by our center shows good stability and discrimination, and has good clinical application value.

Objective To explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transesophageal endoscopic surgery for mediastinal tumors. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 17 patients who underwent transesophageal endoscopic resection for benign mediastinal tumors at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2024. Epidemiological characteristics, surgical parameters, adverse events, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results Among the 17 patients, there were 9 males and 8 females, with an average age of (42.4±14.5) years and an average tumor size of (2.6±1.6) cm. Pathological types included esophageal duplication cysts (6 cases, 35.3%), bronchogenic cysts (5 cases, 29.4%), gastroenteric cysts (3 cases, 17.6%), schwannomas (2 cases, 11.8%), and lymphangioma (1 case, 5.9%). Fourteen patients (82.4%) underwent submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER), 3 patients (17.6%) underwent natural orifice transluminal endoscopic mediastinal surgery. All surgeries were successfully completed without conversion to open surgery. En bloc resection was achieved in 11 patients (64.7%), with an average operative time of (60.9±32.6) min. No intraoperative bleeding or mucosal injury occurred, and 4 patients (23.5%) experienced minor complications (pneumothorax, fever, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury), all of which resolved with conservative treatment. The average postoperative hospital stay was (3.2±1.5) days, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions Transesophageal endoscopic resection of benign mediastinal tumors is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment method. Further validation of its efficacy and safety through large-scale prospective studies is warranted.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare the efficacy between neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy vs . chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant triplet vs . doublet chemotherapeutic regimens in locally advanced gastric/esophagogastric junction cancer (LAGC). METHODS: We included LAGC patients from 47 hospitals in China's National Cancer Information Database (NCID) from January 2019 to December 2022. Using propensity score matching (PSM), we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy between neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy vs . chemotherapy alone, and neoadjuvant triplet vs . doublet chemotherapeutic regimens. The primary study result was the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. The secondary study results were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 1205 LAGC patients were included. After PSM, the ICIs plus chemotherapy and the chemotherapy cohorts had 184 patients each, while the doublet and triplet chemotherapy cohorts had 246 patients each. The pCR rate (14.13% vs . 7.61%, χ2 = 4.039, P = 0.044), and the 2-year (77.60% vs . 61.02%, HR = 0.67, 95% con-fidence interval [CI] 0.43-0.98, P = 0.048) and 3-year (70.55% vs . 61.02%, HR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.32-0.93, P = 0.048) DFS rates in the ICIs plus chemotherapy cohort were improved compared to those in the chemotherapy cohort. No significant increase was observed in the OS rates at both 1 year and 2 years. The pCR rates, DFS rates at 1-3 years, and OS rates at 1-2 years did not differ significantly between the doublet and triplet cohorts, respectively. No differences were observed in postoperative complications between any of the group comparisons. CONCLUSIONS Neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy improved the pCR rate and 2-3 years DFS rates of LAGC compared to chemotherapy alone, but whether short-term benefit could translate into long-term efficacy is unclear. The triplet regimen was not superior to the doublet regimen in terms of efficacy. The safety after surgery was similar between either ICIs plus chemotherapy and chemotherapy or the triplet and the doublet regimen.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Female ; Neoadjuvant Therapy/methods* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism* ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Cohort Studies

Objective:To examine the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing total thoracoscopic aortic-mitral double-valve replacement.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 50 patients who underwent double-valve replacement under a total thoracoscopic two-port approach from November 2021 to August 2022 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 32 males and 18 females, with an age of (55.3±8.8) years (range: 21 to 62 years). Among them, 36 cases had rheumatic heart disease and 14 cases had infective endocarditis. The 3 rd intercostal space between the right anterior axillary line and the midclavicular line was selected as the main operating hole, the total thoracoscopic double-valve replacement were successfully carried out. Baseline data, intraoperative information, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications were collected for all patients. Results:The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (168.2±30.9) minutes (range: 125 to 187 minutes), the aortic cross-clamping time was (118.8±16.5) minutes (range: 96 to 147 minutes). Five patients received bioprosthetic valves, and 45 received mechanical prosthetic valves. Postoperative mechanical ventilation lasted (9.6±3.4) hours (range: 5.1 to 14.2 hours), the ICU stay was (24.8±7.3) hours (range: 16.3 to 30.1 hours), and the postoperative hospital stay was (6.5±1.2) days (range: 5.0 to 8.0 days). Four patients received red blood cell transfusions of (2.7±0.9) units (range: 2 to 4 units), and the postoperative chest drainage volume was (222.1±56.3) ml (range: 175 to 289 ml). No deaths occurred intraoperatively or in the early postoperative period. One patient required reoperation due to bleeding in the aortic incision. Three patients had mild to moderate paravalvular leakage around the prosthetic aortic valve, with no cases of third-degree atrioventricular block or conversions to median sternotomy.Conclusions:The early outcomes of total thoracoscopic double valve replacement surgery are satisfactory, demonstrating safety and efficacy. This surgical approach expands the scope of total thoracoscopic cardiac surgery, which warrants further investigation and research.

Metabolic reprogramming is one of the significant characteristics of malignant tumor development.It provides the tumor with sufficient energy and materials.During the process by which tumor cells acquire metabolic reprogramming,epigenetic changes play a crucial role.N6-methyladenosine(m6A)in mRNA is the most common post-transcriptional modification of mRNA.It regulates the transcription,maturation,translation,and degradation of mRNA.Studies have shown that m6A helps promote the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells.However,the complete mechanism still requires further research.METTL3 is a key enzyme for m6A methylation that catalyzes m6A progression by forming complexes with other proteins,such as METTL14 and WTAP.Notably,the critical role of METTL3 in the metabolic transition of gastrointestinal tumors has not been given due attention.This article summarizes the specific pathways through which METTL3 affects the reprogramming of cellular glucose metabolism in gastrointestinal tumors.We aimed to clarify the importance of METTL3 in the energy reprogramming of gastrointestinal tumors.

Objective:To examine the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing total thoracoscopic aortic-mitral double-valve replacement.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 50 patients who underwent double-valve replacement under a total thoracoscopic two-port approach from November 2021 to August 2022 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 32 males and 18 females, with an age of (55.3±8.8) years (range: 21 to 62 years). Among them, 36 cases had rheumatic heart disease and 14 cases had infective endocarditis. The 3 rd intercostal space between the right anterior axillary line and the midclavicular line was selected as the main operating hole, the total thoracoscopic double-valve replacement were successfully carried out. Baseline data, intraoperative information, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications were collected for all patients. Results:The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (168.2±30.9) minutes (range: 125 to 187 minutes), the aortic cross-clamping time was (118.8±16.5) minutes (range: 96 to 147 minutes). Five patients received bioprosthetic valves, and 45 received mechanical prosthetic valves. Postoperative mechanical ventilation lasted (9.6±3.4) hours (range: 5.1 to 14.2 hours), the ICU stay was (24.8±7.3) hours (range: 16.3 to 30.1 hours), and the postoperative hospital stay was (6.5±1.2) days (range: 5.0 to 8.0 days). Four patients received red blood cell transfusions of (2.7±0.9) units (range: 2 to 4 units), and the postoperative chest drainage volume was (222.1±56.3) ml (range: 175 to 289 ml). No deaths occurred intraoperatively or in the early postoperative period. One patient required reoperation due to bleeding in the aortic incision. Three patients had mild to moderate paravalvular leakage around the prosthetic aortic valve, with no cases of third-degree atrioventricular block or conversions to median sternotomy.Conclusions:The early outcomes of total thoracoscopic double valve replacement surgery are satisfactory, demonstrating safety and efficacy. This surgical approach expands the scope of total thoracoscopic cardiac surgery, which warrants further investigation and research.

As a highly heterogeneous disease, breast cancer ranks first in new cases and deaths of female malignant tumors. In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer increases and tends to be younger. Early-onset breast cancer (<40 years old) is mostly associated with adverse biological characteristics and poor prognosis. Although immunotherapy and targeted therapy have advances in the treatment of breast cancer, a major challenge of neoplastic resistance to systemic therapy remains. Therefore, early diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets with high specificity and sensitivity must be identified. miR-21 affects the occurrence and development of breast cancer by targeting related genes and regulating related signaling pathways (PTEN/PI3K/Akt and NF-κB/ miR-21-5p/PDCD4 signaling pathways). This paper reviews the mechanism and progress of miR-21 in breast cancer.

Pharmacogenomics(PGx)is a science based on functional genomics and molecular phar-macology,which has been rapidly developed and gradually applied to clinical practice in recent years.Therefore,China and the United States are committed to promoting the development of PGx education.This paper reviews PGx education in Chi-na and the United States,clarifies the significance of developing PGx education,and provides a de-tailed introduction to the current development sta-tus and challenges of PGx education in universities and clinical settings.Additionally,this paper makes some recommendations for developing PGx educa-tion and discusses future development trends in both countries.

Objective:To explore the influence of multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) on clinical staging and diagnosis and treatment strategies for rectal cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 142 rectal cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital from March 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether to implement MDT or not, all patients were divided into MDT group (68 cases) and non-MDT group (74 cases). Relevant clinical data including patients' basic information (gender, age, etc.), TNM staging, whether to receive neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy or not, surgical methods, R0 resection rate of both groups were compared. The implementation methods and the effects of MDT for patients were summarized.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the proportion of clinical N staging at initial diagnosis, whether to receive neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy or not of both groups (all P < 0.05). The overall agreement rate of clinical T staging at initial diagnosis and pathological T staging was 67.6% (46/68), 50.0% (37/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.54, P = 0.033). The overall agreement rate of N staging at initial diagnosis and pathological N staging was 50.0% (34/68), 54.1% (40/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.23, P = 0.629). The treatment rate of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy was 57.4% (39/68) and 4.1% (3/74), respectively in the MDT group and the non-MDT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 48.33, P < 0.001). The R0 resection rate in both the MDT group and non-MDT group was 100.0%, and no tumor tissue was found at the upper, lower, and circumferential margins. Conclusions:MDT could provide more accurate clinical staging and more effective diagnosis and treatment opinions for patients, and provide reliable guidance for the treatment selections.

Objective:To summarize the thoracic and abdominal CT presentations after endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFR) and to analyze its significance in the evaluation and management of postoperative complications.Methods:Data of 82 patients who underwent gastrointestinal EFR at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and received a chest and/or abdominal CT within 1 week from September 2016 to September 2021 were collected retrospectively. The patients were divided into the intervention group ( n=38) and the control group ( n=44) according to the presence or absence of special postoperative interventions or prolonged hospital stays. The differences in the incidence of abnormal CT presentations between the two groups were analyzed. Risk factors for abnormal CT presentation were explored by multifactorial analysis. Results:Among the 82 patients, the main CT presentations were pneumoperitoneum in 51 patients (62.2%), abdominal and pelvic effusion in 30 patients (36.6%), pneumothorax in 5 (6.1%), pleural effusion in 43 (52.4%), and pulmonary inflammation in 16 (19.5%). The incidence of pelvic and abdominal effusions ( W=637.48, P=0.031) and pleural effusions ( W=622.06, P=0.031) in CT was higher in the intervention group than that in the control group. Age was an independent risk factor for air-related complications after EFR (>60 years old VS ≤60 years old: OR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.05-0.56, P=0.002). Conclusion:CT presentations of pelvic and abdominal effusion and pleural effusion after EFR is of great significance in suggesting complications, while patients with other CT presentations often do not require special intervention or prolonged hospital stay. Postoperative CT in elderly patients is less likely to detect air-related complications.