Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

Objective To investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the occurrence of esophageal cancer in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to observe the occurrence of tooth loss and esophageal cancer among the asymptomatic residents of the natural village for 16 years from January 2008 to July 2024. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline. Results Among the total population of 711 cases, 136 cases were lost to follow-up and 575 cases were included in the final statistics, including 45 cases with esophageal cancer. Significant statistical difference was found between esophageal cancer patients with and without tooth loss (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tooth loss was associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.977, 95%CI: 1.543-10.255). After the adjustment for confounders, tooth loss remained significantly associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.038, 95%CI: 1.035-8.914). A nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of teeth lost and the incidence of esophageal cancer. When the number of teeth lost was less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the number of teeth lost. When more than 12 teeth were lost, the risk of esophageal cancer decreased as the number of teeth lost increased. Conclusion Tooth loss is a risk factor for the occurrence of esophageal cancer in this natural village. When the number of teeth lost is less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increases with the number of teeth lost.

Objective To investigate the screening results and factors affecting abnormal detection rates among high-risk groups of esophageal cancer and to explore effective intervention measures. Methods We investigated and collected the information on gender, education level, age, marital status, symptoms of reflux esophagitis (heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccup, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing), consumption of pickled vegetables, salt use, and esophageal cancer incidence of villagers in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Changes in reflux esophagitis symptoms in the high-incidence area of esophageal cancer before and after 16 years were observed, and the relationship of such changes with esophageal cancer was analyzed. Results In 2008, 711 cases were epidemiologically investigated, including 213 cases with one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis such as heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccups, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing (sorted in accordance with the abovementioned symptoms; if there are multiple symptoms, then the former is taken); 55 cases with at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 108 cases (15.1%); followed by acid reflux, belching, etc. In 2024, the same group of people was investigated, and eight people were missing because of relocation. A total of 703 people were successfully investigated, of which 189 cases (26.8%) had one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis, such as heartburn (sorted in accordance with relevant symptoms, if there are multiple symptoms, then the former will be selected); 167 cases (23.7%) had at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 139 cases (19.7%); followed by acid reflux. Over 16 years, among the 703 people investigated, 45 cases had esophageal cancer and they had one or more of the abovementioned symptoms. No significant differences in the reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.26); no significant differences in the composition of reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.299). Conclusion The detection rate of reflux esophagitis-related symptoms in the population in a high-risk area of esophageal cancer has not decreased in the past 16 years, and the high-risk factors still exist. Esophageal cancer is closely related to reflux esophagitis, and clinical practice can provide early diagnosis and treatment for high-risk population.

Objective To understand the disease spectrum of a natural village in an area with high incidence of esophageal cancer to provide a reference for precise prevention and control. Methods From 2008 to 2024, 711 asymptomatic people over the age of 35 years in a natural village with high incidence of esophageal cancer in China were surveyed, and 171 of them were subjected to gastroscopy, biopsy, and pathological examination. All participants were followed up for a long time, and their disease history was recorded. Results A total of 16 years of follow-up were performed, and 703 people were effectively followed up. In 2008, 171 people underwent gastroscopy, and 160 people had biopsy and pathological results in endoscopic screening. By 2024, 76 people had been diagnosed with malignant tumors of 12 different types, and among these people, 45 had esophageal cancer. Conclusion Esophageal cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality from malignant tumors in this region. Biopsy and pathological examination should be strengthened during gastroscopy, and follow-ups and regular check-ups should be given high importance to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer.

Objective To investigatethe relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and clinicopathological characteristics, p53 expression, and survival of Chinese patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 3882 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, 970 matched patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and 970 matched patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma were included to compare the incidence of GERD symptoms. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to the presence and absence of GERD symptoms. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics and p53 expression between the two groups were compared by chi-square test, and the differences in survival between the two groups were compared by landmark analysis. Results The incidence of GERD symptoms increased successively in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, the proportions of male, less than 65 years old, lower thoracic tumors, tumors without squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiation, early tumors (stage 0-I), and p53-positive tumors in the group with GERD symptoms were higher than those in the group without GERD symptoms; moreover, the long-term survival (≥15 years) was better. Conclusion GERD symptom is an important clinical sign of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is closely related to specific clinicopathological characteristics, p53 overexpression, and good long-term prognosis.

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer therapy, while cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy aim to eradicate malignant cells, they also inadvertently trigger cellular senescence in both cancerous and microenvironmental tissues. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) can act as a barrier against tumor growth by halting cell proliferation in the short term, but the long-term persistence of therapy-induced senescent (TISnt) cells may pose a significant challenge in cancer management. Their distinct characteristics, like senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), metabolic dysregulation, and immune evasion, make them exhibit remarkable heterogeneity to orchestrate the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in therapy resistance. However, how these TISnt cells functioning differently in cancer progression, and the intricate mechanisms by which they remodel the senescence-associated immunosuppressive microenvironment present challenges for improving anticancer therapy. Therefore, this review summarizes the heterogeneous TISnt cell phenotypes contributing to an accumulated senescent state, outlines their multidimensional interactions in the senescent microenvironment, and discusses current senescence-targeting strategies. Building on the current understanding of TIS, we propose potential avenues for improving TIS-targeting methodologies in the context of head and neck cancer, a representative heterogeneous malignancy, which can substantially enhance the efficacy of the "one-two punch" sequential treatment approach for head and neck cancer.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype

Objective To construct a management program for upper limb lymphedema prevention in postopera-tive breast cancer patients and to evaluate its effectiveness.Methods The first draft of the upper limb lymphede-ma prevention and management protocol for postoperative breast cancer patients was constructed on the basis of ev-idence summaries and qualitative interviews,and 2 rounds of correspondence were conducted in December 2022.Using the convenience sampling method,patients undergoing surgery for malignant tumours in the breast surgery de-partment of a tertiary-level hospital in Zhengzhou City were selected as the study subjects,and 58 patients admitted from January to March 2023 were included in the experimental group according to the time of their first visit.57 patients admitted from July to December 2022 were included in the control group and were given routine care.The rates of lymphedema occurrence,upper limb function score and patients'adherence to lymphedema prevention be-haviours after 1,3,and 6 months of intervention were compared between the 2 groups.Results The valid ques-tionnaire recovery rates of the 2 rounds of expert correspondence were 92.59％and 100％,and the authority coeffi-cients of the experts were 0.940 and 0.950,and the Kendall's harmony coefficients were 0.228 and 0.254,respec-tively(P＜0.00 1).The coefficients of variation of the 2nd round of correspondence were 0.07～0.24.The final draft of the programme included 5 first-level entries,12 second-level entries,and 32 third-level entries.During the appli-cation of the programme,a total of 5 cases were dislodged,and 55 cases were finally included in each of the ex-perimental and control groups.The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed that there was an interaction ef-feet between the upper limb function scores and lymphedema prevention behavior compliance scores before inter-vention and at 1,3,and 6 months after discharge between the 2 groups(P＜0.05).Simple effects analysis showed that at 1,3,and 6 months after discharge,the upper limb function score and lymphedema prevention behavior com-pliance score of the experimental group were better than those of the control group,and the differences were sta-tistically significant(P＜0.05).At 6 months post-intervention,the difference in the occurrence of lymphedema was statistically significant when comparing the 2 groups(P=0.032).Adverse events such as subcutaneous bruising and falls did not occur in either group.Conclusion The upper limb lymphoedema prevention and management pro-gramme for postoperative breast cancer patients constructed in this study is scientific,feasible and safe,and can ef-fectively reduce the incidence of lymphoedema in patients and improve their quality of life.

The comparison between traditional Chinese medicine Jinzhen oral liquid (JZOL) and Western medicine in treating children with acute bronchitis (AB) showed encouraging outcomes. This trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the JZOL for improving cough and expectoration in children with AB. 480 children were randomly assigned to take JZOL or ambroxol hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride oral solution for 7 days. The primary outcome was time-to-cough resolution. The median time-to-cough resolution in both groups was 5.0 days and the antitussive onset median time was only 1 day. This randomized controlled trial showed that JZOL was not inferior to cough suppressant and phlegm resolving western medicine in treating cough and sputum and could comprehensively treat respiratory and systemic discomfort symptoms. Combined with clinical trials, the mechanism of JZOL against AB was uncovered by network target analysis, it was found that the pathways in TRP channels like IL-1β/IL1R/TRPV1/TRPA1, NGF/TrkA/TRPV1/TRPA1, and PGE2/EP/PKA/TRPV1/TRPA1 might play important roles. Animal experiments further confirmed that inflammation and the immune regulatory effect of JZOL in the treatment of AB were of vital importance and TRP channels were the key mechanism of action.

Based on qi-depression constitution， we systematically sorted out and summarized the manifestations of specific symptoms and prescriptions of qi-depression constitution. It is believed that a series of syndromes can be developed due to the imbalance in patients with qi-depression constitution. The four most common syndromes inclinic were summarized as liver depression， deficient depression， phlegm-heat depression， and stagnation. “Liver depression” resulted from liver failing to free flow of qi， then qi stagnated， so Xiaoyao Powder （逍遥散） was recommended as treatment for liver qi depression， spleen deficiency and blood insufficiency； Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder （丹栀逍遥散） for liver depression and spleen deficiency， depression transforming into fire； Bentun Decoction （奔豚汤） for liver depression transforming into fire， upward rushing of qi counterflow. “Deficient depression” resulted from long-term mental disorder and will consume qi and blood potentially to qi and blood deficiency， so Ganmai Dazao Decoction （甘麦大枣汤） was recommended as treatment for deficiency of both heart and spleen， and heart and spleen failing to tonify； Baihe Dihuang Decocotion （百合地黄汤） for heart and lung with yin deficiency， spirit and soul failing to guard. “Phlegm-heat depression” resulted from disturbance of qi movement， affecting the transportation of essence， blood and body fluids， gathering dampness and forming phlegm into heat. Banxia Houpo Decoction （半夏厚朴汤） was recommended as treatment for liver depression and failing to transportation， phlegm coagulation and qi stagnation； Chaihu （or Chaiqin） Wendan Decoction （柴胡（芩）温胆汤） for liver depression and phlegm-heat harassing internally， and disharmony of gallbladder and stomach； self-made Shugan Jieyu Decoction （舒肝解郁汤） for liver-qi stagnation and phlegm-fire harassing internally. “Stagnation” resulted from stagnation of Qi and blood， accumulation of turbid phlegm， and forming stasis over time， so Yueju Pill （越鞠丸） was recommended as treatment for liver depression and failing to transportation， phlegm-fire with damp diet and blood depression； self-made Rupi Sanjie Decoction （乳癖散结汤） for liver depression， stagnation of Qi and blood.

Target trail emulation is an observational research method, which can use real-world data (such as observational data and historical data) to carry out research design according to the design principles of randomized controlled trials (RCT) when RCT cannot be carried out. The intervention group and the control group were classified by simulating random grouping. Finally a high-reliable conclusion similar to RCT can be obtained. This paper summarizes the basic concepts and application process of target trail emulation based on the effect of statins on the prognosis of myocardial infarction in diabetic patients to provide reference for the application of this method in real world.