Objective To systematically review the sex differences in efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods We conducted a computer search of Medline, The Cochrane Library, and EMbase from inception to November 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of ICIs in patients with NSCLC. A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results Finally 16 RCTs with a total of 9 653 patients were included, and the modified Jadad scale score was≥4 points. Meta-analysis results showed that in female NSCLC patients receiving immune therapy, the median overall survival (OS) [HR=0.72, 95%CI (0.61, 0.85), P<0.001] was longer than that in males [HR=0.73, 95%CI (0.69, 0.78), P<0.001]. Males [HR=0.64, 95%CI (0.58, 0.71), P<0.001] had an advantage over females [HR=0.76, 95%CI (0.57, 1.03), P=0.760] in median progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusion Females receiving ICIs have an advantage over males in terms of median OS. However, males tend to derive greater benefit from ICIs in terms of median PFS.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of proximal gastrectomy (PG) versus total gastrectomy (TG) for the treatment of Siewert type Ⅱ/Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases were searched for literature comparing the efficacy and safety of PG and TG for the treatment of Siewert type Ⅱ/Ⅲ AEG. The search period was from database inception to March 2023. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. Results A total of 23 articles were included, including 16 retrospective cohort studies, 5 prospective cohort studies, and 2 randomized controlled trials. The total sample size was 2 826 patients, with 1 389 patients undergoing PG and 1 437 patients undergoing TG. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with TG, PG had less intraoperative blood loss [MD=−19.85, 95%CI (−37.20, −2.51), P=0.02] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [MD=−1.23, 95%CI (−2.38, −0.08), P=0.04]. TG had a greater number of lymph nodes dissected [MD=−6.20, 95%CI (−7.68, −4.71), P<0.001] and a lower incidence of reflux esophagitis [MD=3.02, 95%CI (1.24, 7.34), P=0.01]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two surgical approaches in terms of operative time, postoperative survival rate (1-year, 3-year, 5-year), and postoperative overall complications (P>0.05). Conclusion PG has advantages in terms of intraoperative blood loss and postoperative hospital stay, while TG has advantages in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected and the incidence of reflux esophagitis. There is no significant difference in long-term survival between the two surgical approaches.

Objective To systematically evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of McKeown and Sweet methods in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Methods PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang, VIP, CNKI and Chinese Biomedical Literature database were searched for literature on the short-term efficacy and safety of McKeown and Sweet methods in the treatment of esophageal cancer published from the establishment to May 2023. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of researches, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4. Results A total of 9 articles were included, involving 3687 patients including 1019 in the McKeown group and 2668 in the Sweet group. NOS score was 8-9 points. There were no statistical differences in the age, sex or American Joint Committee on Cancer stage between the two groups (P>0.05). Patients in the McKeown group had longer operative time and hospital stay, more intraoperative blood loss, and higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores than those in the Sweet group (P<0.05). However, the McKeown operation could remove more lymph nodes (P=0.001). In terms of safety, the incidences of pulmonary complications [OR=2.20, 95%CI (1.40, 3.46), P=0.001] and postoperative anastomotic leakage [OR=2.06, 95%CI (1.45, 2.92), P=0.001] were higher in the McKeown group than those in the Sweet group. In addition, there were no statistical differences between the two groups in the Karnofsky score, cardiac complications, vocal cord injury or paralysis, chylous leakage, or gastric emptying (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with McKeown, Sweet method has advantages in operation time, intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay, and has lower incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and anastomotic leakage. However, McKeown has more lymph node dissection.

Although surgical resection remains to be the best treatment strategy for stageⅠnon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), percutaneous thermal ablation offers an important option for patients who are unable to undergo surgical resection. Currently, there are three main thermal ablation methods used in the treatment of lung cancer, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA) and argon-helium cryoablation (AHC). With the improvement of technique and the accumulation of experience in the treatment of lung cancer, some limitations are disclosed in the initial application of RFA, such as heat sink effect, skin burns and rapid carbonization. These shortcomings have been overcome in the development of MWA and AHC. The feasibility and safety of thermal ablation for the treatment of lung cancer has been demonstrated and its efficacy has been significantly improved (especially for the tumour diameter≤3 cm). This article will focus on the application and recent research developments of these ablation techniques in the treatment of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite growing efforts for its early detection by screening populations at risk, the majority of lung cancer patients are still diagnosed in an advanced stage. In the last decade, the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been improved significantly. Emerging options of targeted therapies and immunotherapies have shifted the management of lung cancer to a more personalized treatment approach, significantly influencing the clinical course and outcome of the disease. At present, molecular biomarkers are becoming a powerful tool for diagnosing cancer, predicting treatment response outcomes, and assessing prognosis. In this review, we summarized the biomarkers relevant to the diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis of NSCLC as well as promising novel predictive biomarkers in the future.

Objective To systematically review the efficacy and safety of cap-assisted endoscopy in the treatment of esophageal foreign bodies. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI and Wanfang databases were searched by computer for relevant literatures on cap-assisted endoscopy and traditional endoscopy for esophageal foreign bodies from inception to November 2022. The quality assessment of the literature was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1. Results Finally, 27 studies were collected, including 17 randomized controlled trials, 2 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies, with a total of 3 619 patients. NOS scores of all studies were ≥7 points. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with traditional endoscopic treatment, the success rate of removing esophageal foreign bodies in the cap-assisted endoscopy group was higher (OR=14.43, 95%CI 10.64 to 19.55, P<0.000 1), postoperative complications were fewer (OR=0.30, 95%CI 0.23 to 0.38, P<0.000 1), patients' tolerance was better (OR=4.07, 95%CI 2.95 to 5.60, P<0.000 1), intraoperative visual field clarity was better (OR=12.00, 95%CI 7.29 to 19.76, P<0.000 1) and operative time was shorter (SMD=−1.83, 95%CI −2.31 to −1.34, P<0.000 1). Conclusion Cap-assisted endoscopy for esophageal foreign bodies is an effective and safe method, worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice.

Objective    To compare the clinical efficacy of different surgical approaches for Siewert type Ⅱ adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods    The clinical data of the patients with Siewert type Ⅱ AEG who received sugeries in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from August 2014 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical approach: a transabdominal group (transabdominal diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus approach) and a combined group (thoracoabdominal combined with right thoracic approach). Perioperative clinical data and postoperative follow-up data were collected to compare the short- and long-term efficacy of the two groups. Results     A total of 87 patients were enrolled. There were 48 patients (31 males and 17 females, with an average age of 60.85±8.47 years) in the transabdominal group, and 39 patients (25 males and 14 females, with an average age of 61.13±8.51 years) in the combined group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the baseline indicators such as gender, age, tumor size and stage (P>0.05). Compared with the combined group, the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative bed rest time, postoperative total drainage volume were shorter or less, and the visual analogue scale score on the 3rd day after surgery were lower in the transabdominal group (P<0.05). However, the total number of lymph nodes dissected, the number of thoracic lymph nodes dissected and the number of positive thoracic lymph nodes in the combined group were larger than those in the transabdominal group, and the differences were statistically significant (P=0.001). The median survival time in the combined group and transabdominal group was 25.85 months and 20.86 months, respectively. The 3-year overall survival rate of the combined group was higher than that of the transabdominal group (46.2% vs. 38.9%, χ2=5.995, P=0.014). However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in the postoperative catheter time, esophageal and gastric resection margin distance, number of abdominal lymph nodes dissected, number of positive abdominal lymph nodes, or incidence of postoperative complications (P>0.05). Conclusion    For patients with Siewert type Ⅱ adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, thoracoabdominal combined with right thoracic approach is safe and effective, and has advantages in thoracic lymph node dissection, bringing more benefits to the patients, so it is recommended to be popularized in clinical practice.

Objective To evaluate the short-term outcome of robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) for the treatment of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumour. Methods The clinical data of consecutive patients with mediastinal neurogenic tumors who received RATS treatment completed by the same operator in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital from June 2016 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The tumors were preoperatively localized and evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging or enhanced CT. Results A total of 35 patients were enrolled, including 19 males and 16 females with a mean age of 34.9±7.1 years. All patients successfully completed the resection of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors under RATS, and no conversion to thoracotomy occurred during the operation. The average operative time was 62.3±18.0 min, docking time was 10.3±2.6 min, intraoperative bleeding was 33.9±21.6 mL, postoperative 24-hour chest drainage was 69.0±28.9 mL, postoperative chest drainage time was 2.0 (1.0, 3.0) d and the postoperative hospital stay was 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) d. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients, including 2 patients with transient Honor syndrome and 1 patient with transient anhidrosis of the affected upper limb. Conclusion RATS for posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumours is safe, effective and feasible, and allows the full benefit of the robotic surgical system to be exploited.

Objective To compare the short- and long-term effects of R4 versus R3+R4 endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy (ETS) for acrohyperhidrosis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with acrohyperhidrosis admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Gansu Provincial Hospital for surgical treatment from April 2014 to April 2021. The patients were divided into two groups according to the methods of ETS, including a R4 group and a R3+R4 group. Perioperative clinical data and postoperative follow-up data were collected to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of the two groups. Results A total of 155 eligible patients were included. There were 60 patients in the R4 group, including 23 males and 37 females, with a mean age of 22.55±2.74 years. There were 95 patients in the R3+R4 group, including 40 males and 55 females, with a mean age of 23.14±3.65 years. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of baseline indicators such as gender, age and positive family history (P>0.05). Total operative time was 38.67±5.20 min in the R4 group and 40.05±5.18 min in the R3+R4 group; intraoperative bleeding was 7.25±3.25 mL in the R4 group and 7.95±3.90 mL in the R3+R4 group; postoperative hospital stay was 1.28±0.52 d in the R4 group and 1.38±0.57 d in the R3+R4 group, the differences between the two groups in the above indicators were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Postoperative hand hyperhidrosis symptoms were significantly relieved in both groups, and the complete remission rate was better in the R3+R4 group than that in the R4 group (98.0% vs. 93.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.358). The R3+R4 group was superior to the R4 group in terms of the relief of plantar hyperhidrosis symptoms, patient satisfaction and quality of life index at 6 months postoperatively (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the overall incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis at 12 months postoperatively between the two groups (P=0.867), but the incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis was higher in the R3+R4 group than that in the R4 group (72.6% vs. 70.0%). Conclusion The perioperative outcomes of R4 and R3+R4 ETS are similar, but R3+R4 ETS has a higher rate of symptomatic relief of acrohyperhidrosis, and patients have a better postoperative quality of life. R3+R4 ETS is a reliable option for the treatment of acrohyperhidrosis. However, patients need to be informed that this procedure may increase the risk of compensatory hyperhidrosis.

Objective To evaluate the short-term outcomes and hospital costs of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for non-small cell lung cancer. Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection for non-small cell lung cancer completed by the same operator in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital from June 2016 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgery approach, the patients were divided into a RATS group and a VATS group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 516 patients were enrolled. There were 254 patients in the RATS group, including 103 males and 151 females, with a mean age of 60.0±4.2 years, and 262 patients in the VATS group, including 126 males and 136 females, with a mean age of 59.5±4.3 years. All patients in both groups successfully completed radical lung cancer surgery with no perioperative death. In terms of intraoperative bleeding (63.4±13.3 mL vs. 92.5±23.5 mL), postoperative drainage time (4.1±0.9 d vs. 4.7±1.2 d), postoperative hospital stay time (5.6±1.1 d vs. 6.7±1.4 d), number of lymph nodes dissected (17.9±2.1 vs. 13.9±1.4) and groups of lymph nodes dissected (5.4±0.8 groups vs. 4.4±1.0 groups), the RATS group had an advantage, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In terms of operative time and total postoperative chest drainage, the VATS group had an advantage, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative complications or intraoperative conversion to thoractomy (P>0.05). The total hospitalization, surgical and total consumables costs of the RATS group were higher than those in the VATS group (P<0.05). In terms of other costs and consumables costs (one-time costs of purely high-value consumables after deduction of robot-specific costs), the VATS group was higher than the RATS group (P<0.05). Conclusion RATS offers technical and short-term efficacy advantages, but comes with the disadvantage of high costs. Thoracic surgeons can make full use of the features of the robotic surgery system, exploiting its potential to continuously improve and optimize techniques and reduce the use of high-value consumables, thus achieving efficiency and cost reductions and allowing robotic surgery to reach more patients.