Glucose metabolic profiles evaluated by PET associated with molecular characteristic landscape of gastric cancer

Plasma Metabolomic Signatures of H. pylori Infection, Alcohol Drinking, Smoking, and Risk of Gastric Cancer

Circulating metabolic profiles have shown promising potential in identifying high-risk populations for various diseases, while metabolic perturbation plays an important role in gastric cancer. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 1800 participants to identify plasma metabolite signatures associated with environmental risk factors of gastric cancer. Subsequently, we evaluated the association between these signatures and gastric cancer risk in a nested case-control study involving 326 gastric cancer cases and 326 matched cancer-free controls. We conducted mediation analyses to elucidate the potential impact of metabolites on the association between environmental factors and gastric cancer. In the cross-sectional study, we identified 46 metabolites associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, 365 with alcohol drinking, and 154 with smoking status. In the nested case-control study, 60 plasma metabolites, comprising 30 lipids, 15 amino acids, 6 xenobiotics, 3 nucleotides, 2 cofactors and vitamins, 2 carbohydrate, 1 energy, and 1 peptide, were associated with gastric cancer risk. A one-standard deviation increment in the H. pylori infection-related metabolomic signature was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.32-2.09, p = 1.62 × 10-5). Furthermore, the effect of H. pylori infection on gastric cancer was partially mediated by the metabolomic signature (23.28%, 95% CI: 0.09-0.56) or adenine (13.69%, 95% CI: 0.05-0.31). In conclusion, we have identified metabolites associated with environmental factors and demonstrated the association between the H. pylori infection signature and gastric cancer risk. The findings provide novel insights into characterizing high-risk population for gastric cancer.

Predictive Value of Preoperative Maximum Standardized Uptake Value (SUVmax) in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of preoperative maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and GLUT-1 expression in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Methods: Medical records of patients who were diagnosed with AGC between 2018 and 2020 at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) were retrospectively analyzed. Finally, 182 patients were enrolled, and for each patient, SUVmax was calculated for the primary lesion on PET/CT prior to curative surgery. A total of 165 clinical tissue specimens were collected for immunohistochemical analysis of GLUT-1 expression. Results: A total of 182 patients were divided into two groups based on their SUVmax values. The low SUVmax group comprised 92 patients. Patients with low SUVmax tended to be younger and included a higher proportion of women, with their primary tumors typically smaller or in earlier TNM stages. The median follow-up time was 52 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 90.7%, 71.4%, and 67.0%, respectively. Among them, 33 patients experienced recurrence and metastasis, and 40 ultimately died. Log-rank analysis revealed that the low SUVmax group exhibited superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis indicated that, for AGC without preoperative treatment, later stage (stage III) was independently correlated with a higher risk of recurrence (HR = 3.049; 95%CI = 1.076-8.639; p = 0.036), while the low SUVmax group exhibited a reduced risk of recurrence and mortality compared with the high SUVmax group (HR = 0.565; 95%CI = 0.326-0.979; p = 0.042). Conclusions: The clinicopathological characteristics of patients with AGC with different SUVmax values appeared significantly different. Tumor stage and SUVmax were found as independent factors affecting postoperative recurrence and death of patients with AGC.

Effective TME-related signature to predict prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial for the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the correlation of the characteristics of the TME and the prognosis of patients with HNSCC remains less known. Methods: In this study, we calculated the immune and stromal cell scores using the "estimate" R package. Kaplan-Meier survival and CIBERSORT algorithm analyses were applied in this study. Results: We identified seven new markers: FCGR3B, IGHV3-64, AC023449.2, IGKV1D-8, FCGR2A, WDFY4, and HBQ1. Subsequently, a risk model was constructed and all HNSCC samples were grouped into low- and high-risk groups. The results of both the Kaplan-Meier survival and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses showed that the prognosis indicated by the model was accurate (0.758, 0.756, and 0.666 for 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates). In addition, we applied the CIBERSORT algorithm to reveal the significant differences in the infiltration levels of immune cells between the two risk groups. Discussion: Our study elucidated the roles of the TME and identified new prognostic biomarkers for patients with HNSCC.

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: III. Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Simple Summary

Positron emission tomography (PET), typically combined with computed tomography (CT), has become a critical advanced imaging technique in oncology. With PET-CT, a radioactive molecule (radiotracer) is injected in the bloodstream and localizes to sites of tumor because of specific cellular features of the tumor that accumulate the targeting radiotracer. The CT scan, performed at the same time, provides information to facilitate the characterization of radioactivity from deep or dense structures, and to provide detailed anatomic information. PET-CT has a variety of applications in oncology, including staging, therapeutic response assessment, restaging and surveillance. This series of six review articles provides an overview of the value, applications, and imaging interpretive strategies of PET-CT in the more common adult malignancies. The third report in this series provides a review of PET-CT imaging in gastrointestinal malignancies.

Abstract

PET-CT is an advanced imaging modality with many oncologic applications, including staging, assessment of response to therapy, restaging and longitudinal surveillance for recurrence. The goal of this series of six review articles is to provide practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for specific oncologic indications, and the potential pitfalls and nuances that characterize these applications. In the third of these review articles, key tumor-specific clinical information and representative PET-CT images are provided to outline the role that PET-CT plays in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. The focus is on the use of ¹⁸F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), rather than on research radiopharmaceuticals under development. Many different types of gastrointestinal tumors exist, both pediatric and adult. A discussion of the role of FDG PET-CT for all of these is beyond the scope of this review. Rather, this article focuses on the most common adult gastrointestinal malignancies that may be encountered in clinical practice. The information provided here will provide information outlining the appropriate role of PET-CT in the clinical management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies for healthcare professionals caring for adult cancer patients. It also addresses the nuances and provides interpretive guidance related to PET-CT for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and their trainees.