The Impact of Smoking on Pulmonary Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer

Cigarette Smoke-Induced Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition: Insights into Cellular Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways

This review delves into the molecular complexities underpinning the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by cigarette smoke (CS) in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). The complex interplay of pathways, including those related to WNT//β-catenin, TGF-β/SMAD, hypoxia, oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB, plays a central role in mediating this transition. While these findings significantly broaden our understanding of CS-induced EMT, the research reviewed herein leans heavily on 2D cell cultures, highlighting a research gap. Furthermore, the review identifies a stark omission of genetic and epigenetic factors in recent studies. Despite these shortcomings, the findings furnish a consolidated foundation not only for the academic community but also for the broader scientific and industrial sectors, including large tobacco companies and manufacturers of related products, both highlighting areas of current understanding and identifying areas for deeper exploration. The synthesis herein aims to propel further research, hoping to unravel the complexities of the EMT in the context of CS exposure. This review not only expands our understanding of CS-induced EMT but also reveals critical limitations in current methodologies, primarily the reliance on 2D cell cultures, which may not adequately simulate more complex biological interactions. Additionally, it highlights a significant gap in the literature concerning the genetic and epigenetic factors involved in CS-induced EMT, suggesting an urgent need for comprehensive studies that incorporate these types of experiments.

A novel diagnostic model for differentiation of lung metastasis from primary lung cancer in patients with colorectal cancer

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating lung metastasis(LM) from primary lung cancer(LC) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

A total of 120 CRC patients (80 male, 40 female) who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT were included. The diagnosis of primary lung cancer or lung metastasis was based on histopathology The patients were divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort randomized 1:1. Independent risk factors were extracted through the clinical information and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging characteristics of patients in the validation cohort, and then a diagnostic model was constructed and a nomograms was made. ROC curve, calibration curve, cutoff, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the diagnostic model.

Results

One hundred and twenty Indeterminate lung lesions (ILLs) (77 lung metastasis, 43 primary lung cancer) were analyzed. No significant difference in clinical characteristics and imaging features between the training and the validation cohorts (P > 0. 05). Using uni-/multivariate analysis, pleural tags and contour were identified as independent predictors. These independent predictors were used to establish a diagnostic model with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.92 and 0.89 in the primary and validation cohorts, respectively. The accuracy rate of the diagnostic model for differentiating LM from LC were higher than that of subjective diagnosis (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Pleural tags and contour were identified as independent predictors. The diagnostic model of ILLs in patients with CRC could help differentiate between LM and LC.

Clinical Features of Recurrence Pattern with Lung Metastasis After Radical Esophagectomy for Thoracic Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND

One of the difficulties in the treatment of esophageal cancer surgery is the high rate of postoperative recurrence. After esophagectomy, distant metastatic recurrence frequently occurs in the lung. This study aimed to determine the clinical features of a recurrence pattern with lung metastasis.

METHODS

The current study analyzed data from 138 patients who had postoperative recurrence of esophageal cancer after a radical esophagectomy. According to the recurrence pattern at the time of initial diagnosis, the patients were classified into two groups as follows: those with lung metastasis and those without.

RESULTS

Twenty-three of the 138 investigated patients had a recurrence pattern with lung metastasis. Salvage surgery and postoperative pneumonia (p = 0.041 and 0.030, respectively) were identified as risk factors for recurrence pattern with lung metastasis in multivariate analysis. When we compared the sites of primary esophageal tumors, we found that the frequencies of distant metastases, such as lung and liver metastases, as well as pleural/peritoneal dissemination, were higher in the mid and distal esophageal tumors. Patients with a recurrence pattern showing lung metastasis alone had a better overall and post-recurrence survival than those with other recurrence patterns (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients who had postoperative recurrence after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer, salvage surgery, and postoperative pneumonia were significantly related to recurrence pattern with lung metastasis. Postoperative recurrence with lung metastasis alone had a better prognosis than other recurrence patterns; therefore, when pulmonary recurrence is suspected, performing intensive examinations for early diagnosis is critical.

Heterogeneity of Synchronous Lung Metastasis Calls for Risk Stratification and Prognostic Classification: Evidence from a Population-Based Database

The epidemiology and associated potential heterogeneity of synchronous lung metastasis (sLM) have not been reported at a population-based level. Cancer patients with valid information about sLM status in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were enrolled. The prevalence of sLM, with a 95% confidential interval, and median survival of sLM, with interquartile range, were calculated and compared by Chi-square analyses and log-rank tests by primary cancer type and clinicopathological factors. Furthermore, the risk factors of sLM development were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Among 1,672,265 enrolled cases, 3.3% cases were identified with sLM, with a median survival of 7 months. Heterogeneity in prevalence and prognosis in sLM was observed among different primary cancers, with the highest prevalence in main bronchus cancer and best survival in testis cancer. Higher prevalence and poorer prognosis were observed in the older population, male population, African American, patients with lower socioeconomic status, and cases with advanced T stage, N stage, or more malignant pathological characteristics. Race, age, T stage, N stage, metastasis to other sites, insurance status and marital status were associated with sLM development (p < 0.001). The current study highlights the heterogeneity of the prevalence and prognosis in patients with sLM.

Circular RNA circ_0068464 combined with microRNA-383 regulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway to promote the progression of colorectal cancer

This study was to clarify the influence and mechanism of circular RNA hsa_circ_0068464 (circ_0068464) on the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). First, we combined bioinformatics analysis and the high-throughput sequencing to determine the expression profile of circRNAs in CRC dataset, and screened out the differentially expressed circ_0068464. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was utilized to measure circ_0068464 expression in CRC and normal cancer-adjacent tissues, CRC cell lines (SW480, SW620, HT29, LS174T and HCT116) and human fetal intestinal epithelial cell (FHC). The results revealed that circ_0068464 was abnormally up-regulated in CRC cells and tissues. Knockdown of circ_0068464 could inhibit CRC cell migration and proliferation and promoted apoptosis while suppressing the expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins (β-catenin, cyclin D1, C-myc and LEF-1). In addition, tumorigenic assays in nude mice confirmed that circ_0068464 downregulation significantly inhibited tumor growth and lung metastasis. Further, the binding interaction between circ_0068464 and microRNA-383 (miR-383) was verified by dual-luciferase assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. And miR-383 was significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues and cells. Interfering with miR-383 expression reversed the inhibitory effect of circ_0068464 knockdown on CRC cells. In conclusion, circ_0068464 targets miR-383 to regulate Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation, thereby promoting the development of CRC.

Impact of Smoking History on Pulmonary Metastasis-free Survival in Patients With Soft-tissue Sarcoma

Background/Aim

Although smoking history is predictive of poor pulmonary metastasis-free survival (PMFS) in patients with epithelial tumors, the impact of smoking history on PMFS in those with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is not known.

Patients and Methods

Patients undergoing treatment for STS at our institutes between 2008 and 2017 were enrolled. Patients were excluded if they had metastatic lesion, or had a histopathological classification demonstrating small round-cell sarcoma. The impact of smoking history on PMFS and overall survival was examined with multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

A total of 250 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with smoking history had worse PMFS on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio=2.00, 95% confidence interval=1.12-3.60). On the other hand, smoking history did not significantly affect overall survival (hazard ratio=1.26, 95% confidence interval=0.61-2.58).

Conclusion

Patients with STS need to be followed-up by frequent clinical assessments if they have a smoking history.

Identification of Metabolic-Associated Genes for the Prediction of Colon and Rectal Adenocarcinoma

Background and Aim

Uncontrolled proliferation is the most prominent biological feature of tumors. In order to rapidly proliferate, tumor cells regulate their metabolic behavior by controlling the expression of metabolism-related genes (MRGs) to maximize the utilization of available nutrients. In this study, we aimed to construct prognosis models for colorectal adenocarcinoma (COAD) and rectum adenocarcinoma (READ) using MRGs to predict the prognoses of patients.

Methods

We first acquired the gene expression profiles of COAD and READ from the TCGA database, and then utilized univariate Cox analysis, Lasso regression, and multivariable Cox analysis to identify the MRGs for risk models.

Results

Eight genes (CPT1C, PLCB2, PLA2G2D, GAMT, ENPP2, PIP4K2B, GPX3, and GSR) in the colon cancer risk model and six genes (TDO2, PKLR, GAMT, EARS2, ACO1, and WAS) in the rectal cancer risk model were identified successfully. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that these two models could accurately and independently predict overall survival (OS) for patients with COAD or READ. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis was used to identify the metabolism pathway of MRGs in the risk models and analyzed these genes comprehensively. Then, we verified the prognosis model in independent COAD cohorts (GSE17538) and detected the correlations of the protein expression levels of GSR and ENPP2 with prognosis for COAD or READ.

Conclusion

In this study, 14 MRGs were identified as potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer.

Recent trends in cancer therapy: A review on the current state of gene delivery

Cancer treatment has been always considered one of the most critical and vital themes of clinical issues. Many approaches have been developed, depending on the type and the stage of tumor. Gene therapy has the potential to revolutionize different cancer therapy. With the advent of recent bioinformatics technologies and genetic science, it become possible to identify, diagnose and determine the potential treatment using the technology of gene delivery. Several approaches have been developed and experimented in vitro and vivo for cancer therapy including: naked nucleic acids based therapy, targeting micro RNAs, oncolytic virotherapy, suicide gene based therapy, targeting telomerase, cell mediated gene therapy, and CRISPR/Cas9 based therapy. In this review, we present a straightforward introduction to cancer biology and occurrence, highlighting different viral and non-viral gene delivery systems for gene therapy and critically discussed the current and various strategies for cancer gene therapy.