Proposal and validation of a modified staging system to improve the prognosis predictive performance of the 8th AJCC/UICC pTNM staging system for gastric adenocarcinoma: a multicenter study with external validation

Association of survival with adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage IB gastric cancer: a multicentre, observational, cohort study

Background

Recurrence following radical resection in patients with stage IB gastric cancer (GC) is not uncommon. However, whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy could reduce the risk of recurrence in stage IB GC remains contentious.

Methods

We collected data on 2110 consecutive patients with pathologic stage IB (T1N1M0 or T2N0M0) GC who were admitted to 8 hospitals in China from 2009 to 2018. The survival of patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy was compared with that of postoperative observation patients using propensity score matching (PSM). Two survival prediction models were constructed to estimate the predicted net survival gain attributable to adjuvant chemotherapy.

Findings

Of the 2110 patients, 1344 received adjuvant chemotherapy and 766 received postoperative observation. Following the 1-to-1 matching, PSM yielded 637 matched pairs. Among matched pairs, adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with improved survival compared with postoperative observation (OS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-1.00; DFS: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.64-1.29). Interestingly, in the subgroup analysis, reduced mortality after adjuvant chemotherapy was observed in the subgroups with elevated serum CA19-9 (HR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.08-0.57; P = 0.001 for multiplicative interaction), positive lymphovascular invasion (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17-0.62; P < 0.001 for multiplicative interaction), or positive lymph nodes (HR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.07-0.38; P < 0.001 for multiplicative interaction). The survival prediction models mainly based on variables associated with chemotherapy benefits in the subgroup analysis demonstrated good calibration and discrimination, with relatively high C-indexes. The C-indexes for OS were 0.74 for patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and 0.70 for patients treated with postoperative observation. Two nomograms were built from the models that can calculate individualized estimates of expected net survival gain attributable to adjuvant chemotherapy.

Interpretation

In this cohort study, pathologic stage IB alone was not associated with survival benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy compared with postoperative observation in patients with early-stage GC. High-risk clinicopathologic features should be considered simultaneously when evaluating patients with stage IB GC for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China; the National Key R&D Program of China.

Normalization weighted combination scores re-evaluate TNM staging of gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study based on a multicenter database

BACKGROUND

The pathological depth of tumor invasion (pT) and lymph node metastasis (pN) are critical independent prognostic factors for patients with gastric cancer (GC), representing effective methods for evaluating prognosis. In this study, the authors employed a normalization weight combination score to calculate the weight ratio of the pT stage and pN stage. Subsequently, the authors established a novel weighted TN (wTN) staging model based on these T and N weights, evaluating its prognostic capacity.

METHODS

This study utilized a training cohort from A Medical University Cancer Hospital and a validation cohort from the SEER database. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression were employed to screen clinical characteristics. Multivariate linear regression and cluster analysis calculated the weight ratio of T stage and N stage in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, followed by re-staging. Prognostic value was evaluated using C-index, likelihood ratio, Wald, and Score tests for wTN stage and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. A nomogram model was developed, and accuracy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses.

RESULTS

LASSO was used for initial screening, selecting eight potential features for Cox analysis. Age, tumor size, metastasis lymph nodes (MLNs), and tumor location were confirmed as independent prognostic factors. wTN was calculated in the training and validation cohorts, and nomograms were established with the independent factors. N stage had a higher weight proportion than T stage in both cohorts (0.625/0.375 in training cohort, 0.556/0.444 in validation cohort). wTN outperformed the 8th TNM stage in C-index, likelihood ratio, Wald, and Score tests in the training cohort, with successful validation in the validation cohort. Stratified analysis of distinct pathological types further demonstrates that wTN staging exhibits superior prognostic performance.

CONCLUSION

The wTN staging model based on T stage and N stage weights has a good prognostic value for GC patients. The same conclusion was obtained in different pathological stratification.

Clinicopathological characteristics of gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation and gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic marker expression

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) with enteroblastic differentiation (GAED) is an aggressive carcinoma histologically characterized by a glycogen-rich clear cytoplasm and fetal gut-like structures. GAED shows the expression of at least one of the following enteroblastic markers (EMs): glypican-3 (GPC3), spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4), and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Despite the absence of clear cytoplasm, we often encounter GA with EMs expression (GA with EM); however, the clinicopathological characteristics of GA with EM remain unclear. Immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of three EMs (AFP, GPC3, and SALL4) was examined on tissue microarray. According to the status of the clear cytoplasm of tumor cells, GAs showing IHC expression of EMs were classified as either GAED or GA with EM, and this analysis categorized 688 GAs into 94 GAEDs (13.7%), 58 GAs with EM (8.4%), and 536 conventional GAs (CGAs). Both GAED and GA with EM showed frequent lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, and liver metastasis compared to CGA. However, a higher frequency of venous invasion, but not of lymphatic invasion, was noted for GAED in comparison to CGA. GAED and GA with EM showed similar overall survival. GAED had significantly poorer prognosis than CGA; however, not for GA with EM. Furthermore, GA showing EM expression had a worse prognosis than CGA. Interestingly, GA showing EM-positive group was more aggressive than CGA group as they had frequent venous invasion and liver metastasis despite its smaller tumor size. GAED and GA with EM can be clinically classified as aggressive tumors but pathologically they seem to be slightly different.

Impact of HER2 on prognosis and benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II/III gastric cancer patients: a multicenter observational study

BACKGROUND

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a well-developed therapeutic target in breast and gastric cancer (GC). However, the impact of HER2 on survival and benefit from fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy remains unclear in patients with GC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This multicenter cohort study involved 5622 consecutive stage II/III GC patients. HER2 expression was assessed prospectively via immunohistochemistry (IHC). The staining intensity was graded on a scale of 0 to 3+. An IHC score of 2+or 3+was defined as high expression, and a score of 3+was defined as overexpression.

RESULTS

HER2 overexpression was independently associated with a lower 5-year overall survival (OS) in stage II [hazard ratio (HR), 2.10; 95% CI: 1.41-3.11], but not in stage III GC (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.82-1.20). Further analysis revealed that stage II patients with high HER2 expression showed a poorer response to chemotherapy than stage II patients with low HER2 expression ( Pinteraction =0.024). The HRs for 5-year OS were 0.51 (95% CI, 0.38-0.70) for stage II patients with low HER2 expression, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.51-0.66) for stage III patients with low HER2 expression, 1.13 (95% CI, 0.61-2.09) for stage II patients with high HER2 expression, and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.36-0.61) for stage III patients with high HER2 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy is insufficient for stage II GC patients with high HER2 expression, indicating that prospective trials are required to validate alternative HER2-targeted adjuvant therapies in the individuals above.

Gastric Cancer: Correlation of Histologic Type with Commonly Used Prognostic Variables

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers among Iranian men and women. Objectives: The aim here was to investigate different histopathologic types and features of this cancer in association with selected prognostic variables. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed to reevaluate the pathologic samples of 100 cases of gastric cancer referred to Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran from 2017 to 2022. Results: We evaluated 100 cases of gastric cancer in this study. They had a mean age of 62.4 ± 13.44 years old (range 28 - 84 years) and were mostly men (n = 66, 66 %). On histopathologic evaluation, tubular carcinoma was the most common type (n = 45, 45%). We found a statistically significant correlation between the histologic type and perineural invasion (P-value = 0.024), lymphovascular invasion (P-value < 0.001), tumoral involvement of surgical margin (P-value = 0.012 ), infiltration depth of the primary tumor (pT) (P-value = 0.049) , number of metastatic lymph nodes (pN) (P-value = < 0.001) , tumor location in the antrum (P-value=0.033) and body (P-value = 0.013) , and tumor size (P-value = 0.002 and P-value = 0.031 in small and large size groups respectively). Conclusions: According to the findings, histologic type of gastric cancer correlates with perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, tumoral involvement of the surgical margin, pT, pN, and tumor location and size.

Identification of a Two-Gene Signature and Establishment of a Prognostic Nomogram Predicting Overall Survival in Diffuse-Type Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

It is widely acknowledged that the molecular biological characteristics of diffuse-type gastric cancer are different from intestinal-type gastric cancer. Notwithstanding that significant progress in high-throughput sequencing technology has been made, there is a paucity of effective prognostic biomarkers for diffuse gastric cancer for clinical practice.

METHODS

We downloaded four GEO datasets (GSE22377, GSE38749, GSE47007 and GSE62254) to establish and validate a prognostic two-gene signature for diffuse gastric cancer. The TGCA-STAD dataset was used for external validation. The optimal gene signature was established by using Cox regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology was used to find the best prognostic model. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to analyze the possible signaling pathways of the two genes (MEF2C and TRIM15).

RESULTS

A total of four differently expressed genes (DEGs) (two upregulated and two downregulated) were identified. After a comprehensive analysis, two DEGs (MEF2C and TRIM15) were utilized to construct a prognostic model. A prognostic prediction model was constructed according to T stage, N stage, M stage and the expression of MEF2C and TRIM15. The area under the time-dependent receiver operator characteristic was used to evaluate the performance of the prognosis model in the GSE62254 dataset.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that MEF2C and TRIM15 might be key genes. We also established a prognostic nomogram based on the two-gene signature that yielded a good performance for predicting overall survival in diffuse-type gastric cancer.

Clinico-radiological nomogram for preoperatively predicting post-resection hepatic metastasis in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To establish and validate a model comprising clinical and radiological features to pre-operatively predict post-resection hepatic metastasis (HM) in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 461 patients (HM, 106 patients); and non-metastasis (NM, 355 patients) who were confirmed to have GAC post-surgery. The patients were randomly divided into the training (n = 307) and testing (n = 154) cohorts in a 2:1 ratio. The main clinical risk factors were filtered using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm according to their diagnostic value. The selected factors were then used to establish a clinical-radiological model using stepwise logistic regression. The Akaike's information criterion and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the model.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analysis showed that the peak enhancement phase, tumor location, alpha-fetoprotein, cancer antigen (CA)-125, CA724 levels, CT-based Tstage and arterial phase CT values were important independent predictors. Based on these predictors, the areas under the ROC curve of the training and testing cohorts were 0.864 and 0.832, respectively, for predicting post-operative HM.

CONCLUSION

This study built a synthetical nomogram using the pre-operative clinical and radiological features of patients to predict the likelihood of HM occurring after GAC surgery. It may help guide pre-operative clinical decision-making and benefit patients with GAC in the future.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

1. The combination of clinical risk factors and CT imaging features provided useful information for predicting HM in GAC.2. A clinicoradiological nomogram is a tool for the pre-operative prediction of HM in patients with GAC.

Effect of the Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index on the Survival of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients after Radical Esophagectomy

We aimed to investigate whether the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) can predict the postoperative overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Between 1 July 2015 and 31 July 2021, a retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients with primary ESCC who underwent radical esophagectomy. A total of 352 patients were included, with median age of 63.00 (IQR (interquartile range) 56.00-68.00). The patients were divided into low (n = 300) and high (n = 52) ACCI groups based on the optimal cut-off value of 5 points. Chronic pulmonary disease (38.4%) was the most common comorbidity. The results of the multivariate Cox regression showed that the ACCI (HR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.04-2.56), tumor size (HR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.05-2.66), pTNM (II vs. I, HR = 4.74, 95%CI: 1.82-12.32; III vs. I, HR = 6.08, 95%CI: 2.37-15.60), and postoperative chemotherapy (HR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.40-0.91) were significantly associated with the OS. Furthermore, the ACCI, tumor size, pTNM, and postoperative chemotherapy were also significantly associated with the CSS. Interactions were identified between the ACCI and postoperative chemotherapy, pTNM stage, and tumor size in relation to the OS and CSS. In conclusion, the ACCI may be an independent prognostic factor affecting the long-term prognosis of patients after radical esophagectomy.

An artificial intelligence model to predict survival and chemotherapy benefits for gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy development and validation in international multicenter cohorts

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health problem worldwide, with high prevalence and mortality. The present GC staging system provides inadequate prognostic information and does not reflect the chemotherapy benefit of GC.

METHODS

Two hundred fifty-five patients who underwent surgical resection were enrolled in our study (training cohort = 212, internal validation cohort = 43). Nine clinicopathologic features were obtained to construct an support vector machine (SVM) model. The cohorts from 4 domestic centres and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used for external validation.

RESULTS

In the training cohort, the AUCs were 0.773 (95% CI 0.708-0.838) for 5-year overall survival (OS) and 0.751 (95% CI 0.683-0.820) for 5-year disease-free survival (DFS); in the domestic validation cohort, the AUCs were 0.852 (95% CI 0.810-0.894) and 0.837 (95% CI 0.792-0.882), respectively. The model performed better than the TNM staging system according to the receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curve. GC patients were significantly divided into low, moderate and high risk based on the SVM. High-risk TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients were more likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy than low-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The SVM-based model may be used to predict OS and DFS in GC patients and the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ GC patients.

Quantitative Dynamic-Enhanced MRI and Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Prediction of the Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and the Prognosis in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

Background

This study aimed to explore the predictive value of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) quantitative parameters for the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients, and the relationship between the prediction results and patients’ prognosis, so as to provide a basis for clinical individualized precision treatment.

Methods

One hundred twenty-nine newly diagnosed LAGC patients who underwent IVIM-DWI and DCE-MRI pretreatment were enrolled in this study. Pathological tumor regression grade (TRG) served as the reference standard of NCT response evaluation. The differences in DCE-MRI and IVIM-DWI parameters between pathological responders (pR) and pathological non-responders (pNR) groups were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify independent predictive parameters for NCT response. Prediction models were built with statistically significant quantitative parameters and their combinations. The performance of these quantitative parameters and models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Clinicopathological variables, DCE-MRI and IVIM-DWI derived parameters, as well as the prediction model were analyzed in relation to 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) by using Cox proportional hazards model. RFS was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method and the log-rank test.

Results

Sixty-nine patients were classified as pR and 60 were pNR. K^trans, k_ep, and v_e values in the pR group were significantly higher, while ADC_standard and D values were significantly lower than those in the pNR group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that K^trans, k_ep, v_e, and D values were independent predictors for NCT response. The combined predictive model, which consisted of DCE-MRI and IVIM-DWI, showed the best prediction performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.922. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ypStage III and NCT response predicted by the IVIM-DWI model were independent predictors of poor RFS. The IVIM-DWI model could significantly stratify median RFS (52 vs. 15 months) and 2-year RFS rate (72.3% vs. 21.8%) of LAGC.

Conclusion

Pretreatment DCE-MRI quantitative parameters K^trans, k_ep, v_e, and IVIM-DWI parameter D value were independent predictors of NCT response for LAGC patients. The regression model based on baseline DCE-MRI, IVIM-DWI, and their combination could help RFS stratification of LAGC patients.

An artificial intelligence method to assess the tumor microenvironment with treatment outcomes for gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy

Background

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC) and is widely used to assess the treatment outcomes of GC patients. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and gene sequencing are the main analysis methods for the TME but are limited due to the subjectivity of observers, the high cost of equipment and the need for professional analysts.

Methods

The ImmunoScore (IS) was developed in the TCGA cohort and validated in GEO cohorts. The Radiomic ImmunoScore (RIS) was developed in the TCGA cohort and validated in the Nanfang cohort. A nomogram was developed and validated in the Nanfang cohort based on RIS and clinical features.

Results

For IS, the area under the curves (AUCs) were 0.798 for 2-year overall survival (OS) and 0.873 for 4-year overall survival. For RIS, in the TCGA cohort, the AUCs distinguishing High-IS or Low-IS and predicting prognosis were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively; in the Nanfang cohort, the AUC predicting prognosis was 0.72. The nomogram performed better than the TNM staging system according to the ROC curve (all P < 0.01). Patients with TNM stage II and III in the High-nomogram group were more likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy than Low-nomogram group patients.

Conclusions

The RIS and the nomogram can be used to assess the TME, prognosis and adjuvant chemotherapy benefit of GC patients after radical gastrectomy and are valuable additions to the current TNM staging system. High-nomogram GC patients may benefit more from adjuvant chemotherapy than Low-nomogram GC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03298-7.

Role of carbon nanotracers in lymph node dissection of advanced gastric cancer and the selection of preoperative labeling time

BACKGROUND

The incidence of gastric cancer is high. The number of dissected lymph nodes was an independent factor affecting prognosis. Although preoperative labeling is helpful in lymph nodes resection, there are no guidelines for when to perform preoperative labeling.

AIM

To investigate the role of nanocarbon in lymph node dissection during gastrectomy, and to discuss the relationship between the timing of preoperative injection of carbon nanoparticles and the extent of lymph node dissection.

METHODS

A prospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 307 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery in the General Surgery Department of Weifang People’s Hospital between June 2018 and February 2021. The patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group based on whether they received preoperative nanocarbon injection or not. The experimental group was divided into different groups according to the preoperative labeling time. The number of dissected lymph nodes and the number of lymph nodes with black staining were compared in each group after surgery, and the role of nanocarbon in the number of dissected lymph nodes, pathological staging, and the relationship with prognosis were discussed.

RESULTS

The average number of dissected lymph nodes in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group. In the experimental group, the number of lymph node dissections and number of black-staining lymph nodes in the nanocarbon-labeling group at 2 d and 1 d before surgery were higher than in the labeling group on the day before surgery (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative nanocarbon labeling can safely and effectively guide lymph node dissection. To improve the detection rate of lymph nodes is conducive to subsequent comprehensive anti-tumor therapy.

The prediction of survival in Gastric Cancer based on a Robust 13-Gene Signature

Gastric cancer represents a major public health problem. Owing to the great heterogeneity of GC, conventional clinical characteristics are limited in the accurate prediction of individual outcomes and survival. This study aimed to establish a robust gene signature to predict the prognosis of GC based on multiple datasets. Initially, we downloaded raw data from four independent datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and performed univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to identify prognostic genes associated with overall survival (OS) from each dataset. Thirteen common genes from four datasets were screened as candidate prognostic signatures. Then, a risk score model was developed based on this 13‑gene signature and validated by four independent datasets and the entire cohort. Patients with a high-risk score had poorer OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Multivariate regression and stratified analysis revealed that the 13-gene signature was not only an independent predictive factor but also associated with recurrence when adjusting for other clinical factors. Furthermore, in the high-risk group, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the mTOR signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway were significantly enriched. The present study provided a robust and reliable gene signature for prognostic prediction of both OS and RFS of patients with GC, which may be useful for delivering individualized management of patients.

A signature of 24 aging‑related gene pairs predict overall survival in gastric cancer

Background

Aging is the major risk factor for most human cancers. We aim to develop and validate a reliable aging-related gene pair signature (ARGPs) to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) patients.

Methods

The mRNA expression data and clinical information were obtained from two public databases, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset, respectively. The best prognostic signature was established using Cox regression analysis (univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator). The optimal cut-off value to distinguish between high- and low-risk patients was found by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC). The prognostic ability of the ARGPS was evaluated by a log‐rank test and a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results

The 24 ARGPs were constructed for GC prognosis. Using the optimal cut-off value − 0.270, all patients were stratified into high risk and low risk. In both TCGA and GEO cohorts, the results of Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the high-risk group has a poor prognosis (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). Then, we conducted a subgroup analysis of age, gender, grade and stage, and reached the same conclusion. After adjusting for a variety of clinical and pathological factors, the results of multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the ARGPs is still an independent prognostic factor of OS (HR, 4.919; 95% CI 3.345–7.235; P < 0.001). In comparing with previous signature, the novel signature was superior, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.845 vs. 0.684 vs. 0.695. The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that the abundance of T cells follicular helper was significantly higher in the low-risk group, while the abundance of monocytes was the opposite. Finally, we identified and incorporated independent prognostic factors and developed a superior nomogram to predict the prognosis of GC patients.

Conclusion

Our study has developed a robust prognostic signature that can accurately predict the prognostic outcome of GC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12938-021-00871-x.

Modification of the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for gallbladder carcinoma to improve prognostic precision

BACKGROUND

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) came into force since 2018. However, the prognostic precision of this staging system has not been properly assessed. This study aimed to evaluate the latest staging system and suggest modifications to improve its prognostic precision.

METHODS

Data of patients with GBC was included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2015) and multicenter database (2010-2017). Baseline clinicopathologic characteristics were recorded including age, sex, race, grade, T category, N category, M category and stage. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival functions. The prediction power of the AJCC 8th edition and its modified version were evaluated using the concordance index (C-index).

RESULTS

A total of 2779 GBC patients were included in the SEER database and 591 were collected from multicenter database. While no significant difference in survival of patients was observed between stages IVA and IVB using the 8th AJCC staging system (p > 0.05), the prognosis of stage IIIA showed a slightly better outcome than stage IIIB (p = 0.046) in the SEER database. In the multicenter database, there was no significant difference between stage IIIA and stage IIIB (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference in the survival of patients between stages IIIA and IIIB was observed when M0 patients with at least 6 lymph nodes (LNs) were analyzed (p > 0.05) for both SEER and multicenter database. On the other hand, a modified staging system was able to stratify patients from stage IIIA, stage IIIB and stage IV (p < 0.001). For the SEER database, the C-indexes of 8th AJCC staging system and that of its modified version were 0.709 and 0.742, respectively. For the multicenter database, the C-index of 8th AJCC staging system and that of our modified version were 0.635 and 0.679, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified 8th staging system proposed in this study can improve the prognostic precision of the 8th AJCC staging system for GBC. We therefore suggest including these modifications in the next update of AJCC staging system for GBC.

Development and Validation of a Scoring System Based on 9 Glycolysis-Related Genes for Prognosis Prediction in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, increasing evidences have revealed the correlation between the glycolysis process and tumorigenesis. This study is aim to develop a list of glycolysis-related genes for risk stratification in gastric cancer patients. We included 500 patients’ sample data from GSE62254 and GSE26942 datasets, and classified patients into training (n = 350) and testing sets (n = 150) at a ratio of 7: 3. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to screen genes having prognostic value. Based on HALLMARK gene sets, we identified 9 glycolysis-related genes (BPNT1, DCN, FUT8, GMPPA, GPC3, LDHC, ME2, PLOD2, and UGP2). On the basis of risk score developed by the 9 genes, patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups. The survival analysis showed that the high-risk patients had a worse prognosis (p < 0.001). Similar finding was observed in the testing cohort and 2 independent cohorts (GSE13861 and TCGA-STAD, all p < 0.001). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (p < 0.001). Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram that integrated the risk score and tumor stage, age, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Through comparing the results of the receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curve analysis, we found that the nomogram had a superior predictive accuracy than conventional TNM staging system, suggesting that the risk score combined with other clinical factors (age, tumor stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy) can develop a robust prediction for survival and improve the individualized clinical decision making of the patient.

In conclusion, we identified 9 glycolysis-related genes from hallmark glycolysis pathway. Based on the 9 genes, gastric cancer patients were separated into different risk groups related to survival.

Development and validation of metabolism-related gene signature in prognostic prediction of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours in the world. As one of the crucial hallmarks of cancer reprogramming of metabolism and the relevant researches have a promising application in the diagnosis treatment and prognostic prediction of malignant tumours. This study aims to identify a group of metabolism-related genes to construct a prediction model for the prognosis of gastric cancer.

A large cohort of gastric cancer cases (1121 cases) from public database was included in our analysis and classified patients into training and testing cohorts at a ratio of 7: 3. After identifying a list of metabolism-related genes having prognostic value, we constructed a risk score based on metabolism-related genes using LASSO-COX method. According to the risk score, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Our results revealed that high-risk patients had a significantly worse prognosis than low-risk patients in both the training (high-risk vs low-risk patients; five years overall survival: 37.2% vs 72.2%; p < 0.001) and testing cohorts (high-risk vs low-risk patients; five years overall survival: 42.9% vs 62.9%; p < 0.001). This observation was validated in the external validation cohort (high-risk vs. low-risk patients; five years overall survival: 30.2% vs 40.4%; p = 0.007).

To reinforce the predictive ability of the model, we integrated risk score, age, adjuvant chemotherapy, and TNM stage into a nomogram. According to the result of receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curves analysis, we found that the nomogram score had a superior predictive ability than conventional factors, indicating that the risk score combined with clinicopathological features can develop a robust prediction for survival and improve the individualized clinical decision making of the patient.

In conclusion, we identified a list of metabolic genes related to survival and developed a metabolism-based predictive model for gastric cancer. Through a series of bioinformatics and statistical analyses, the predictive ability of the model was confirmed.

Accurate Risk Stratification of Patients with Node-Positive Gastric Cancer by Lymph Node Ratio

BACKGROUND

We aimed to clarify the utility of lymph node ratio (LNR) for assessing the prognosis of patients with node-positive gastric cancer after curative gastrectomy.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data of 973 patients with node-positive gastric cancer who had undergone curative gastrectomy at nine institutions from 2010 to 2014. Survival analysis was performed by comparing LNR low and high groups according to the optimal cutoff value of LNR, which was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

LNR high was significantly associated with shorter disease-free survival and was an independent predictor of recurrence in all patients. Moreover, we obtained the similar results from analysis of each N stage. The prevalence of lymph node and peritoneal recurrence appeared to be higher in the LNR high group. Correlation analysis showed that LNR was negatively correlated with the number of retrieved nodes within every N stage; however, disease-free survival did not differ significantly between LNR low and high groups of each N stage with 16-30, 31-40, or >40 retrieved nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

LNR is a strong prognostic factor and predictor of recurrence in patients with node-positive gastric cancer who have undergone curative gastrectomy. The combination of LNR and N staging permits more accurate prognostic stratification of patients with gastric cancer and may contribute to developing novel prognostic models.

Prognostic value of fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio in patients with gastric cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy

The fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), reflecting the systemic coagulation, nutritional and inflammation status of patients, has matured into a prognostic marker for several tumor types. However, only a few studies have assessed the utility of the FAR as a prognostic indicator in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) receiving first-line chemotherapy. In the present study, 273 patients with advanced GC who received first-line chemotherapy between January 2014 and January 2019 at the Cancer Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, China) were retrospectively analyzed. Using the cut-off values determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the patients were divided into low-FAR (≤10.03) and high-FAR (>10.03), low-fibrinogen (<3.8 g/l) and high-fibrinogen (≥3.8 g/l), and low-albumin (<40.55 g/l) and high-albumin (≥40.55 g/l) groups. The associations of the pretreatment FAR and clinicopathological characteristics with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. In order to estimate the prognostic value of the FAR for patients with poor prognosis or normal fibrinogen and albumin levels, subgroup analyses were performed. The FAR had a higher area under the ROC curve (0.690; 95% CI: 0.628–0.752; P<0.001) compared with either fibrinogen or albumin alone, which are common indicators of coagulation, nutritional and inflammatory indices. A high FAR was significantly associated with a more advanced stage, peritoneal metastasis, increased CA72-4 levels and anemia (all P<0.05). On survival analysis, a low FAR was associated with a longer PFS and OS compared with a high FAR (202 vs. 130 days and 376 vs. 270 days, respectively; both P<0.001), while the hazard ratio (HR) and P-values of the FAR were lower compared with those of fibrinogen and albumin alone on multivariate analysis (PFS: HR=0.638, 95% CI: 0.436–0.932, P=0.020; OS: HR=0.568, 95% CI: 0.394–0.819, P=0.002). Subgroup analysis indicated that among patients with poor prognosis, including multiple metastases, TNM stage IV and abnormal CA72-4 levels, the FAR may be used as an accurate prognostic marker (all P<0.05), and may also reliably identify patients with poor prognosis among those with normal fibrinogen and albumin levels (all P<0.001). The FAR was indicated to be a valuable marker for predicting PFS and OS in patients with advanced GC receiving first-line chemotherapy and is superior to either fibrinogen or albumin alone.

Prognostic Implications of Novel Gene Signatures in Gastric Cancer Microenvironment

Background

Increasing studies have shown the important clinical role of immune and stromal cells in gastric cancer microenvironment. Based on information of immune and stromal cells in The Cancer Genome Atlas, this study aimed to construct a prognostic risk assessment model for gastric cancer.

Material/Methods

Based on the immune/structural scores, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered and analyzed. Afterwards, DEGs associated with prognosis were screened and the risk assessment model was constructed in the training set. Moreover, the validity of the model was verified both in the testing set and the overall sample.

Results

In this study, patients were divided into high-score and low-score groups based on immune/stromal score, and 919 DEGs were identified. By applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox analysis, 10 mRNAs were selected to form a prognostic risk assessment model, risk score=(0.294*SLC17A9) + (−0.477*FERMT3) + (0.866*NRP1) + (0.350*MMRN1) + (0.381*RNASE1) + (0.189*TRIB3) + (0.230*PGAP3) + (0.087*MAGEA3) + (0.182*TACR2) + (0.368*CYP51A1). In the training set, the low-risk group divided by the model was found to have better overall survival, and the prediction efficiency of the model was demonstrated to be good. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that the model could work as a prognostic factor independently. Similar results were shown in the testing group and overall patients cohort group. Finally, the risk assessment model and other clinical variables were integrated to construct a nomogram.

Conclusions

In general, this study constructs a prognostic risk assessment model for gastric cancer, which could improve the prognosis stratification of patients combined with other clinical indicators.

A nomogram for individualized estimation of survival among adult patients with adrenocortical carcinoma after surgery: a retrospective analysis and multicenter validation study

Background

Clinical outcome of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) varies because of its heterogeneous nature and reliable prognostic prediction model for adult ACC patients is limited. The objective of this study was to develop and externally validate a nomogram for overall survival (OS) prediction in adult patients with ACC after surgery.

Methods

Based on the data from the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, adults patients diagnosed with ACC between January 1988 and December 2015 were identified and classified into a training set, comprised of 404 patients diagnosed between January 2007 and December 2015, and an internal validation set, comprised of 318 patients diagnosed between January 1988 and December 2006. The endpoint of this study was OS. The nomogram was developed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression algorithm in the training set and its performance was evaluated in terms of its discriminative ability, calibration, and clinical usefulness. The nomogram was then validated using the internal SEER validation, also externally validated using the Cancer Genome Atlas set (TCGA, 82 patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2012) and a Chinese multicenter cohort dataset (82 patients diagnosed between December 2002 and May 2018), respectively.

Results

Age at diagnosis, T stage, N stage, and M stage were identified as independent predictors for OS. A nomogram incorporating these four predictors was constructed using the training set and demonstrated good calibration and discrimination (C-index 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.715 [0.679–0.751]), which was validated in the internal validation set (C-index [95% CI], 0.672 [0.637–0.707]), the TCGA set (C-index [95% CI], 0.810 [0.732–0.888]) and the Chinese multicenter set (C-index [95% CI], 0.726 [0.633–0.819]), respectively. Encouragingly, the nomogram was able to successfully distinguished patients with a high-risk of mortality in all enrolled patients and in the subgroup analyses. Decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram was clinically useful and applicable.

Conclusions

The study presents a nomogram that incorporates clinicopathological predictors, which can accurately predict the OS of adult ACC patients after surgery. This model and the corresponding risk classification system have the potential to guide therapy decisions after surgery.

Retrieved lymph nodes from different anatomic groups in gastric cancer: a proposed optimal number, comparison with other nodal classification strategies and its impact on prognosis

Background

The optimal number of retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) in gastric cancer (GC) is still debatable and previous studies proposing new classification alternatives mostly focused on the number of retrieved LNs without proper consideration on the anatomic nodal groups’ location. Here, we assessed the impact of retrieved LNs from different nodal location groups on the survival of GC patients.

Methods

Stage I–III gastric cancer patients who had radical gastrectomy were investigated. LN grouping was determined according to the 13th edition of the JCGC. The optimal cut-off values of retrieved LNs in different LN groups (Group 1 and 2) were calculated, based on which a proposed nodal classification (rN) simultaneously accounting the optimal number and location of retrieved LNs was proposed. The performance of rN was then compared to that of LN ratio, log-odds of metastatic LNs (LODDs) and the 8th edition of the Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) N classification.

Results

The optimal cut-off values for Group 1 and 2 were 13 and 9, respectively. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was higher for patients in retrieved Group 1 LNs > 13 (vs. Group 1 LNs ≤ 13, 63.2% vs. 57.9%, P = 0.005) and retrieved Group 2 LNs > 9 (vs. Group 2 LNs ≤ 9, 72.5% vs. 60.7%, P = 0.009). Patients staged as pN0–3b were sub classified using this Group 1 and 2 nodal analogy. The OS of pN0–N2 patients in retrieved Group 1 LNs > 13 or Group 2 LNs > 9 were superior to those in retrieved Group 1 LNs ≤ 13 and Group 2 LNs ≤ 9 (All P < 0.05); except for pN3 patients. The rN classification was formulated and demonstrated better 5-year OS prognostication performance as compared to the LNR, LODDs, and the 8th UICC/AJCC N staging system.

Conclusions

The retrieval of > 13 and > 9 LNs for Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, could represent an alternative lymph node retrieval approach in radical gastrectomy for more precise survival prognostication and minimizing staging migration, especially if > 16 LNs is found to be difficult.

A real-world evidence of efficacy of palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy in metastatic gastric cancer patients

Background: The benefit of palliative gastrectomy for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC) is controversial, and suitable candidates for surgery and treatment strategies remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy among patients with mGC and to identify the potential patients for such treatment using real-world data.

Methods: A dataset of 236 patients with mGC diagnosed at the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The cohort comprised 80 patients who had palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy (SC) and 156 patients who had chemotherapy only (CO). Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to minimize the influence of confounders.

Results: The median overall survival of the SC group was significantly better than that of the CO group (Before PSM: 17.0 months vs 12.0 months, P=0.038; after PSM: 17.0 months vs 13.0 months, P=0.017). In the multivariate analysis, SC (Before PSM: hazard ratio (HR) =0.68, P=0.023; after PSM: HR =0.64, P=0.021) was favored for better survival after adjustment for sex, age, year of diagnosis, primary tumor location, and tumor grade. Total gastrectomy (P=0.026) was associated with worse survival for the SC group. The significant survival advantage of SC over CO was retained in patients with single organ metastasis (P=0.016), peritoneal seedings (P=0.039), and those receiving taxane-based chemotherapy (P=0.011).

Conclusion: SC could improve the overall survival of patients with mGC as compared with CO. The chemotherapy regimen and type of resection were proven to influence efficacy. Patients who received taxane-based regimens might be suitable for palliative gastrectomy.

Evaluation of the Eighth Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM Staging System for Gastric Cancer: An Analysis of 7371 Patients in the SEER Database

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the validity of the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system for gastric cancer.

METHODS

The clinicopathologic data of 7371 patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer and had 16 or more involved lymph nodes (LNs) were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Stage migration occurred primarily during stage III between the 7th and 8th edition TNM staging systems. Stages IIIB and IIIC in the 7th edition staging system were divided in the 8th edition and had obvious differences in survival rates (both P < 0.001). The 8th edition TNM stages IIIC and IV showed similar survival rates (P = 0.101). The prognosis of patients with T4aN3bM0 was not different from that of patients with TxNxM1 (P = 0.433), while the prognosis of patients with T4bN3bM0 was significantly poorer than that of patients with TxNxM1 (P = 0.008). A revised TNM system with both T4aN3bM0 and T4bN3bM0 incorporated into stage IV was proposed. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the revised TNM system, but not the 7th and 8th editions, was an independent factor for disease-specific survival (DSS) in the third step of the analysis. Further analyses revealed that the revised TNM system had superior discriminatory ability to the 8th edition staging system, which was also an improvement over the 7th edition staging system.

CONCLUSION

The 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system is superior to the 7th edition for predicting the DSS rates of gastric cancer patients. However, for better prognostic stratification, it might be more suitable for T4aN3bM0/T4bN3bM0 to be incorporated into stage IV in the 8th edition TNM staging system.