The lung immune prognostic index stratifies the occurrence of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients: a multi-institutional cohort study.

Background: Lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) is associated with survival outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving immunotherapy, but the association with the occurrence of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) is unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively included 1824 patients with advanced NSCLC who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) at two institutions. Cox regression analysis and cumulative incidence curve were used to evaluate the predictive value of LIPI.

Extracellular volume fraction quantification by equilibrium contrast-enhanced CT via automated segmentation predicts survival outcomes in bladder cancer: a propensity score-matched study.

Background: Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) is the unoccupied space or volume of tissue that is not occupied by cells and can be used to assess the growth and invasive behavior of solid tumors. Our study aimed to investigate the ability of extracellular volume fraction in predicting the prognosis of BLCA patients.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study recruited 319 BLCA patients who underwent surgery.

Development and validation of AI-based automatic segmentation and measurement of thymus on chest CT scans.

Background: Due to the complex anatomical structure and dynamic involution process of the thymus, segmentation and evaluation of the thymus in medical imaging present significant challenges. The aim of this study is to develop a deep-learning tool "Thy-uNET" for automatic segmentation and measurement of the thymus or thymic region on chest CT imaging, and to validate its performance with multicenter data.

Materials And Methods: Utilizing the segmentation and measurement results from two experts, training of Thy-uNET was conducted on training cohort (n = 500).

Non-invasive prediction of NSCLC immunotherapy efficacy and tumor microenvironment through unsupervised machine learning-driven CT Radiomic subtypes: a multi-cohort study.

Background: Radiomics analyzes quantitative features from medical images to reveal tumor heterogeneity, offering new insights for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction. This study explored radiomics based biomarkers to predict immunotherapy response and its association with the tumor microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using unsupervised machine learning models derived from CT imaging.

Materials And Methods: This study included 1539 NSCLC patients from seven independent cohorts.

Minimally Invasive Anatomic Resection of Liver Segment VIII Based on Portal Territory to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatectomy is the primary treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is categorized into anatomical hepatectomy and non-anatomical hepatectomy based on the extent of resection. Anatomical hepatectomy utilizes the portal territory (PT) liver segment or subsegment as the basic anatomical unit, systematically resecting the tumor-bearing PT and completely removing the Glisson system that supplies and demarcates this area to enhance oncological efficacy. Non-anatomical hepatectomy follows the principle of radical oncological resection, emphasizing the removal of liver tissue more than 1 cm away from the tumor margin.

Radiomics-Based Unsupervised Clustering Identifies Subtypes Associated With Prognosis and Immune Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Study.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) exhibits marked clinical heterogeneity, limiting the prognostic accuracy of traditional staging. We developed an unsupervised radiomics-based subtyping system integrating multi-omics data to decode tumor biology and improve risk stratification. Analyzing five cohorts (n = 1700, including surgical cohorts and an advanced ccRCC cohort receiving combined tyrosine kinase inhibitor and immunotherapy [T-I] treatment), we extracted 1834 CT radiomic features, applying consensus clustering to a discovery cohort (n = 748) and validating across centers.

Change of bone mineral density as a prognostic marker in small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Changes in bone mineral density (BMD) are recognized as an independent predictor of survival in a variety of diseases. However, the prognostic value of BMD in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is not well understood. This study aimed to explore the prognostic ability of change in bone mineral density (ΔBMD) on the survival of SCLC patients receiving ICIs.

Lipid accumulation product and visceral adiposity index as independent predictors of long-term survival after gastric cancer immunotherapy.

Background: Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as promising therapies, their efficacy is hindered by the lack of robust patient-centric biomarkers. Obesity, traditionally linked to cancer risk, paradoxically correlates with improved immunotherapy responses in some cancers, termed the "obesity paradox".

Spleen Volume Dynamics and Survival Outcomes in HCC Patients Undergoing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: The spleen serves as an important immune organ which influences the anti-tumor immune response by modulating the immune microenvironment. This study investigated the prognostic impact of spleen volume (SV) on the survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 224 HCC patients treated with ICIs, categorized into Higher and Lower SV groups by median SV and further into SV increased and Non-SV increased groups based on changes in SV at 3 months after ICIs.

Association between magnetic resonance imaging-measured bone marrow cellularity and clinical outcomes among patients with cervical cancer treated with programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of bone marrow cellularity in the clinical outcomes of patients with cervical cancer treated with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors.

Methods: This study retrospectively included patients with locally advanced or advanced cervical cancer receiving PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy or in combination with other therapies at Wuhan Union Hospital from May 2020 to December 2023. The mean signal intensity of the left posterior iliac bone, cerebrospinal fluid, and subcutaneous fat regions were measured on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images to calculate bone marrow cellularity.

Prognostic impact of extracellular volume fraction derived from equilibrium contrast-enhanced CT in HCC patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.

This study aimed to investigate whether extracellular volume (ECV) fraction derived from equilibration contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) affects prognosis in HCC patients receiving ICIs. This retrospective study ultimately included 211 HCC patients undergoing ICIs, of whom 60 were included in an internal validation to assess the reproducibility of the results. Baseline unenhanced and equilibrated CECT were used to measure CT values of the tumor, liver and aorta, which were combined with hematocrit to calculate the ECV fraction.

Immunotherapy improved the efficacy of TACE or TACE plus MTTs in HCC patients: A meta-analysis.

Background: Although several studies have compared the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) without immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and TACE with ICIs, there is still a lack of meta-analysis.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched until July 2023 for studies comparing the efficacy and safety of TACE without ICIs (TACE ± molecular targeted therapies [MTTs]) and TACE without ICIs (TACE ± MTTs + ICIs). Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs).

Explanation of the obesity paradox of immunotherapy in cancer patients using CT-derived adipose composition parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Although recent studies have reported that obesity is a protective factor for survival in patients with advanced cancers treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the prognostic value of CT-derived adipose composition parameters remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between CT-derived adipose composition parameters and clinical outcomes in cancer patients undergoing ICIs treatment.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted until May 2024 across several databases to gather relevant studies, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) with variceal embolization reduces rebleeding risk for patients with portal pressure gradient over 12 mmHg: A long-term follow-up study.

Objective: The consensus on whether Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) should be combined with variceal embolization in the treatment of portal hypertension-induced bleeding has not yet been reached. This study aimed to compare the difference in rebleeding incidence between TIPS and TIPS combined with variceal embolization and to analyze the optimal population for variceal embolization.

Methods: Clinical data of 721 patients undergoing TIPS were retrospectively collected.

Melatonin enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 by improving hypoxia in residual tumors after insufficient radiofrequency ablation.

The hypoxic microenvironment and inflammatory state of residual tumors caused by insufficient radiofrequency ablation (iRFA) are major reasons for rapid tumor progression and pose challenges for immunotherapy. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with RFA and observed that iRFA was associated with poor survival outcomes and progression-free survival. Using an orthotopic HCC mouse model and a colorectal liver metastasis model, we observed that treatment with melatonin after iRFA reduced tumor growth and metastasis and achieved the best outcomes when combined with anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) therapy.

MRI-measured periprostatic to subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness ratio as an independent risk factor in prostate cancer patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the periprostatic adipose tissue thickness (PPATT) is an independent prognostic factor for prostate cancer patients after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). This retrospective cohort study included consecutive prostate cancer patients who underwent LRP treatment at Wuhan Union Hospital from June 2, 2016, to September 7, 2023. PPATT was defined as the thickness of periprostatic fat and was obtained by measuring the shortest vertical distance from the pubic symphysis to the prostate on the midsagittal T2-weighted MR images.

Re-analysis of single cell and spatial transcriptomics data reveals B cell landscape in gastric cancer microenvironment and its potential crosstalk with tumor cells for clinical prognosis.

Background: At present, immunotherapy has become a powerful treatment for advanced gastric cancer (AGC), but not all patients can benefit from it. According to the latest research, the impact of B cell subpopulations on the immune microenvironment of gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. Exploring whether the interaction between B cells and tumor cells in GC affects the effectiveness of immunotherapy has attracted our interest.

Remote neurostimulation through an endogenous ion channel using a near-infrared light-activatable nanoagonist.

The development of noninvasive approaches to precisely control neural activity in mammals is highly desirable. Here, we used the ion channel transient receptor potential ankyrin-repeat 1 (TRPA1) as a proof of principle, demonstrating remote near-infrared (NIR) activation of endogenous neuronal channels in mice through an engineered nanoagonist. This achievement enables specific neurostimulation in nongenetically modified mice.

Association between thymus density loss and efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Although the thymus undergoes degeneration with the advancement of age, recent studies have continuously revealed that the thymus possesses the potential for regeneration and may reverse this aging trend. Furthermore, an increasing number of studies indicate an association between thymus function and immunotherapy. Considering that lung cancer patients typically undergo chest computed tomography (CT) scans during treatment, this provides convenient conditions for us to observe thymic remodeling through imaging data.

Exploring whether ChatGPT-4 with image analysis capabilities can diagnose osteosarcoma from X-ray images.

The generation of radiological results from image data represents a pivotal aspect of medical image analysis. The latest iteration of ChatGPT-4, a large multimodal model that integrates both text and image inputs, including dermatoscopy images, histology images, and X-ray images, has attracted considerable attention in the field of radiology. To further investigate the performance of ChatGPT-4 in medical image recognition, we examined the ability of ChatGPT-4 to recognize credible osteosarcoma X-ray images.

Long Non-coding RNA PCED1B Antisense RNA 1 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating the MicroRNA-34a/CD44 Axis.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of long non-coding RNA PCED1B antisense RNA 1 (PCED1B-AS1) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 62 pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were obtained from 62 HCC patients. The interactions of PCED1B-AS1 and microRNA-34a (miR-34a) were detected by dual luciferase activity assay and RNA pull-down assay.