To examine the likelihood of predicting lung cancer survival versus death using Bayesian model based on demographic and laboratory data.

A predictive design using electronic health records from 2012 to 2023 was implemented. IBM SPSS Statistics version 29.0 was used for data descriptive analysis and prediction models were built using SPSS Modeler version 18.0. Among the eight generated models, the Bayesian model demonstrated the highest accuracy (71.9%) and the best area under the curve (AUC) at 80.304, showcasing its superior predictive performance for lung cancer outcome.

A total of 1,843 patients without missing values were used. Males constituted 64.2 % of total sample. About 70 % of the patients were aged between 46 and 99 years. The Bayesian Network identified seven key predictors for determining patient outcome (survival versus death). Among these, age was found as the most significant predictor of survival outcome.

The Bayesian Network outperformed other models in predicting lung cancer survival versus death probability. The integration of routine laboratory testing and demographic data in the machine learning model can help in the prediction of lung cancer survival versus death.

of this study was to evaluate the correlation between pre-treatment NLR and histopathological differentiation in colorectal cancer, and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of NLR as a predictive biomarker.

A retrospective study was conducted at Adam Malik Haji Center General Hospital Medan, North Sumatera. Medical records of 45 colorectal cancer patients treated between January and December 2024 were reviewed. Pre-treatment NLR values were calculated from peripheral blood counts. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine diagnostic performance, and correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between NLR and tumour grade.

The mean NLR was 6.33±4.92. ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.874, indicating excellent diagnostic ability. An NLR cutoff value of 6.25 provided a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 72.5% for predicting poor histopathological differentiation. A moderate positive correlation (r=0.612; p<0.001) was found between higher NLR values and poorer differentiation.

Pre-treatment NLR correlated with histopathological grade and showed promise as a simple, non-invasive biomarker for assessing tumour aggressiveness in colorectal cancer.

This study investigated the prognostic value and molecular mechanisms of miR-517c-3p in lung cancer. miR-517c-3p in 112 lung cancer tissues was detected using qRT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to assess its prognostic significance. Functional experiments, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, were conducted in lung cancer cell lines (H1229, A549) after miR-517c-3p overexpression. Target gene prediction and validation were performed using bioinformatics tools and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The regulatory effects of miR-517c-3p on ARNTL2 were further explored through gene overexpression and rescue experiments. miR-517c-3p was significantly downregulated in lung cancer tissues (p < 0.001) and correlated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and larger tumor size. Patients with low miR-517c-3p expression exhibited poorer overall survival (p < 0.001), and Cox regression identified miR-517c-3p as an independent prognostic factor (HR = 0.110, 95% CI = 0.047-0.256). Functional assays demonstrated that miR-517c-3p overexpression inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed ARNTL2 as a direct target of miR-517c-3p, and ARNTL2 restoration reversed the suppressive effects of miR-517c-3p on tumor progression. miR-517c-3p is significantly downregulated in lung cancer and associated with poor patient prognosis. Furthermore, miR-517c-3p suppresses tumor progression by directly targeting ARNTL2.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States. However, the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, regional, and treatment-related factors on rectal spacer use among men treated with radiation therapy remains largely unexplored in the literature. This study evaluated rectal spacer utilization among Medicare beneficiaries with prostate cancer by radiation therapy modality, region, race, income, and year.

The Medicare 5% Standard Analytical Files were used to identify men aged 65+ with prostate cancer who underwent treatment with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation (SBRT), brachytherapy, or proton therapy from 1/1/2017-12/31/2021. Patients were stratified by rectal spacer placement within 60 days pre-radiation therapy initiation.

A total of 66,680 patients were identified (mean age 72.8 years, mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score 3.26, 80.7% White). Among this cohort, 17,940 patients (26.9%) received a rectal spacer. Spacer utilization increased significantly over time, from 6.8% in 2017 to 42.4% in 2021 (p < 0.05). Geographic variation was observed, with the highest utilization in the West (31.7%) and the lowest in the Northeast (23.6%). A greater proportion of White patients received rectal spacers than Black patients in all regions except the Northeast (West: 32.6% vs. 22.2%; South: 30.8% vs. 20.5%; Midwest: 24.4% vs. 15.5%; all p < 0.001), where the opposite was observed (31.8% vs. 22.2%; p < 0.001). Rectal spacer utilization increased with income, ranging from 20.9% in the lowest income quintile to 28.2% in the highest (p < 0.001). By treatment modality, utilization was highest among patients receiving proton therapy (59.0%), followed by SBRT (46.0%), brachytherapy (23.7%), and IMRT (20.6%).

Rectal spacer utilization increased significantly from 2017 to 2021, with the greatest relative increases among proton therapy patients and SBRT patients. Significant variations based on geographic region, race, and income highlight the complex interplay of these factors on treatment access and decision-making.

Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumor, continues to present significant therapeutic challenges, including the limited delivery of drugs posed by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB), severe systemic toxicity associated with conventional chemotherapy, and the complexity arising from tumor heterogeneity.

To overcome these challenges, this study developed a novel biomimetic drug delivery system. Specifically, we prepared poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles co-loaded with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX) and the natural polyphenol curcumin (CUR), and subsequently functionalized them with the membrane of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), which possess inherent tumor-homing capability.

In vitro studies demonstrated that the hUC-MSCs membrane coating significantly enhanced targeted recognition and cellular uptake by glioblastoma cells, and the biomimetic nanoplatform exhibited superior synergistic cytotoxicity and induced greater cellular apoptosis compared to free drug combinations and uncoated nanoparticles. Antitumor mechanism analysis indicated that biomimetic nanoplatform inhibited glioblastoma migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. In vivo anti-tumor efficacy studies showed that the biomimetic nanoparticles effectively suppressed the growth of tumor. Notably, CUR contributed to the system by amplifying the anticancer activity of DOX and alleviating its associated toxicity.

This work demonstrates that hUC-MSC membrane-camouflaged PLGA nanoparticles enable successful co-delivery of DOX and CUR, offering a promising strategy to address the critical barriers of delivery and toxicity in GBM chemotherapy, supported by their excellent in vitro targeting, in vivo anti-tumor efficacy, and reduced toxicity profile.

Acute pancreatitis most commonly results from gallstone disease, alcohol use, metabolic abnormalities, or medication effects. Malignant infiltration of the pancreas is a rare cause of pancreatic inflammation and may present with symptoms indistinguishable from more typical forms of pancreatitis. Pancreatic involvement by lymphoma is particularly uncommon and may mimic pancreatic neoplasms or recurrent inflammatory pancreatic disease. We present the case of a 29-year-old woman with a recently diagnosed CD-20-positive B-cell lymphoma who developed recurrent severe abdominal pain and markedly elevated pancreatic enzymes shortly after hospitalization for acute pancreatitis. Imaging revealed bulky retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, bilateral renal enlargement, biliary ductal dilatation, and findings suspicious for pancreatic head involvement. Histopathologic evaluation of a retroperitoneal lymph node biopsy confirmed CD20-positive B-cell lymphoma. The patient underwent placement of a chemotherapy port and initiation of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP), with subsequent clinical improvement. This case highlights pancreatic infiltration by lymphoma as a rare cause of recurrent pancreatitis and underscores the importance of considering hematologic malignancy in patients presenting with atypical pancreatic inflammation or unexplained lymphadenopathy.

Background and objective Glial tumors are increasingly recognized as immunologically active neoplasms in which macrophage-rich and lymphocyte-poor microenvironments may influence aggressiveness. Cluster of differentiation 163 (CD163) highlights tumor-associated macrophages, whereas CD8 marks cytotoxic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). This study aimed to evaluate CD163 expression and CD8-positive TILs in glial tumors and examine their association with tumor grade. Methods This cross-sectional study included 50 histopathologically confirmed glial tumors. Immunohistochemistry for CD163 and CD8 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. CD163 was scored as absent, weak, moderate, or strong, and CD8 infiltration was categorized as low or high. Associations with World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade and histologic aggressiveness were analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Spearman's correlation. Results The mean age of the cohort was 42.7 ± 16.1 years, with males accounting for 29/50 (58.0%) and females for 21/50 (42.0%). High-grade gliomas comprised 32/50 (64.0%) cases, while low-grade tumors accounted for 18/50 (36.0%); grade IV tumors were the largest subgroup (20/50, 40.0%). CD163 positivity was observed in 40/50 (80.0%) tumors and increased significantly with tumor grade (rho = +0.59, p < 0.001). CD163 positivity was more frequent in high-grade than in low-grade tumors (30/32 (93.8%) vs. 10/18 (55.6%), p = 0.004). High CD8 infiltration was seen in 15/50 (30.0%) tumors and low CD8 infiltration in 35/50 (70.0%), with CD8 levels declining significantly with increasing grade (rho = -0.33, p = 0.021). Strong CD163 expression with low CD8 infiltration was present in 17/50 (34.0%) tumors and was significantly associated with high-grade lesions (16/32 (50.0%) vs. 1/18 (5.6%), p = 0.004). Moderate-to-strong CD163 expression was associated with necrosis (18/20 (90.0%), p = 0.009) and microvascular proliferation (16/18 (88.9%), p = 0.024). Conclusions Higher-grade glial tumors demonstrate a macrophage-dominant and CD8-restricted immune microenvironment. Combined assessment of CD163 and CD8 may serve as a practical indicator of aggressive tumor biology in routine diagnostic practice.

Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) is a rare neoplasm characterized by excessive secretion of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and renal phosphate wasting, leading to osteomalacia and subsequent pathological fractures. These tumors are typically small and slow-growing, which limits their detection. The diagnostic key lies in the use of functional imaging studies such as gallium-68 DOTA-Tyr³-octreotate (68Ga-DOTATATE) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), along with structural imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for the identification of the primary tumor. Definitive treatment consists of complete surgical resection, which normalizes phosphate levels and resolves the patient's symptoms. We present a diagnostically successful case of a PMT using CT-guided preoperative coil localization before surgical excision, a procedure not previously reported in the literature for these tumors.

Salivary gland sarcomas are rare neoplasms, with the parotid gland being the most frequent site of involvement. Among these, fibrosarcoma represents an exceptional variant. Its diagnosis is primarily through histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. Its presentation in the parotid gland is rare, and the occurrence of the infantile-juvenile subtype in an adult patient has not been previously described. In this clinical setting, we report the case of a 29-year-old man presenting with a rapidly growing right preauricular mass and ipsilateral facial paresis. Computed tomography revealed a solid lesion involving the superficial and deep lobes of the parotid gland, extending into adjacent spaces with facial nerve involvement, without distant metastasis. Total parotidectomy with selective neck dissection was performed. Histopathological examination demonstrated a spindle-cell neoplasm with perineural invasion. Immunohistochemistry was negative for epithelial, neural, and muscular markers, with focal smooth muscle actin positivity and a low proliferative index (Ki-67: 4%), consistent with juvenile fibrosarcoma. The case was evaluated by a multidisciplinary team, and after complete surgical resection with negative margins, adjuvant radiotherapy was recommended due to the high risk of local recurrence.

Advanced colorectal neoplasia (CRN) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are major health problems with common underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This study sought to investigate the association between the presence of advanced CRN and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis through a large cohort of asymptomatic Korean individuals who voluntarily underwent colonoscopy and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as routine health screening tests.

A total of 6,044 Korean individuals aged ≥ 20 years who underwent a general health examination at the Health Promotion Center of Ulsan University Hospital between January 2009 and March 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Advanced CRN was defined as the presence of invasive cancer or adenoma with a villous component, high-grade dysplasia, and/or a size of ≥ 1 cm. Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was evaluated by CCTA.

Participants with any CRN (n = 1,916, 31.7%) or advanced CRN (n = 240, 4.0%) had a higher coronary artery calcium score and a higher prevalence of any coronary, calcified, mixed, and non-calcified plaques, and obstructive CAD (≥ 50% diameter stenosis) on CCTA compared with participants with non-CRN (n = 4,128, 68.3%) (all P < 0.05). In the multivariable analysis to evaluate the association between CRN and CCTA findings, the advanced CRN group showed a statistically significant association with obstructive CAD (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.50; P = 0.019).

Asymptomatic subjects with CRN showed a higher prevalence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis compared to those with non-CRN. Advanced CRN was independently associated with obstructive CAD on CCTA.