Chenjing Zhu

Safety and efficacy profile of lenvatinib in cancer therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To systematically review the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib in the treatment of patients, we retrieved all the relevant clinical trials on the adverse events (AEs) and survival outcomes of lenvatinib through PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Collaborations Central register of controlled trial. Fourteen eligible studies involving a total of 978 patients were included in our analysis. The most common all-grade AEs observed in patients treated with lenvatinib were hematuria (56.6%), fatigue (52.2%) and decreased appetite (50.5%). The most frequently observed grade ≥3 AEs were thrombocytopenia (25.4%), hypertension (17.7%) and edema peripheral (15.5%). The incidences of both all-grade and high-grade hypertension were significantly increased. Meanwhile, the controlled trial suggested that progression free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the lenvatinib group than the placebo group. Subgroup analyses showed that mean PFS for renal cell carcinoma was 10.933±1.828 months (95% CI 7.350-14.515, p < 0.001), and that for thyroid cancer was 18.344±0.083 months (95% CI 18.181-18.506, p < 0.001). In conclusion, lenvatinib is an effective agent in thyroid cancer. Early monitoring and effective management of side effects are crucial for the safe use of this drug.

Are pretreatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio useful in predicting the outcomes of patients with small-cell lung cancer?

Objectives The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been proved to affect the prognosis of various types of cancers. However, the prognostic role of NLR and PLR in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains controversial. The objective of this study is to assess the prognostic values of NLR, PLR and other potential prognostic indexes in SCLC patients. Results The optimal cutoff levels were 2.65 for NLR, 125 for PLR and 210 for LDH by ROC curves analysis. Patients in the NLR ≥ 2.65 and LDH ≥ 210 groups were significantly correlated with worse PFS and OS. However, patients in the PLR < 125 group presented longer PFS time than patients in the PLR ≥ 125 group. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR ≥ 2.65 was an independent risk factor for both PFS (HR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.04–1.83; P = 0.027) and OS (HR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.02–1.79; P = 0.039). LDH and the clinical stage were independent prognostic factors for PFS in SCLC patients. LDH, surgery history, thoracic RT and PCI were independent prognostic factors for OS. Materials and Methods 320 patients with SCLC were enrolled in this research from 2007 to 2014. Data was acquired through patients’ medical records and follow-ups. Receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cut-off levels of NLR, PLR and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the impact of the NLR, PLR and other potential prognostic factors on overall survival (OS) and progressive-free survival (PFS). Conclusions Pretreatment elevated NLR and LDH were independent factors for poor prognosis in SCLC patients. High PLR was associated with poor PFS, but it was not an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS.

Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET-CT-based functional parameters in patients with soft tissue sarcoma: A meta-analysis

Background: Considering the clinical importance of high 5-year mortality, we performed a meta-analysis of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) from 18F-FDG PET-CT for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Methods: The search and selection of eligible articles was conducted on PubMed and EMBASE. We applied hazard ratio (HR) and odd ratio (OR) to measure the correlation between SUVmax, MTV, and TLG with PFS and OS. The SUVmax was analyzed through subgroup in terms of histological grade and HR of posttreatment SUVmax was also assessed. Results: Eleven studies with 582 patients were included. The pooled HRs of pretreatment SUVmax were 2.40 (95% CI: 1.38–4.17) for OS and 2.20 (95% CI: 1.47–3.30) for PFS. The HRs in terms of OS were 3.20 (95% CI: 1.71–5.98) based on MTV and 5.20 (95% CI: 2.34–11.56) based on TLG. Meanwhile, the predict results of pretreatment SUVmax on OR remained significant and the HRs of posttreatment SUVmax were 2.25 (95% CI: 1.33–3.80) for OS and 2.87 (95% CI: 1.81–4.55) for PFS. Conclusions: The pretreatment SUVmax, MTV, and TLG of 18F-FDG PET-CT showed significant prognostic value for OS and the PET-CT can be used in identifying high-risk patients about progression and survival. The analysis for posttreatment SUVmax suggested PET-CT as a promising equipment in monitoring therapy response.

Safety and Efficacy of Trastuzumab Emtansine in Advanced Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Breast Cancer: a Meta-analysis

Advanced or metastatic breast cancer is an incurable disease with high mortality rate worldwide and about 20% of breast cancers overexpress and amplify the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Achievements in targeted therapy have benefited people during the past decades. Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), a novel antibody-drug conjugate playing a powerful role in anti-tumor activity, not only blocks the HER2 signaling pathways, but also disturbs the microtubule dynamics. To access the efficacy and safety of T-DM1, we analyzed 9 clinical trials on T-DM1. Results showed that fatigue (0.604, 95% CI 0.551, 0.654), nausea (0.450, 95% CI 0.365, 0.537), increased transaminases (0.425, 95% CI 0.353, 0.500) and thrombocytopenia (0.383, 95% CI 0.322, 0.448) occurred more frequently in participants with single T-DM1. In controlled trials, increased transaminases (OR = 4.040, 95% CI 1.429, 11.427), thrombocytopenia (OR = 8.500, 95% CI 3.964, 18.226) and fatigue (OR = 1.288, 95% CI 1.041, 1.593) were statistically significant. Only thrombocytopenia appeared as severe adverse event (grade ≥ 3) in single-arm and control-arm studies. Meanwhile, T-DM1 stabilized cancer and prolonged life with notable improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In conclusion, it is a safe and effective agent in advanced or metastatic breast cancer, but should be carefully applied on patients with severe hepatic and neurological disease.

Small intestine contrast ultrasonography for the detection and assessment of Crohn disease: A meta-analysis.

Background: Crohn disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing disease. Imaging modalities are essential for the diagnosis and assessment of CD. Small intestine contrast ultrasonography (SICUS) is a well-tolerated, noninvasive and radiation-free modality and has shown potential in CD assessment. We aimed at evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of SICUS in the detection and assessment of small-bowel lesions and complications in CD. Methods: We searched PubMed database for relevant studies published before April 24, 2016. We integrated the true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative into the pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio. Forest plots were to represent the pooled results of all studies. Results: Thirteen articles were finally considered eligible. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of SICUS in detecting small-bowel lesions were 0.883 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.847–0.913) and 0.861 (95% CI 0.828–0.890), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 39.123 (95% CI 20.014–76.476) and the area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic was 0.9273 (standard error: 0.0152). In subgroup analyses, SICUS represented fine sensitivity and specificity in proximal and distal small intestine lesion, as well as in CD-related complications such as stricture, dilation, abscess, and fistula. Conclusion: SICUS is accurate enough to make a complete assessment about the location, extent, number, and almost all kinds of complications in CD small-bowel lesions.

Prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor in cervical cancer: a meta-analysis

The prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cervical cancer is controversial to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of VEGF and VEGF-C in patients with cervical cancer. Relevant studies were identified by systematic search of the PubMed and Embase database. The primary data of eligible studies was hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of survival outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Pooled HR (95% CI) was calculated to evaluate the prognostic role of VEGF and VEGF-C in cervical cancer patients. The methodological qualities of the included studies were assessed using REMARK. Fourteen eligible articles including 1306 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled HRs (95% CIs) of VEGF for OS and DFS/PFS were 2.29 [1.27, 4.14] and 2.77 [1.37, 5.62], respectively. The HR (95% CI) of VEGF-C for OS was 3.94 [2.22, 6.99]. This meta-analysis suggested that high expressions of VEGF and VEGF-C were significantly associated with poor survival outcome in cervical cancer patients.

Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Sonography for Differentiation of Breast Lesions A Meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to systematically review and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast‐enhanced sonography in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions.

Prognostic value of maximum standard uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) perform as new prognostic factors, but the outcomes of the published articles were inconclusive. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated the prognostic value of SUVmax, MTV, and TLG of PET/CT in patients with NPC. Methods: Relevant English articles were searched in PubMed and EMBASE. The data of patients and the survival outcomes were extracted. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were accounted to assess the prognostic value of the SUVmax, MTV, and TLG. Results: This meta-analysis combined 10 primary studies including 941 patients with NPC. The combined HRs (95% confidence interval [CI] of higher SUVmax, higher MTV, and higher TLG for event-free survival were 2.33 (95% CI, 1.39–3.91, P = .001), 2.51 (95% CI, 1.61–3.91, P < .0001), and 2.74 (95% CI, 1.91–3.93, P < .00001), respectively. Regarding overall survival, the combined HRs were 2.50 (95%CI, 1.65–3.78, P < .0001) with higher SUVmax, 3.30 (95% CI, 1.92–5.69, P < .0001) with higher MTV and 3.18 (95% CI, 1.70–5.96, P = .0003) with higher TLG. Conclusion: SUVmax, MTV, and TLG were significant prognostic predictors in patients with NPC. And the results suggested that higher SUVmax, MTV, and TLG were associated with worse prognosis.

Rapid and accurate intraoperative pathological diagnosis by artificial intelligence with deep learning technology

Frozen section is widely used for intraoperative pathological diagnosis (IOPD), which is essential for intraoperative decision making. However, frozen section suffers from some drawbacks, such as time consuming and high misdiagnosis rate. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) with deep learning technology has shown bright future in medicine. We hypothesize that AI with deep learning technology could help IOPD, with a computer trained by a dataset of intraoperative lesion images. Evidences supporting our hypothesis included the successful use of AI with deep learning technology in diagnosing skin cancer, and the developed method of deep-learning algorithm. Large size of the training dataset is critical to increase the diagnostic accuracy. The performance of the trained machine could be tested by new images before clinical use. Real-time diagnosis, easy to use and potential high accuracy were the advantages of AI for IOPD. In sum, AI with deep learning technology is a promising method to help rapid and accurate IOPD.

Rapid Discrimination of Malignant Breast Lesions from Normal Tissues Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of In Vitro Studies

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Raman spectroscopy system in the detection of malignant breast lesions through a systemic review and meta-analysis of published studies. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed and Embase from 2000 to June 2015. Published studies that evaluated the diagnostic performance of Raman spectroscopy in distinguishing malignant breast lesions from benign lesions and normal tissues were included in our study. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the curve of summary receiver-operating characteristic curves was derived. A Revised Tool for the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies guidelines was used to assess the quality of included studies. Results The initial search produced a total of 157 articles after removing duplicates. Nine studies (8 in vitro and 1 in vivo) were eligible in this meta-analysis. We analyzed the eight in vitro studies with 1756 lesions, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of Raman spectroscopy system for the diagnosis of malignant breast lesions were 0.92 (95% CI 0.86–0.96) and 0.97 (97% CI 0.93–0.98), respectively. Diagnostic odds ratio was 266.70 (95% CI 89.38–795.79), and the area under the curve of summary receiver-operating characteristic curves was 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99). Significant heterogeneity was found between studies. There was no evidence of considerable publication bias. Conclusions Raman spectroscopy system is an optical diagnostic technology with great value for detecting malignant breast lesions. At the same time, it has advantages of being non-invasive, real-time, and easy to use. Thus it deserves to be further explored for intra-operatory breast tumor margin detection.