Thrombophilic state in cancer, part I: biology, incidence, and risk factors

The association between malignancy and thrombosis has long been appreciated but remains incompletely understood. This is the first of a two-part review of the complex, integral relationship between these two entities, and addresses the mechanisms and pathogenesis of this relationship and the clinical risk factors for thromboembolism in cancer patients.     

Surgery for prostate cancer: rationale,technique and outcomes

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men and poses a substantial risk to the life and health of patients. Treatment options for patients with prostate cancer are plentiful. Radical prostatectomy is one option that can be performed using several different surgical approaches. It can be performed with limited risk of complications and is likely to be curative in patients with organ-confined disease and those with limited extracapsular extension.     

Pyomyositis after chemotherapy for breast cancer

Pyomyositis is a rare complication of chemotherapy. A 47-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer, in whom pyomyositis developed after chemotherapy, is described. It was difficult to differentiate between pyomyositis and deep venous thrombosis early in her admission. Pyomyositis should be considered part of the differential diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. This infection, after chemotherapy, usually is considered to be caused by neutropenia or immunodeficiency secondary to the cancer, or both. It is postulated that subclinical myopathy, secondary to the malignancy or drugs used in treating the malignancy, or both, may also predispose to pyomyositis.     

Epidemiologic characteristics of cervical cancer in Korean women

Cervical cancer is the most common female genital tract malignancy in Korean women. Although age-standardized cancer incidence rate of cervical cancer has decreased from 18.6 per 100,000 women in 1999 to 12.3 per 100,000 women in 2010 in Korea with widespread routine screening, several epidemiologic characteristics are still present. Incidence of cervical cancer still varies according to geographic area, and a significant portion of cases are detected at a locoregionally advanced stage, without significant improvement of five-year survival rate.2014-01-15 Cervical screening techniques such as the Pap smear should be the gold standard strategy to decrease incidence and to improve the survival outcomes of patients with cervical cancer. In addition, screening programs for cervical cancer should be designed, organized and directed within the context of a nationwide program for cancer control.     

胰腺癌相关静脉血栓文献复习

恶性肿瘤患者是静脉血栓栓塞症的高危人群,而血栓栓塞在胰腺癌患者的发生率更高,且早期发生往往提示预后不良.本文对国内外既往胰腺癌相关静脉血栓文献进行回顾,并对胰腺癌相关静脉血栓的发生机制,预防、诊断、治疗胰腺癌相关静脉血栓的重要性,胰腺癌相关静脉血栓的风险评估,通过对胰腺癌相关静脉血栓的诊断以及胰腺癌相关静脉血栓的治疗及安全性等方面进行探讨,旨在提高对于胰腺癌相关静脉血栓疾病的认识和重视程度,并提高患者生存质量、延长生存时间.     

Low molecular weight heparins in cancer patients: to treat thromboembolic events, the tumor, or both?

The interrelationship between cancer and thrombosis is well known. Recent data help physicians to optimize the management of thrombotic complications occurring in cancer patients. However, many issues are still uncertain. First, although the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a patient with known cancer is the most common presentation, concerns remain about the optimal duration and dosages of anticoagulants. Questions also arise concerning the need to implement heparin prophylaxis in the course of chemotherapy. Secondly, in some patients, thrombosis precedes the diagnosis of malignancy. In this case, the question is whether or not to screen patients for an occult cancer. Thirdly, very recent studies have shown the hemostatic system plays a key role at different stages of tumor growth. Anticoagulants, especially low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), appear therefore to be an attractive strategy not only for managing the risk for thrombosis but, possibly, to improve patient outcome and survival. However, the use of these compounds in settings other than VTE is questionable. Finally, most of the data come from studies evaluating patients with different types of cancer at different stages, thus making results difficult to evaluate. Additional research is required to clarify the biological mechanisms involved and to answer still unresolved clinical questions. In this review, the evidence for the use of LMWHs in cancer patients will be presented and remaining doubts discussed.     

Hospital costs, cancer patients, and surgical diagnostic related groups

This study of 4,359 Medicare patients in 107 noncancer stratified surgical Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs) tested the hypothesis that patients with a diagnosis of a malignancy (i.e., cancer) in these DRGs would have higher resource utilization than patients without a diagnosis of a malignancy (i.e., noncancer) in these same surgical DRGs. The 1,008 cancer patients had 3.2 times the financial loss ($1,617 per patient vs. $510 per patient) compared to the 3,351 noncancer patients (P less than .05). Patients with cancer had a greater percentage of outliers, more diagnosis (P less than .0001) and procedures (P less than .0001) per patient, and a higher mortality (P less than .01) than patients without cancer. These findings raise the question of the equity of DRG payment for patients with cancer in many surgical DRGs. Financial disincentives to treat certain groups of Medicare cancer patients at our hospital may affect both their access and quality of care in the future.     

Pulmonary embolism due to internal jugular vein thrombosis in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer receiving bevacizumab

Internal jugular vein thrombosis is much less common than deep venous thrombosis of lower limbs and is generally caused by an indwelling venous catheter or otological infection. Several cases of internal jugular vein thrombosis associated with malignancy have been also reported. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal neutralizing antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, has shown benefits in the treatment of many types of malignancy and its use is increasing. Serious adverse effects, however, are associated with the use of bevacizumab, including venous thromboembolism. In this article, we present a rare case of non-small cell lung cancer complicated by pulmonary embolism due to internal jugular vein thrombosis associated with bevacizumab.     

Prostate cancer diagnosis,staging and survival

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men and the second most common cancer related death. Through research, we have found that African–American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer have a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer. In the 90's the mortality rate from prostate cancer decreased, presumably due to PSA testing. Patients with organ-confined tumors, particularly if they have a moderate Gleason score have an excellent chance of long-term survival with radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy. Advances in detecting micrometastatic disease are needed to further impact on this disease.     

Vascular events in lung cancer

Background and aims: In lung cancer, many factors have prognostic significance, including thrombocytosis, which is frequently observed. Associations between vascular events, which are the outcomes of paraneoplastic symptoms, and mortality and morbidity has been evaluated in many studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between thrombocytosis and vascular events. Materials and Methods: In total, 281 patients, who were histopathologically diagnosed with lung cancer between March 2007 and August 2009, were evaluated retrospectively. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (ver. 11.5 for Windows). Analysis of the distribution of constant variance for normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Nominal variables were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-squared or Fisher’s exact chi-squared tests. Significant correlations between continuous variables were investigated using Spearman’s correlation test. Results: Of the 281 patients, 234 (83.3%) were males and 47 (16.7%) were females, with a median age of 60.6 (31–83 years). Histopathologically, 40 (14.2%) were diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer and 241 (85.8%) with non-small cell lung cancer. In total, 17 (6.04%) vascular events were identified: 11 (64.7%) deep vein thromboses, three (17.6%) pulmonary thromboembolisms, one (5.9%) cerebral arterial thrombosis, and one (5.9%) vena cava superior thrombosis. Thrombocytosis was not determined during thrombosis, but during subsequent visits. Conclusions: Thrombocytosis is frequently observed in patients with lung cancer. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate the need for prophylactic anticoagulants in these patients. The association between vascular events and survival, the next step of the present study, will be evaluated prospectively.     

The risk of second malignancy after adjuvant chemotherapy for stomach cancer

Background. Although many trials have been conducted to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) for patients with stomach cancer, the benefits of ACT remain unclear. Moreover, some authors have reported that ACT increased the incidence of second malignancy. The risk of second malignancy was evaluated in patients who underwent treatment for stomach cancer in the past 20 years at Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases. Methods. The study population consisted of 1925 patients who underwent gastrectomies for stomach cancer between the years 1978 and 1992 and who received follow-up examinations to check for second malignancies. They included 1114 patients who underwent surgery only (group A) and 811 who underwent surgery and received chemotherapy (group B). The observed incidence of second malignancy (O) was compared with the expected incidence (E), calculated by the person-year method, using data from the Cancer Registry in Osaka. Results. The average follow-up period was 7.99 years. The total number of patients with a second malignancy was 127 (men, 97; women, 30); 72 patients had the second malignancy in digestive organs; 27 in respiratory organs; and 28 in other organs. The relative risks of a second malignancy in group A and B patients were 1.05 and 1.02 (differences between the two groups were not significant). The relative risks of a second malignancy in patients who received ACT with 5-fluorouracil, Tegafur and Uracil, and FT207 were 0.79, 1.01, and 1.06, respectively (differences between the groups were not significant). Conclusion. The risk of second malignancy after chemotherapy for stomach cancer was not high in comparison with the expected incidence. Adjuvant chemotherapy did not increase the risk of a second malignancy. Received on April 16, 1999; accepted on Dec. 1, 1999     

Risk of thromboembolic complications in cancer patients

A study of blood coagulation homeostasis in 24 cases of stage IV stomach cancer established grave disorders involving activation of stage II and III coagulation, inhibition of stage II and depletion of the compensatory potential of the fibrinolytic system. Functional tests using highly-specific and standardized methods of contact and phospholipid activation showed malignancy generalization process to be a thrombosis hazard.     

Discussing the predictive,prognostic, and therapeutic value of germline DNA-repair gene mutations in metastatic prostate cancer patients

Recent trends in cancer therapy have begun emphasizing the use of precision medicine, especially genetic tools, in the evaluation of malignancies and decision-making. Prostate cancer is a malignancy where the benefits and utility of screening and early treatment are still heavily controversial. A recent paper in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients with metastatic prostate cancer presented germline mutations in DNA-repair genes at a significantly higher incidence than those with localized prostate cancer. These findings indicate the need for further research in this field as genetic differences between metastatic and localized prostate cancer could have great clinical value.     

宫颈癌根治性放疗后下肢深部静脉血栓形成的临床分析

目的:探讨宫颈癌放疗后下肢深静脉血栓的发生率、发生时间及影响因素。方法:回顾性分析2008-2011年在我院行体外照射加252Cf中子腔内根治性放疗的宫颈癌病例,共516例。分析下肢深静脉的发生率和发生中位时间,单因素分析同步化疗、临床分期、年龄、血清D-二聚体与下肢深静脉血栓形成的关系以及治疗效果。结果:共发生下肢静脉血栓12例,发生率为2.33%。下肢深静脉血栓的中位年龄为45岁。放疗后至确诊发生严重深部静脉血栓的中位时间为6个月。单因素分析结果显示年龄和临床分期在有血栓和无血栓组间差异无统计学意义,而是否行同步化疗差异显著(P=0.022)。结论:宫颈癌放疗后可能出现有明显临床症状的下肢深静脉血栓,血栓的发生与患者的年龄和临床分期无明显相关,但同步化疗可能增加血栓的发生。     

Change in health‐related quality of life of newly diagnosed cancer patients,cancer survivors,and controls*

BACKGROUND:

Data from the 1998 Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) of patients who were enrolled in Medicare managed care and follow‐up data from the 2000 HOS resurvey were analyzed to examine changes in health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of newly diagnosed cancer patients, cancer survivors, and patients without cancer.

METHODS:

In 1998, the HOS was mailed to a random sample of 279,135 beneficiaries, and 167,096 respondents (60%) returned completed surveys. Those who were diagnosed with cancer (22,747) were frequency age‐matched to an equal number of patients with no cancer. In 2000, the HOS was mailed to the same cohort of beneficiaries. Complete data at both baseline and follow‐up were available on 16,850 individuals for inclusion in the current study.

RESULTS:

After 2 years, respondents who had been diagnosed with cancer at baseline continued to have lower scores on all but 3 scales of the 36‐item short‐form HRQOL measure. However, there was no evidence that they were declining any faster than or catching up with noncancer patients. Those who had been newly diagnosed with cancer since the baseline survey had lower mean scale scores than the no‐cancer group on all scales and lower mean scores than the cancer survivors on all subscales except Bodily Pain, Vitality, and Mental Health.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study demonstrated that, after 2 years, cancer survivors continued to have poorer HRQOL than the no‐cancer group. Newly diagnosed cancer patients had poorer quality of life than both the longer term cancer survivors and the no‐cancer group. Cancer 2009. Published 2009 by the American Cancer Society*.     

A retrospective analysis of thyroid cancer in China

Background: Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem that require close attention to determine the risk of malignancy. This study was designed to investigate the diagnostic values of pathological characteristics, ultrasonographically-detected calcification, and serum TSH levels in thyroid cancer in Han Chinese. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out using 1,685 patients with thyroid cancer or benign nodules, who had undergone thyroidectomy between 2008 and 2009 in our hospital. Results: Among the 1,685 cases, 222 had thyroid carcinomas and, of those, 113 (50.9%) developed different benign thyroid diseases. The frequency of thyroid cancer showed a progressive decrease from the younger to the older patients. The frequency of malignancy was closely related to the level of calcification, with the lowest frequency occurring in patients with no calcification and the highest in those with micro-calcification. The frequency of malignancy was also closely related to serum TSH levels, with the lowest occurring in patients with TSH levels <0.40 uIU/mL, and the highest with >1.34 uIU/mL; in addition, <4.00 uIU/mL TSH showed a progressive increase from the lower to the upper of normal range. Conclusions: Thyroid malignancies often coexist with benign thyroid disease. Age, TSH levels, and calcification of the nodules are predictors of malignancy.     

直肠癌p53、K-ras基因突变与临床病理的相关性研究

目的　探索p5 3、k ras基因同时突变对直肠癌的恶性行为升级的作用及其临床意义。方法　用PCR SSCP方法检测直肠癌细胞p5 3、K ras基因突变 ,分析该基因突变与临床病理因素及预后的关系。结果　直肠癌细胞p5 3、K ras基因突变与临床病理因素无关 ,生存率也无统计学差异。结论　直肠癌细胞p5 3、K ras基因突变对癌细胞恶性生物学行为升级无明显的促进作用 ,p5 3、K ras基因同时突变也无协同促癌作用 ,也不影响病人的预后。     

Male breast cancer: Progress, prognosis and future pathways

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly treated malignancies worldwide, but is rare in males. Less than one percent of all breast cancers occur in men, and breast cancer comprises less than one percent of all male malignancies. Thus, clinical experience in managing this condition is limited. In contrast to female breast cancer, much remains unknown about breast cancer in males. While there are similarities between the two, emerging data suggest that there are perhaps more differences than previously thought. Nevertheless, much of how males with breast cancer are managed continues to be extrapolated from randomised trials performed in females, due to lack of data in the male population alone. Another poorly understood aspect is the psychological impact experienced by male patients when diagnosed with what is generally thought of as a female malignancy. This review will discuss the known epidemiology, demographics, risk factors and genetic predispositions surrounding the development of breast cancer in males; as well as current surgical and radiotherapeutic interventional techniques. Histological profiles and subtypes as well as hormone receptor and HER‐2 receptor status are also discussed, with an overview of chemotherapy and hormonal strategies in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings.     

Overall survival is similar between women who seek care at one or more institutions after diagnosis of operable breast cancer in the community

Background

As breast cancer diagnoses increase, so does the number of patients who are critically evaluating hospital attributes to determine where to receive their treatment. Evidence suggests that complex surgeries have better outcomes in high volume academic centers. Whether clinical outcomes of women diagnosed with operable breast cancer, who are treated by multiple disciplines including non-complex surgical approaches, differ for those received all or part of their treatment at their community cancer center is unclear. We hypothesize that the clinical outcomes do not differ for those who received all or part of their care at their community cancer center. Our aim is to analyze data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who received all their treatment at community cancer center when compared with those who had part or all of their care elsewhere.

肺癌患者术后抗凝药物的不同干预时间对凝血功能的影响

目的:研究肺癌患者术后应用低分子肝素钙抗凝不同的起始时间对患者凝血功能的影响。方法:分析2017年11月至2018年5月我科收治的肺癌手术患者,按照手术顺序采用SPSS 19.0随机分成A、B、C、D组。其中A、B、C组为抗凝组,分别于术后12 h、24 h、48 h给予低分子肝素钙4 100 IU,bid,皮下注射,连续应用7天;D组为空白对照组。抗凝组和空白对照组术后都给予基础的血栓预防措施。术前及术后连续5天查血常规和血栓弹力图（TEG）并监测术后胸引量及下肢静脉血栓形成情况。结果:4组肺癌术后患者的下肢血栓形成情况:A组0例,B组1例下肢肌间静脉血栓形成,C组2例下肢肌间静脉血栓形成,D组6例肌间静脉血栓形成。A组与D组之间比较有显著差异。所有肺癌患者术后没有出现临床症状的静脉血栓栓塞症。血栓弹力图指标术前均无显著差异,而R值在术后组间比较均有显著差异。4组肺癌患者术后胸引量和出血相关并发症组间比较无显著差异。结论:肺癌术后12 h应用低分子肝素钙预防性抗凝治疗能明显降低静脉血栓形成的风险,优于24 h、48 h开始抗凝治疗。