Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging progression predicts the risk of pathological progression. Patients with stable multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging findings have a low rate of progression. Incorporating fusion guided biopsy in active surveillance nearly doubled our detection of pathological progression compared to systematic 12-core biopsy.

Stable findings on mp-MRI are associated with Gleason score stability. mp-MRI appears promising as a useful aid for reducing the number of biopsies in the management of patients on AS. A prospective evaluation of mp-MRI as a screen to reduce biopsies in the follow-up of men on AS appears warranted.

Evaluation of the different surgical approaches for endoscopic thyroidectomy shows that the incidence of hemorrhage and seroma are higher in the extra-cervical group, but the rate of conversion to conventional open surgery is significantly higher in the cervical group. Furthermore, patients who undergo extra-cervical endoscopic thyroidectomy are associated with longer operating time and hospital stays; however, these studies suggest that the extra-cervical surgical approach for endoscopic thyroidectomy is preferable for dealing with more kinds of thyroid tumor and leaving no scars on neck.

Currently, using human prostate cancer (PCa) tissue samples to conduct proteomics research has generated a large amount of data; however, only a very small amount has been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we manually carried out the mining of the full text of proteomics literature that involved comparisons between PCa and normal or benign tissue and identified 41 differentially expressed proteins verified or reported more than 2 times from different research studies. We regarded these proteins as seed proteins to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The extended network included one giant network, which consisted of 1,264 nodes connected via 1,744 edges, and 3 small separate components. The backbone network was then constructed, which was derived from key nodes and the subnetwork consisting of the shortest path between seed proteins. Topological analyses of these networks were conducted to identify proteins essential for the genesis of PCa. Solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 4 (SLC2A4) had the highest closeness centrality located in the center of each network, and the highest betweenness centrality and largest degree in the backbone network. Tubulin, beta 2C (TUBB2C) had the largest degree in the giant network and subnetwork. In addition, using module analysis of the whole PPI network, we obtained a densely connected region. Functional annotation indicated that the Ras protein signal transduction biological process, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), neurotrophin and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) signaling pathway may play an important role in the genesis and development of PCa. Further investigation of the SLC2A4, TUBB2C proteins, and these biological processes and pathways may therefore provide a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of PCa.

We mined the literature for proteomics data to examine the occurrence and metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) through a bioinformatics analysis. We divided the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) into two groups: the group consisting of PCa and benign tissues (P&b) and the group presenting both high and low PCa metastatic tendencies (H&L). In the P&b group, we found 320 DEPs, 20 of which were reported more than three times, and DES was the most commonly reported. Among these DEPs, the expression levels of FGG, GSN, SERPINC1, TPM1, and TUBB4B have not yet been correlated with PCa. In the H&L group, we identified 353 DEPs, 13 of which were reported more than three times. Among these DEPs, MDH2 and MYH9 have not yet been correlated with PCa metastasis. We further confirmed that DES was differentially expressed between 30 cancer and 30 benign tissues. In addition, DEPs associated with protein transport, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)–receptor interaction pathway were prevalent in the H&L group and have not yet been studied in detail in this context. Proteins related to homeostasis, the wound-healing response, focal adhesions, and the complement and coagulation pathways were overrepresented in both groups. Our findings suggest that the repeatedly reported DEPs in the two groups may function as potential biomarkers for detecting PCa and predicting its aggressiveness. Furthermore, the implicated biological processes and signaling pathways may help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of PCa carcinogenesis and metastasis and provide new targets for clinical treatment.

Purpose This study explored the feasibility of reducing the scan time of Patlak parametric imaging on the uEXPLORER. Methods A total of 65 patients (27 females and 38 males, age 56.1 ± 10.4) were recruited in this study. 18F fluorodeoxyglucose was injected, and its dose was adjusted by body weight (4.07 MBq/kg). Total‐body dynamic scanning was performed on the uEXPLORER total‐body Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) scanner with a total scan time of 60 min from the injection. The image derived input function (IDIF) was obtained from the aortic arch. The voxelwise Patlak analysis was applied to generate the Ki images designated as GIDIF with different acquisition times (20–60, 30–60, 40‐60, and 44–60 min). The population‐based input function (PBIF) was constructed from the mean value of the IDIF from the population, and Ki images designated as GPBIF were generated using the PBIF. Nonlocalmeans (NLM) denoising was applied to the generated images to get two extra groups of (NLM‐designated) images: GIDIF+NLM and GPBIF+NLM. Two radiologists evaluated the overall image quality, noise, and lesion detectability of the Ki images from different groups. The 20–60 min scans in GIDIF were selected as the gold standard for each patient. We determined that image quality is at sufficient level if all the lesions can be recognized and meet the clinical criteria. Ki values in muscle and lesion were compared across different groups to evaluate the quantitative accuracy. Results The overall image quality, image noise, and lesion conspicuity were significantly better in long time series than short time series in all four groups (all p < 0.001). The Ki images in the GIDIF and GPBIF groups generated from 30‐min scans showed diagnostic value equivalent to the 40‐min scans of GIDIF. While the image quality of the 16‐min scans was poor, all lesions could still be detected. No significant difference was found between Ki values estimated with GIDIF and GPBIF in muscle and lesion regions (all p > 0.5). After applying the NLM filter, the coefficient of variation could be reduced on the order of (1%, 15%, 19%, and 37%) and (110%, 125%, 94%, and 69%) with four acquisition time schemes for lesion and muscle. The reduction percentage did not have a substantial difference in IDIF and PBIF group. The Ki images in the GIDIF+NLM and GPBIF+NLM groups generated from the 20‐min acquisitions showed acceptable quality. All lesions could be found on the NLM processed images of the 16‐min scans. No significant difference was found between Ki values produced with GIDIF+NLM and GPBIF+NLM in muscle and lesion regions(all p > 0.7). Conclusions The Ki images generated by the PBIF‐based Patlak model using a 20‐min dynamic scan with the NLM filter achieved a similar diagnostic efficiency to images with GIDIF from 40‐min dynamic data, and there is no significant difference between Ki images generated using IDIF or PBIF (p > 0.5).

The reporting of complications following transperitoneal and retroperitoneal open radical nephrectomy (RN) is nonstandardized. This study aimed to compare early complications between the two approaches using a standardized reporting methodology in a large contemporary cohort. Between 1996 and 2009, 558 patients underwent open RN for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in our two centers (424 from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and 134 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University). Records were reviewed for clinicopathologic features and complications. Complications were graded using the Clavien system based on the severity of impact. One hundred and five patients (18.8%) had one or more early complications (168 complications overall). The overall rates of grades I to V complications were 5.6%, 10.8%, 2.2%, 0.4%, and 0.2%, respectively. Patients who underwent transperitoneal RN did not experience more overall or procedure-related complications than those who underwent retroperitoneal RN (P = 0.911 and P = 0.851, respectively). On subgroup analysis, neither grade I/II nor grades III-V complications were significantly different between the transperitonal RN and retroperitoneal RN groups. Multivariate analysis showed that for any grade of complication, age (P = 0.016) and estimated blood loss (P = 0.001) were significant predictors. We concluded that open RN is a safe procedure associated with low rates of serious morbidity and mortality. Compared with retroperitoneal RN, transperitoneal RN was not associated with more complications. Older patient and more blood loss at surgery were independent predictors for higher early postoperative complication rates.

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