Lymph node involvement in thymic malignancies is more common than previously recognized, especially in tumors with aggressive histology and advanced T category. Intentional lymph node dissection increases the detection of nodal involvement and improves accuracy of staging. In selected high-risk patients, systemic dissection of both N1and N2 nodes should be considered for accurate tumor staging.

This propensity score-matched study suggests that VATS and open surgeries are associated with similar oncological outcomes for Stage I thymic epithelial tumours. Minimally invasive surgery might be an acceptable surgical approach for early-stage thymic malignancies.

Lung cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is frequently diagnosed in both males and females worldwide. In the present study, the Ras homologue GTPase activation protein 6 (ARHGAP6), which belongs to the Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) family, was found to have low expression in tumor tissues from patients with lung cancer, accompanied by high expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In A549 and H1299 cells, upregulation of ARHGAP6 inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and reduced the levels of MMP9, VEGF and p-STAT3, while the levels STAT3 were unchanged, as demonstrated by CCK-8, migration and invasion assays as well as western blot analysis. In addition, interleukin 6 (IL-6)-induced migration, invasion and MMP9 and VEGF expression, and STAT3 signaling activity were suppressed by ARHGAP6 upregulation. Based on these data, we concluded that ARHGAP6 is critically important in lung cancer progression and that upregulation of ARHGAP6 benefits the treatment and prevention of lung cancer, possibly through the suppression of MMP9, VEGF and STAT3 signaling activation.

Skin graft harvest may be accomplished using a smaller donor graft than previously described using the formula reported here. This will probably reduce surgical morbidity, time, and expense. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.

We describe a 26-year-old chinese girl in whom vitiligo developed on the neck and left shoulder when she was 20 years old. The vitiligo stopped spreading 3 years