Early growth response factor 1 (EGR1) is a transcription factor that is mainly involved in the processes of tissue injury, immune responses, and fibrosis. Recent studies have shown that EGR1 is closely related to the initiation and progression of cancer and may participate in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and in tumor angiogenesis. Nonetheless, the specific mechanism whereby EGR1 modulates these processes remains to be elucidated. This review article summarizes possible mechanisms of action of EGR1 in tumorigenesis and tumor progression and may serve as a reference for clinical efficacy predictions and for the discovery of new therapeutic targets.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignant tumors and has high morbidity and mortality rates. Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is one of the most frequent complications in patients with NSCLC and seriously affects the quality of life (QOL) and overall survival (OS) of patients, with a median OS of untreated patients of only 1–3 months. There are various treatment methods for NSCLC CNS metastasis, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, which do not meet the requirements of patients in terms of improving OS and QOL. There are still many problems in the treatment of NSCLC CNS metastasis that need to be solved urgently. This review summarizes the research progress in the treatment of NSCLC CNS metastasis to provide a reference for clinical practice.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a liver malignancy and a major cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Matrix metalloproteinase-11 (MMP-11), also known as stromelysin-3, plays a critical role during tumor migration, invasion and metastasis. Here, we report on the association between five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - rs738791, rs2267029, rs738792, rs28382575, and rs131451 - of the MMP-11 gene and HCC susceptibility, as well as clinical outcomes, in 293 patients with HCC and in 586 cancer-free controls. We found that carriers of the CT+TT allele of the rs738791 variant were at greater risk of HCC compared with wild-type (CC) carriers. Moreover, carriers of at least one C allele (C/T+C/C genotype) at the MMP-11 SNP rs738792 were likely to progress to Child-Pugh B or C grade, while individuals with at least one C allele (C/T+C/C genotype) at the MMP-11 SNP rs28382575 were at higher risk of developing stage III/IV disease, large tumors or lymph node metastasis. We believe that genetic variations in the MMP-11 gene may help to predict early-stage HCC and act as reliable biomarkers for HCC progression.

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system, and their conventional treatment involves maximal safe surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy; however, this treatment does not meet the requirements of patients in terms of survival and quality of life. Graphene oxide (GO) has excellent physical and chemical properties and plays an important role in the treatment of gliomas mainly through four applications, viz. direct killing, drug delivery, immunotherapy, and phototherapy. This article reviews research on GO nanocarriers in the treatment of gliomas in recent years and also highlights new ideas for the treatment of these tumors.

Curative therapy was not previously available for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); thus, the concept of minimal/measurable (or molecular) residual disease (MRD) was not applicable to these patients. However, advances in targeted and immunotherapy have revolutionized the treatment landscape for patients with advanced NSCLC, with emerging evidence of long-term survival and even the hope of complete remission (CR) by imaging examination. The latest research shows that patients with oligometastatic lung cancer can benefit from local treatment. After removing the lesions, the choice of follow-up therapy and monitoring of the lesions could remain uncertain. MRD plays a role in identifying early-stage NSCLC patients with high risks of recurrence and determining adjuvant therapy after radical treatment. In recent years, evidence has been accumulating regarding the use of circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) to assess MRD in solid tumors. This study discussed the possible applications of ctDNA-based MRD monitoring in advanced NSCLC and described the current challenges and unresolved problems in the application of MRD in advanced NSCLC.

The facial nerve decompression via mastoid is simple and easy to expose the vertical segment of the facial nerve (VFN). The objective of this study was to find out the relationship between the VFN and anatomic landmarks to facilitate prediction of the location of VFN during facial nerve decompression. The different landmarks were cochlear window (CW), oval window (OW), promontorium tympani (PT), and mastoid antrum (MA). Parameters of 140 patients (280 observations) with healthy middle ears were measured on high-resolution spiral multislice computed tomographic multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) images that were parallel to the base plane. The data gained were analyzed by statistical method and were also analyzed with respect to side and gender. The angle between orientation of VFN to the CW of the longest distance and horizontal axis was larger on the left side than that of the right (P < 0.05). Our results may provide more detailed information to predict the location of VFN during facial nerve decompression through mastoid.