Purpose. The present systematic literature review and meta-analysis focused on examining the significance of total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in predicting the prognosis of stages I/II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on ¹⁸F-FDG PET parameters. Methods. Electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE, were comprehensively searched for retrieving relevant articles published in the English language. Furthermore, the significance of TLG and MTV in prognosis prediction was analyzed by pooled hazard ratios (HRs). Results. This work enrolled eight primary studies with 1292 I/II-stage NSCLC cases. The pooled HR (95% confidence interval [CI]) for the ability of increased TLG to predict progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.02 (1.30–2.13) ( ), while for increased MTV it was 3.04 (1.92–4.81) ( ). In addition, the pooled HR (95% CI) for the ability of increased TLG to predict overall survival (OS) was 2.16 (1.49–3.14) ( ). However, higher MTV correlated with OS, and sensitivity analysis showed that the results were not stable. Multivariate and univariate analyses by subgroup analyses stratified by PFS of MTV and OS of TLG exhibited statistically significant differences, without any statistical heterogeneity across various articles. Conclusion. The present work suggests the predictive value of PET/CT among stage I and II NSCLC patients. Our results verified that stage I/II NSCLC cases with increased TLG and MTV had a higher risk of side reactions, and TLG is related to increased mortality risk.

Background: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is a prognostic factor in the existing TNM classification system. The present meta-analysis assessed the role of LVSI in predicting the prognosis of stage IA to IIB cervical cancer (CC). Materials and methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched to determine relevant articles published in the English language. Our search deadline was May 2022. Critical Appraisal of Prognostic Studies was used to assess the quality for each article. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were used to evaluate the performance of LVSI in prognosis prediction. Results: We enrolled 8 studies involving 25,352 patients published after 2010. Thus, high LVSI was an unfavorable factor in predicting overall survival (HR, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.63–2.66; P = .006) and disease-free survival (HR, 2.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.79–2.70; P = .000) for patients with CC. However, the disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly different on univariate analysis based on the subgroup analysis stratified by analysis method, but no obvious heterogeneity was found across diverse articles. Conclusions: The present study showed that LVSI predicts the poor prognostic outcome of stage IA to IIB CC. However, well-designed clinical articles should further assess the independent prognosis prediction performance of LVSI in CC.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the long-term therapeutic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus that of surgical resection in small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Relevant articles in English from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were retrieved. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to assess the prognostic value of RFA compared with that of surgical resection. Results: A total of 19 studies involving 15,071 patients were included. The combined HRs (95% confidence interval [CI]) of RFA for recurrence/relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 1.55 (95% CI = 1.29-1.86, I ² = 72.5%) and 1.61 (95% CI = 1.29-2.01, I ² = 60.4%), respectively, compared with surgical resection. In subgroup analyses according to study design, both RFS and OS of the prospective subgroups showed statistical significance, and no statistical heterogeneity existed between studies. Conclusion: Our clinical data suggest that surgical resection offers better long-term oncologic outcomes than RFA.

Background: The role of the lymph node ratio (LNR) in the existing tumor node metastasis classification system should be verified as one of the prognosis prediction factors. This work evaluated LNR’s performance in predicting cervical cancer (CC) prognosis through a meta-analysis. Method: Related studies were retrieved from the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases. The language was restricted to English. The combined hazard ratios (HRs) were utilized to analyze the prognostic value of LNR. Results.: Our study included 8 articles with 3325 subjects published after 2015. Based on our analysis, high LNR was the adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (OS, HR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.23–1.73; P = .238) and disease-free survival (DFS, HR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.98–3.66; P = .597) among the CC cases. Furthermore, as revealed by subgroup analysis, in CC patients, median LNR of about 0.0625 and 0.066 served as the prominent risk factor for DFS and OS. Conclusions: The current work illustrates that elevated LNR is related to the dismal prognosis of CC. More well-designed clinical studies are warranted for assessing whether LNR is a factor independently predicting the prognosis of CC.

MiR-1237, as a type of microRNA, has attracted widespread attention in the field of malignant tumors in recent years. There has been increasing emphasis on its role in regulating tumor occurrence, development, and treatment response. We aim to systematically summarize miR-1237 expression and functional regulation mechanisms in various malignant tumors and explore its potential clinical applications in this review. Our primary objective is to provide a succinct summary of the structural and functional characteristics of miR-1237, as well as elucidate its mechanisms of action within cellular biological processes. Our next step involves meticulously assembling the miR-1237 expression patterns in cancerous tumors and establishing their correlation with clinical and pathological characteristics. We shall lay emphasis on the potential use of this data as a valuable target for tumor prognosis, diagnosis, and therapy. Finally, we will discuss the potential applications of miR-1237 as a tumor therapeutic target in customized care and precision medicine, as well as future approaches for tumor therapy developments. Through an extensive and methodical summary and analysis of the research progress on miR-1237 in malignant tumors, this review seeks to advance the development of precision medicine for tumors, improve the quality of life and survival rate for tumor patients, and encourage the clinical application of miR-1237 in tumor diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic assessment.

Rationale: Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of the salivary glands, with few reports of metastasis to the liver in the literature. We present a case where an isolated hepatic lesion of adenoid cystic carcinoma was identified using ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT). Patient concerns: A 76-year-old male experienced abdominal pain and underwent an enhanced CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a liver mass. Subsequent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT identified hypermetabolic lesions in both the left and right lobes of the liver, suggesting malignancy, with no other abnormalities detected. Diagnoses: A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma. Interventions: No intervention. Outcomes: Following confirmation of the diagnosis, the patient chose to discontinue treatment and was discharged. Lessons: Hepatic metastasis from adenoid cystic carcinoma may be detected before the identification of the primary lesion. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT plays a critical role in differentiating benign from malignant liver tumors, selecting potential biopsy sites, and assessing the extent of metastatic disease.