Peng Jiang

Incidence, risk factors, and a prognostic nomogram for distant metastasis in endometrial cancer: A SEER‐based study

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the metastatic pattern, identify the risk factors, and establish a nomogram for predicting prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC) with distant metastasis.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of women diagnosed with EC was conducted according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2010–2017. Multivariate logistic analysis and Cox analysis were performed to identify the risk factors in promoting distant metastasis and predictors associated with overall survival (OS) in this particular subpopulation. A nomogram was then constructed and validated by the concordance index (C‐index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis.ResultsA total of 2799 cases of distant metastasis in EC patients were identified, with an overall incidence rate of 3.74% from 2010 to 2017. Black race, unmarried status, non‐endometrioid histologic types, and grade IV were significant risk factors for distant metastasis in EC patients. Meanwhile, race, histology, grade, metastasis status, surgery, lymphadenectomy, and chemotherapy were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS. A nomogram to predict 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year OS was established, and presented favorable accuracy and clinical applicability. Patients were further divided into high‐ and low‐risk groups according to the model.ConclusionThe nomogram was developed as a highly accurate, individualized tool to better predict the prognosis of EC patients with distant metastasis, which would help clinicians to identify high‐risk patients, and adjust and tailor their treatment strategies.

Systemic analysis of the expression and prognostic significance of USP31 in endometrial cancer

Increasing evidence indicates that multiple mechanisms are involved in the metastasis and postoperative recurrence in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). Ubiquitin-specific protease 31 (USP31) has been studied in some human tumors, but its function remains unclear in EC. In this study, we tried to investigate the expression of USP31 in EC and its possible involvement in biological signaling pathways and define its predictive value for the prognosis. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases confirmed the difference in USP31 expression between EC and normal endometrium. Specimens and clinical data of 259 patients with EC who underwent primary surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected. The independent predictive value of USP31 for the prognosis of EC patients was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used for confirming the ability of USP31 to predict the prognosis. Functional enrichment analyses were used for finding the hub genes associated with USP31 and to predict the biological signaling pathways that might be involved. Our study confirms that EC patients with low expression of USP31 may have a worse prognosis. Functional annotations suggest that USP31 may participate in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, nuclear factor κB pathway, early 2 factor targets, and inflammatory response. USP31 may act as a promising biomarker for research in EC.