Translational Health Reports

Abstract Background: Oligometastatic lung cancer is a clinical entity characterized by a limited number of metastases, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as a promising treatment option for this condition. However, the relationship between SBRT dose and adverse events in this population is not well understood.


Objectives: To evaluate the treatment outcomes and adverse events associated with SBRT in patients with oligometastatic lung cancer, and to investigate the relationship between radiation dose and adverse events.


Methods: This retrospective chart review included 81 patients with oligometastatic lung cancer who underwent SBRT at a single institution between 2015 and 2023. Patients received SBRT with a dose of 30-60 Gy in 3-10 fractions. Data on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment details, and adverse events were collected and analyzed.


Results: The study found that 37% of patients experienced adverse events of grade ≥2, with fatigue, dermatitis, and cough being the most common. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher radiation dose was significantly associated with increased risk of adverse events (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p=0.01). Other factors, including age, sex, ECOG performance status, and previous chemotherapy, were not significantly associated with adverse events.


Conclusion: This study demonstrates that SBRT higher radiation doses are associated with increased risk of adverse events with no other risk factor predicting adverse event occurrence. These findings highlight the importance of careful treatment planning and dose optimization to minimize toxicity while maintaining treatment efficacy.

Abstract Objective To integrate the latest evidence regarding inherited genetic risk factors for esophageal cancer while emphasizing contrasting susceptibility profiles between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC)/Barrett’s esophagus as this integration also allows assessment of how genome-wide association studies (GWAS) together with new trans-ancestry genomic methods have advanced the discovery of risk loci and their potential clinical application.

Results More than 30 reliable risk loci are now recognized for ESCC mostly identified in East Asian populations with major signals located in PLCE1 alcohol/aldehyde metabolism genes ADH/ALDH2 (showing strong interaction with alcohol consumption) CHEK2 and HLA-region immune pathways whereas recent trans-ancestry studies have validated shared loci such as PLCE1 while uncovering novel African-enriched variants that highlight population-specific genetic architecture. By comparison EAC and Barrett’s esophagus present a separate genetic profile shaped largely by European-ancestry consortia featuring risk loci near BARX1 FOXP1 CRTC1 (involved in mucosal development) as well as CFTR MSRA BLK (linked to barrier function and oxidative stress) and although fewer loci have been found overall EAC exhibits considerable shared heritability with Barrett’s esophagus which supports the value of genetically guided surveillance.

Conclusion ESCC and EAC display strikingly different inherited risk patterns that closely reflect their distinct environmental risk factors as this difference now permits the construction of polygenic risk scores that incorporate subtype-specific GWAS findings together with emerging rare-variant and functional genomic information thereby enabling personalized risk assessment and more targeted screening in high-risk families and populations.

Abstract Introduction: The global prevalence of obesity has spurred interest in alternative therapies beyond conventional diet, exercise, and pharmacotherapy. Acupuncture, a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is one such intervention, though its efficacy and mechanisms of action, particularly on fat distribution, warrant further synthesis of existing evidence.



Objective: This review aims to critically appraise and summarize the current literature on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for weight loss, with a special focus on insights provided by MRI and CT scan imaging regarding its impact on visceral and subcutaneous fat distribution.



Methods: A narrative review of scientific literature was conducted. Key databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and ISI Web of Science, were searched for relevant clinical trials, reviews, and meta-analyses published up to September 2024. The focus was on human studies involving acupuncture for obesity that reported on weight loss outcomes, safety, and/or imaging data.



Findings: The body of literature suggests that acupuncture may contribute to reductions in body weight and BMI. A notable finding across several studies is the objective evidence provided by medical imaging. MRI scans have demonstrated significant reductions in visceral adipose tissue, with one analysis reporting a 15% decrease in abdominal fat area. Similarly, CT scans have shown a 12% reduction in subcutaneous fat surrounding internal organs following acupuncture treatment. These imaging techniques have also highlighted the potential for incidental tumor detection, though no new tumors were reported in the reviewed studies. The therapy appears to be generally safe, with most adverse effects being mild and transient, such as minor bruising or dryness of mouth.



Conclusion: Current evidence, including objective data from medical imaging, suggests that acupuncture may be a beneficial and safe complementary approach for weight management, particularly through the modulation of fat distribution. However, methodological limitations in many existing studies, such as small sample sizes and lack of blinding, preclude definitive conclusions. More rigorous, large-scale, and long-term studies are recommended to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.