No abstract

IntroductionThrombocytosis has been identified as an unfavorable prognostic factor in several types of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment platelet count in association with the TNM staging system and therapeutic regimens in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).MethodsA total of 2,626 patients with NPC were retrospectively analyzed. Platelet count >300 × 109/L was defined as thrombocytosis. Matched-pair analysis was performed between patients receiving chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed that platelet count was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.810, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.531–2.140, P < 0.001] and distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) (HR = 1.873, 95% CI = 1.475–2.379, P < 0.001) in the entire patient cohort. Further subgroup analysis revealed that increased platelet count was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for OS and DMFS in patients with NPC stratified by early and advanced T category, N category, or TNM classification (all P ≤ 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves verified that the predictive value of TNM classification for OS was improved when combined with pretreatment platelet count (P = 0.030). Matched-pair analysis showed that chemoradiotherapy significantly improved OS only in advanced-stage NPC with thrombocytosis (HR = 0.416, 95% CI = 0.226–0.765, P = 0.005).ConclusionsPretreatment platelet count, when combined with TNM classification, is a useful indicator for metastasis and survival in patients with NPC. It may improve the predictive value of the TNM classification and help to identify patients likely to benefit from more aggressive therapeutic regimens.

Phytoextraction has become one of the most promising remediation techniques for heavy metal (HM) contaminated soils. However, the technique invariably produces large amounts of HM-enriched hyperaccumulators, which need further safe disposal. In this study, two different thermal treatment methods are investigated as potential options for evaporative separation of HMs from the residues. A horizontal tube furnace and a vertical entrained flow tube furnace were used for testing the disposal of grounded hyperaccumulators. The release characteristics of HMs (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) into flue gas and residues were investigated for thermal treatment of the Cd and Zn hyperaccumulators Sedum plumbizincicola and Sedum alfredii. In a horizontal tube furnace, incineration favors the volatilization of Cu and Cd in contrast to pyrolysis. The percentages of HMs in residues after incineration are lower than those after pyrolysis, especially for Cd, Pb, and Zn. However, in an entrained flow tube furnace, Zn content in flue gas increases with increasing temperature, but Cu and Cd contents are fluctuated. In addition, a higher incineration temperature enhances the Cu content in residues.