Background Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been widely used for many years as a serum marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, AFP has been recognized as having poor sensitivity. More and more studies have concluded that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) might be a promising biomarker that could complement AFP. However, the diagnostic ability of circulating miRNAs has varied among the studies. Therefore, we performed the present meta-analysis to appraise the diagnostic performance of circulating miRNAs as a biomarker for hepatitis B virus-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) patients with low AFP levels. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to assess the diagnostic accuracy of circulating miRNAs in differentiating HBV-HCC patients with low AFP levels from non-HCC controls. Results Circulating miRNAs showed promising potential in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC patients with low AFP levels. In the low-AFP HBV-HCC patients, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84–0.90). The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78–0.88) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69–0.83), respectively. Conclusions The detection of circulating miRNAs provides a valuable method for the diagnosis of HBV-HCC in patients with low AFP levels.

Background and objectives Research about the effect of surgery in geriatric patients with early stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is limited, and it remains a subject of much debate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of surgery on the survival of elderly patients with T1‐3N0M0 PDAC and to further investigate the prognosis of these patients undergoing different surgical methods. Methods Patients aged ≥65 with T1‐3N0M0 PDAC diagnosed in 2004–2016 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The imbalance of baseline characteristics was reduced by propensity score matching. We used the log‐rank tests to evaluate overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) among different groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was utilized to explore prognostic factors in PDAC. Results In total, 6363 patients were enrolled. After matching, 1110 patients were paired. We found that surgery could provide better survival (p < 0.001). Moreover, compared with those who underwent partial resection or larger resection, patients who underwent local tumor destruction had poorer OS and CSS (p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant survival differences were shown between the partial resection group and the larger resection group (p < 0.001). Conclusion Surgical intervention could confer a survival benefit to elderly patients with early stage PDAC. Additionally, these patients could benefit from more radical operations, and radical operations with reasonable extents are advocated rather than too aggressive methods.

Background: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been widely used for many years as a serum marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, AFP has been recognized as having poor sensitivity. More and more studies have concluded that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) might be a promising biomarker that could complement AFP. However, the diagnostic ability of circulating miRNAs has varied among the studies. Therefore, we performed the present meta-analysis to appraise the diagnostic performance of circulating miRNAs as a biomarker for hepatitis B virus-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) patients with low AFP levels. Methods:We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to assess the diagnostic accuracy of circulating miRNAs in differentiating HBV-HCC patients with low AFP levels from non-HCC controls. Results:Circulating miRNAs showed promising potential in the diagnosis of HBV-HCC patients with low AFP levels. In the low-AFP HBV-HCC patients, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84-0.90). The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78-0.88) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69-0.83), respectively. Conclusions:The detection of circulating miRNAs provides a valuable method for the diagnosis of HBV-HCC in patients with low AFP levels.