Efficacy and safety of a novel directional deep brain stimulation system from China in the treatment of Parkinson’s diseaseHutao Xie, Xi Wu, Hualin Yu, Guihuai Wang, Zengguang Wang, Jie Zhang, Xiaodong Cai, Fangang Meng, Quan Zhang, Anchao Yang 等
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003696
To the Editor: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for managing advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD), commonly targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus internus (GPi). Although traditional omnidirectional electrodes effectively alleviate symptoms, they can inadvertently stimulate adjacent structures, resulting in side effects such as dysarthria and paresthesia, which may hinder optimal clinical outcomes. Directional electrodes, using segmented technology, address this limitation by enabling precise "current steering" for targeted stimulation, thereby reducing side effects.[1]Although global studies have shown promising results with directional DBS, its clinical application in China, particularly in GPi-targeted therapy, remains limited. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of a novel Chinese directional DBS system, focusing on its performance in both GPi and STN targets.
Conversion of proximal fibula osteotomy for knee osteoarthritis to subsequent surgery: Time-to-event analysis and predictorsChengsi Li, Tianyu Wang, Dongwei Wu, Haichuan Guo, Zhenbang Yang, Xinqun Cheng, Yanbin Zhu, Yingze Zhang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000004047
To the Editor: Proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO) has emerged as a minimally invasive, knee-preserving procedure for mild-to-moderate medial-compartment knee osteoarthritis (KOA), offering faster recovery and fewer complications than high tibial osteotomy (HTO);[1]however, its mid- to long-term survival rates and predictors of conversion to subsequent surgery remain unclear. Consequently, we conducted a large cohort study to assess the incidence and timing of conversion from PFO to subsequent surgery and to identify associated perioperative predictors.
Hidden burden: Clinical impact of incidental prostate cancer in bladder cancer patientsJunyong Ou, Kunming Ni, Haodong Song, Gengwu Li, Yi Huang, Guoliang Wang, Lulin Ma, Jianfei Ye, Shudong Zhang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000004031
To the Editor: Bladder cancer (Bca) is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract worldwide.[1]Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), characterized by tumor invasion into the muscularis propria, has a high propensity to spread to lymph nodes and other organs. For patients with localized MIBC, the standard treatment is radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion.[2]Notably, incidental prostate cancer (Pca) is frequently identified during the pathological examination of RCP specimens. In clinical practice, managing patients with concomitant Bca and Pca presents several challenges. Many such patients have normal preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and unremarkable findings on conventional imaging, making early diagnosis of Pca difficult and often rendering the indication for prostate biopsy unclear. Furthermore, the clinical significance and prognostic impact of concurrent bladder and prostate cancers remain uncertain, and there are no established criteria for predicting the risk of incidental Pca based on pathological features. Treatment decisions for these patients are also complex. Currently, prostate-sparing cystectomy techniques have been introduced for select cases to preserve sexual function and fertility. However, organ-preserving procedures carry risks: they may leave occult bladder cancer that has invaded the prostate undetected, or they might fail to remove an incidental Pca.[3,4,5]This study aimed to comprehensively elucidate the clinicopathological features, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors of patients with concomitant Bca and Pca.
Immune escape mechanism in lung adenocarcinomaXiangtao Mao, Yong Yang, Rong Fu, Guoping Zheng, Hailong Wang, Min Pang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003539
To the Editor: Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide for many years and an estimated 2.2 million new lung cancer cases and 1.8 million lung cancer-related deaths occurred in 2020.[1]Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common pathological subtype of lung cancer recorded in the clinic, accounting for 50% of all diagnosed cases. Immunotherapy has been employed in the treatment of LUAD to inhibit the progression of disease and prolong survival.[2]Nevertheless, LUAD continues to exhibit a poor prognosis due to the high mutation rates of genes that enable tumor to evade T cell detection and impair T cell function through multiple mechanisms. Therefore, it is imperative to decipher the mechanism of immune escape in LUAD to enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of LUAD progression in the context of immune evasion. This article briefly summarizes the mechanisms of immune escape in LUAD.
Outcome and life expectancy associated with novel subgroups of atrial fibrillationYuefeng Yu, Jiang Li, Ying Sun, Bowei Yu, Xiao Tan, Bin Wang, Yingli Lu, Ningjian Wang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000004044
To the Editor: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia, affects approximately 59.7 million people globally, with patient numbers rising.[1]Despite current treatments, patients with AF face elevated risks of mortality, heart failure (HF), and stroke, due to heterogeneity in presentation, progression, and outcomes. AF is traditionally classified into paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent, but these temporal patterns minimally influence management decisions beyond rhythm restoration. Given the complex and multifactorial pathophysiology of AF, personalized assessment integrating clinical features, biomarkers, and noninvasive tools may improve classification. Current guidelines recommend individualized management based on four domains: stroke risk, symptom severity, AF burden, and substrate severity. Although validated tools exist for stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASC score), symptom severity (European Heart Rhythm Association [EHRA] score), and AF burden (the International Classification of Diseases [ICD] codes), no standardized criteria are available for substrate severity, highlighting the need for refined approaches.
Efficacy and parameter selection of transcranial alternating current stimulation in sleep regulationRuike Sun, Yuqing Xie, Xin Tian, Yuexia Hu, Huixian Li, Yun Li, Yuhan Chen, Zhiwei Guo, Sheyu Li, Yanyan Wang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003997
To the Editor: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique, alters neural activity and behavior in humans by delivering low-intensity sinusoidal alternating current at a specific frequency (Hertz) to targeted brain areas through electrodes placed on the scalp.[1]tACS regulates endogenous cortical oscillations through entrainment mechanisms to improve brain network communication.[2]Over the past decade, it has been applied in various fields and has demonstrated promising outcomes in reducing psychiatric and neurological symptoms.[3]
Feasibility of telesurgery using fifth-generation wireless cellular technology and dedicated internet lines for cross-continental procedures: A pilot studyQingbo Huang, Ye Wang, Zhi Li, Alberto Breda, Richard Pierre Gaston, Vito Pansadoro, Giuseppe Simone, Yibo Chen, Songliang Du, Yu Gao 等
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003945
To the Editor: Telesurgery represents a promising advancement in medical technology, allowing skilled surgeons to perform complex procedures remotely. By leveraging high-speed internet infrastructure such as 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G), telesurgery has the potential to overcome geographical constraints and expand access to expert surgical care. However, its successful implementation depends on several critical factors, including stable, low-latency data transmission, reliable network performance, and the ability to maintain surgical precision over long distances. Patelet al[1]established a remote surgical connection between Orlando and Shanghai using 5G, Wi-Fi, and fiber-optic technologies, and performed 10 robot-assisted nephrectomies on pig models. Rogerset al[2]reported on a short-distance study in which three surgeons completed remote robot-assisted prostatectomies, demonstrating that telesurgery can be safely performed using low-latency telecommunications. Additionally, our team has previously conducted a series of remote animal model procedures and short-distance clinical trials.[3,4]In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of cross-continental telesurgery, specifically examining the use of 5G networks and dedicated internet lines to ensure high-speed, uninterrupted communication between the surgical console and operative site [Figure 1A].
Metabolomic profiling reveals distinct metabolic patterns and a potential circulating biomarker in pre-COPDXiaoxia Ren, Junling Pang, Ruoxi He, Junchao Jiang, Zaiyong Wang, Yanyan Xu, Sheng Xie, Ting Yang, Jing Wang, Chen Wang
中华医学杂志英文版2026年 139卷 10期
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000003532
To the Editor: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable, and treatable lung condition characterized by the progressive obstruction of the airway following chronic inflammation of airways and/or alveoli. The prevalence of spirometry-defined COPD, which is characterized by post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio <0.7 in adults aged ≥ 40 years, is estimated to be 13.7% in the China Pulmonary Health (CPH) study.[1]Unfortunately, due to the asymptomatic initiation, COPD is underdiagnosed, resulting in missed opportunities to treat the condition. Patients with undiagnosed early-stage COPD are likely to progress to more advanced stages, which are associated with poor health-related quality of life and increased healthcare costs.[1]