About the Authors

Qi-wen Chen

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Chien-shan Cheng

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation School of Chinese Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China

Hao Chen

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Zhou-yu Ning

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Shi-feng Tang

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation First Department, Cancer Treatment Center, Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang, Shandong Province, China

Xun Zhang

Contributed equally to this work with: Qi-wen Chen, Chien-shan Cheng, Hao Chen, Zhou-yu Ning, Shi-feng Tang, Xun Zhang

QC, CC, HC, ZN, ST, and X. Zhang are co-first authors on this work.

Affiliation Department of Ultrasound, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Xiao-yan Zhu

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Sonya Vargulick

Affiliation Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, New York, United States of America

Ye-hua Shen

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Yong-qiang Hua

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Jing Xie

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Wei-dong Shi

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Hui-feng Gao

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Li-tao Xu

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Lan-yun Feng

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Jun-hua Lin

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Zhen Chen

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Lu-ming Liu

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Bo Ping

bping2007@163.com (BP); mengzhq@gmail.com (ZM)

Affiliation Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Zhi-qiang Meng

bping2007@163.com (BP); mengzhq@gmail.com (ZM)

Affiliation Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: ZM BP. Performed the experiments: QC CC. Analyzed the data: QC CC. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: HC ZN X. Zhang ST. Wrote the paper: QC CC. Involved in the FNA performance: X. Zhu YS YH JX WS HG LX LF JL ZC LL. Edited the language of this article: SV.