51 research outputs found
Early prediction of histopathological response of rectal tumors after one week of preoperative radiochemotherapy using 18âF-FDG PET-CT imaging. A prospective clinical study
BACKGROUND: Preoperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) is standard in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Initial data suggest that the tumorâs metabolic response, i.e. reduction of its (18)âF-FDG uptake compared with the baseline, observed after two weeks of RCT, may correlate with histopathological response. This prospective study evaluated the ability of a very early metabolic response, seen after only one week of RCT, to predict the histopathological response to treatment. METHODS: Twenty patients with LARC who received standard RCT regimen followed by radical surgery participated in this study. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUV-MAX), measured by PET-CT imaging at baseline and on day 8 of RCT, and the changes in FDG uptake (ÎSUV-MAX), were compared with the histopathological response at surgery. Response was classified by tumor regression grade (TRG) and by achievement of pathological complete response (pCR). RESULTS: Absolute SUV-MAX values at both time points did not correlate with histopathological response. However, patients with pCR had a larger drop in SUV-MAX after one week of RCT (median: -35.31% vs â18.42%, pâ=â0.046). In contrast, TRG did not correlate with ÎSUV-MAX. The changes in FGD-uptake predicted accurately the achievement of pCR: only patients with a decrease of more than 32% in SUV-MAX had pCR while none of those whose tumors did not show any decrease in SUV-MAX had pCR. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in ÎSUV-MAX after only one week of RCT for LARC may be able to predict the achievement of pCR in the post-RCT surgical specimen. Validation in a larger independent cohort is planned
Restaging locally advanced rectal cancer by different imaging modalities after preoperative chemoradiation: a comparative study
Strong Synergic Growth Inhibition and Death Induction of Cancer Cells by Astragalus membranaceus and Vaccaria hispanica Extract
We present here a new, classification-based screening method for anti-cancer botanical combinations. Using this method, we discovered that the combination of Astragalus membranaceus and Vaccaria hispanica (AV) has strong synergic anti-proliferative and killing effects on cancer cells. We showed that AV induces the hyper activation of proliferation and survival pathways (Akt and ERK1/2) and strongly downregulates the cell cycle control proteins p21 and p27. Moreover, FACS analyses revealed that AV induces accumulation of cells in G2/M phase, supported by accumulation of cyclin A. Taken together, our results suggest that AV interferes with the cell cycle in cancer cells, leading to accumulation in G2/M and apoptosis. Further studies are needed to validate the generalizability of the anti-cancer effect of the AV combination, to fully understand its mechanism of action and to evaluate its potential as a new anti-cancer treatment
Chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure in young breast cancer patients: The role of vascular toxicity.
The association between smoking and breast cancer characteristics and outcome
Abstract Background Smoking is associated with an increased incidence of hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Data regarding worse breast cancer outcome in smokers are accumulating. Current literature regarding the impact of smoking on breast cancer characteristics is limited. We evaluated the impact of smoking on breast cancer characteristics and outcome. Methods This was a retrospective single center study. All women diagnosed from 4/2005 through 3/2012 and treated in our institute for early, estrogen receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer, whose tumors were sent for Oncotype DX analysis were included. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, clinico-pathological parameters, treatment and outcome. Data regarding smoking were retrieved according to patientsâ history at the first visit in the oncology clinic. Patients were grouped and compared according to smoking history (ever smokers vs. never smokers), smoking status (current vs. former and never smokers) and smoking intensity (pack years âĽ30 vs. the rest of the cohort). Outcomes were adjusted in multivariate analyses and included age, menopausal status, ethnicity, tumor size, nodal status and grade. Results A total of 662 women were included. 28.2% had a history of smoking, 16.6% were current smokers and 11.3% were heavy smokers. Smoking had no impact on tumor size, nodal involvement and Oncotype DX recurrence score. Angiolymphatic and perineural invasion rates were higher in current smokers than in the rest of the cohort (10.4% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.045, 8.3% vs. 3.5%, p = 0.031, respectively). Smoking had no other impact on histological characteristics. Five-year disease free survival and overall survival rates were 95.7% and 98.5%, respectively. Smoking had no impact on outcomes. Adjusted disease free survival and overall survival did not influence the results. Conclusions Smoking had no clinically significant influence on tumor characteristics and outcome among women with estrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative, early breast cancer. As the study was limited to a specific subgroup of the breast cancer population in this heterogeneous disease and since smoking is a modifiable risk factor for the disease, further research is required to clarify the possible impact of smoking on breast cancer
The Association between Treatment for Metabolic Disorders and Breast Cancer Characteristics
Purpose. To evaluate the associations between metformin, insulin, statins, and levothyroxine and breast cancer characteristics and outcome. Methods. Retrospective chart review of patients treated in our institute for early estrogen receptor (ER) positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer, whose tumors were sent to Oncotype DX (ODX) analysis. Patients were grouped according to medications usage during the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Each group was compared to the rest of the study population. Results. The study cohort included 671 patients. Sixty (9.1%) patients were treated with metformin, 9 (1.4%) with insulin, 208 (31.7%) with statins, and 62 (9.4%) with levothyroxine. Patients treated with metformin had more intense ER stain (p=0.032) and a lower ODX recurrence score (RS) (p=0.035). Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was also associated with lower ODX RS (p=0.014). Insulin usage was associated with a higher rate of angiolymphatic invasion (p=0.041), but lower Ki67% (p=0.017). Levothyroxine usage was associated with different histological subtype distribution (p=0.02). Extended levothyroxine usage was associated with lower ODX RS (p=0.005). Statin usage had no impact on tumor characteristics. Outcome was comparable in the studied subgroups. Conclusions. Common medications for metabolic disorders might be associated with breast cancer characteristics
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