The effect of HCV serological status on Doxorubicin based chemotherapy induced toxicity and disease-free survival in breast cancer patients

Background: Breast cancer and HCV are two frequent diseases in Egypt. There is a considerable  probability of concurrent affection. This concurrence creates a subpopulation, which needs special  evaluation and care.Objective: To evaluate a subset of Egyptian breast cancer patients receiving Doxorubicin based adjuvant chemotherapy, with HCV seropositivity (group 2) compared to HCV seronegative patients (group 1).Methods: 102 breast cancer patients, planned to receive Doxorubicin based adjuvant chemotherapy, at the Oncology Department, Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, were recruited since June 2009. Pretreatment evaluation included serological testing for HCV. FAC Adjuvant chemotherapy was given for six cycles.Results: HCV seropositivity was detected in 52 cases. Two cases in the seropositive group developed toxic hepatitis and discontinued treatment and follow up. The remaining 100 patients suffered comparable toxicities, except for more frequent liver enzyme elevations in the seropositive group. Diarrhea was also more frequent in the seropositive group. Treatment delays and dose reductions were more frequently observed in the  seropositive group. The 36 month disease-free survival and relapse pattern were not significantly different between the two groups.KEYWORDS Adjuvant chemotherapy; Anthracyclines; Operable breast cancer; HCV; Special populations

Kinomic exploration of temozolomide and radiation resistance in Glioblastoma multiforme xenolines

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents the most common and deadly primary brain malignancy, particularly due to temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation (RT) resistance. To better understand resistance mechanisms, we examined global kinase activity (kinomic profiling) in both treatment sensitive and resistant human GBM patient-derived xenografts (PDX or “xenolines”)

Kinomic Profiling of Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy Specimens: A New Approach for Personalized Medicine

Purpose Researchers are currently seeking relevant lung cancer biomarkers in order to make informed decisions regarding therapeutic selection for patients in so-called “precision medicine.” However, there are challenges to obtaining adequate lung cancer tissue for molecular analyses. Furthermore, current molecular testing of tumors at the genomic or transcriptomic level are very indirect measures of biological response to a drug, particularly for small molecule inhibitors that target kinases. Kinase activity profiling is therefore theorized to be more reflective of in vivo biology than many current molecular analysis techniques. As a result, this study seeks to prove the feasibility of combining a novel minimally invasive biopsy technique that expands the number of lesions amenable for biopsy with subsequent ex vivo kinase activity analysis. Methods Eight patients with lung lesions of varying location and size were biopsied using the novel electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) technique. Basal kinase activity (kinomic) profiles and ex vivo interrogation of samples in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib, crizotinib, and lapatinib were performed by PamStation 12 microarray analysis. Results Kinomic profiling qualitatively identified patient specific kinase activity profiles as well as patient and drug specific changes in kinase activity profiles following exposure to inhibitor. Thus, the study has verified the feasibility of ENB as a method for obtaining tissue in adequate quantities for kinomic analysis and has demonstrated the possible use of this tissue acquisition and analysis technique as a method for future study of lung cancer biomarkers. Conclusions We demonstrate the feasibility of using ENB-derived biopsies to perform kinase activity assessment in lung cancer patients

A rare cause of chest pain in a cancer patient

It is well known that cancer and hypercoagulability go hand in hand. Most thromboembolism is venous in nature although arterial thrombosis can occur. Arterial thrombosis secondary to malignancy is usually seen in the lower extremities; however, it can also be seen elsewhere. This is a case of bronchogenic carcinoma with no history of typical atherosclerotic risk factors including smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia presented with chest pain and was found to have an acute ST segment elevation myocardial infection. Coronary angiography showed a large thrombus in the left anterior descending artery in the absence of any atherosclerotic lesions. Malignancy is considered to be the major contributing factor for this myocardial infarction in the absence of both atherosclerotic risk factors and atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary angiography. We will focus on the relationship between cancer and thrombosis with special emphasis on arterial thromboembolism with subsequent development of myocardial infarction

Correction: Kinomic Profiling of Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy Specimens: A New Approach for Personalized Medicine.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116388.]

Kinomic platform and Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy.

<p>(A) Overall experimental flow with a (B) Representative in-procedure display of ENB and a schematic of PamChip assay used to measure basal kinomic activity displayed as (C) raw array picture of the 144 phosphorylatable peptides and (D) phosphorylation changes with drug treatment displayed with illustration of comparative fluorescent detection below.</p

Patient characteristics.

<p>Patient characteristics.</p