Targeting angiogenesis in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: are biomarkers needed?

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Inflammatory markers as prognostic factors of survival in patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a good choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment when surgery and liver transplantation are not feasible. Few studies reported the value of prognostic factors influencing survival after chemoembolization. In this study, we evaluated whether preoperative inflammatory factors such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio affected our patient survival when affected by hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods. We retrospectively evaluated a total of 72 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma that underwent TACE. We enrolled patients with different etiopathogeneses of hepatitis and histologically proven HCC not suitable for surgery. The overall study population was dichotomized in two groups according to the median NLR value and was analyzed also according to other prognostic factors. Results. The global median overall survival (OS) was 28 months. The OS in patients with high NLR was statistically significantly shorter than that in patients with low NLR. The following pretreatment variables were significantly associated with the OS in univariate analyses: age, Child-Pugh score, BCLC stage, INR, and NLR. Pretreated high NLR was an independently unfavorable factor for OS. Conclusion. NLR could be considered a good prognostic factor of survival useful to stratify patients that could benefit from TACE treatment

Touring as a Peircean habit

The Peircean sign contains three parts: object, representamen (image) and interpretant (interpretation). Interpretation in the Peircean system draws heavily upon the accumulated knowledge that an individual has built up over time. Interpretation might be thoughtful, but more often it is an embodied habit. The Peircean notion of habit inherently relates to the performative and is sufficiently general to incorporate emotionality

Maintenance bevacizumab beyond first-line paclitaxel plus bevacizumab in patients with Her2-negative hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. Efficacy in combination with hormonal therapy

Background: Data on efficacy of bevacizumab (B) beyond first-line taxane -including regimen (BT) as first-line treatment are lacking. Although preclinical results that anti-angiogenic agents combined with hormonal therapy (HT) could be active, no clinical data exist about combination of maintenance Bevacizumab (mBev) with HT.Methods: Thirty-five patients who experienced a response after first-line BT, were given mBev at the dose of 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Among 30 pts with hormonal receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), 20 (66.6%) received HT with mBev (mHTBev). Objective of the study was the outcome and safety of mBev and in two groups of patients receiving HT or not.Results: Complete response and partial response was achieved/maintained in 4 (11.4%) and 13 (37.1%) patients, respectively (overall response rate: 48.5%). Clinical benefit was obtained on 23 patients (65.7%). Median of mBev PFS and clinical benefit were 6.8 months (95% CI: 0.8-12.7) and 17.1 months (95% CI :12.2-21.9), respectively. Median PFS of patients who received mHTBev was longer than mBev without HT (13 months and 4.1 months, respectively, p = 0.05). The most common severe toxicities were proteinuria (11.4%) and hypertension (8.5%). No additional toxicity was observed with HTBev.Conclusion: Maintenance bevacizumab with or without anti-hormonal therapy in patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer is tolerable and associated with long-term clinical outcome; these results encourage the strategy of prolonging bevacizumab until progression in combination with anti-hormonal agents

COX-2 targeting in cancer: a new beginning?

Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), the inducible enzyme catalyzing the rate-limiting step in the conversion of arachidonic acid into eicosanoids, is overexpressed in a wide variety of malignancies and associates with poor prognostic features [1]. Consequently, selective COX-2 inhibitors have been explored as therapeutic or chemopreventive agents in different settings; however, initial enthusiasm was tempered by reports of substantial gastrointestinal toxicity as well as of increased cardiovascular risk, mostly coming from postmarketing use as anti-inflammatory drugs and Cancer Research Campaign (UK) chemoprevention trials and eventually resulting in the withdrawal of rofecoxib from the market [2]

Comparison of a 2-Layer Electric Fence and a Single Strand Electric Fence in Mitigating Browsing of Impatiens by White-Tailed Deer

The objective of this study was to evaluate two electric fence configurations in minimizing damage to impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Each of 3 sites consisted of 3 plots (3mx3m), containing 16, evenly spaced impatiens planted on the perimeter of each plot. Plots within each site had a control, single strand and 2-layered electric fence. Control plots had no fencing. Single strand plots had one electrified wire attached to posts at 40 cm height, surrounding the plot. Two-layered electric fence had energized wire attached to posts at 25 cm and 60 cm height, on the perimeter of the plot. A second, single electrified wire was attached to posts at 25 cm height, 1 m to the exterior of the two strand fence. Eight plants within each plot was photographed weekly for 3-weeks. The percentage of total pixels containing plant material in each photo was used to determine changes in plant growth. The percentage of pixels containing impatiens plants was lower (

The Prevalence of Two Common Internal Parasites in White-tailed Deer With and Without Significant Interaction With Domestic Sheep

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of two internal parasites (strongylate nematodes and Nematodirus spp.) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sharing a home range with domestic sheep (Ovis aries), compared to deer likely having minimal contact with sheep. Fecal samples were collected from sheep (n=75), deer (n=99) within 300m of the sheep center, and deer (n=98) located 1.3km away from the livestock center, over a 7-week period during the summer. Sheep had the highest (p\u3c.001) number of strongylate eggs (1,212.7 ± 2.8/g) compared to deer near the livestock facility (13.9 ± 0.3/g) or deer located away from the sheep center (18.3 ± 0.3/g). Eggs of Nematodirus spp. were greater (p\u3c.001) in sheep (33.7 ± 0.5/g) compared to deer samples collected near the sheep center (5.1 ± 0.2/g) and deer away from the sheep facility (3.0 ± 0.1/g). Additionally, strongyle and Nematodirus spp. egg counts were different (p\u3c0.001) in the fecal samples collected from deer residing closer to the sheep facility compared to those located farther away. Results of this study suggest the interactions of white-tailed deer and domestic sheep does not influence the prevalence of these internal parasites within the deer