Adriamycin in combination with dexamethasone and octreotide lacks activity on the treatment of a 4T1 metastatic breast cancer model

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the palliative treatment for metastatic disease with dexamethasone (DEX) plus octreotide (OCT) can improve the anticancer effects of the standard treatment with adriamycin (ADR) on a 4T1 metastatic breast cancer (MBC) model. 4T1 cells were first characterized for the expression of the somatostatin receptors 1-5 and were then inoculated onto the femur of BALB/C mice. Investigation protocols used 4T1 cell proliferation and invasion assays, analysis of radiographic images of the bone metastatic lesions, and overall survival of the diseased animals. The triple combination treatment regime (ADR+OCT+DEX) was ineffective for growth inhibition and showed an antagonistic effect on ADR activity in the 4T1 cell line in both proliferation and invasion assays. ADR treatment following the administration of the DEX+OCT regimen decreased the anticancer activity of ADR both on the grading of the bone metastatic lesions and on the overall survival of diseased animals. Moreover, the palliation treatment with OCT+DEX and in combination with ADR rather caused disease progression of the metastatic disease and bone lesions in a 4T1 MBC model in vivo. These results suggest that the administration of the DEX+OCT regimen, although may preserve palliative effects, neutralizes or reverses the anticancer effects of ADR on a 4T1 MBC model in vitro and in vivo. The simultaneous use of these drugs should be considered carefully in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

C Reactive protein, moderate alcohol consumption, and long term prognosis after successful coronary stenting: four year results from the GENERATION study

Objectives: To determine the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on long term prognosis after successful coronary stenting, and whether it could be related to preprocedural plasma C reactive protein (CRP). Design: Part of the prospectively designed GENERATION study which investigated the impact of several biochemical factors, including plasma CRP, on long term prognosis after coronary stenting. Setting: Tertiary referral centre. Patients: 483 consecutive patients with stable or unstable coronary artery disease who underwent successful coronary stenting and were followed for up to four years. Information about alcohol consumption was collected prospectively. Interventions: Successful coronary stenting. Main outcome measures: The incidence of the composite end point of readmission to hospital for unstable angina, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or cardiac death, whichever occurred first. Results: By the end of follow up the incidence of the composite end point was 22.8%. Patients with a baseline plasma CRP concentration of < 0.68 mg/dl (defined by ROC analysis) did not show any difference in the composite end point (p  =  0.9) or its components, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed during follow up. However, among patients with plasma CRP concentration of ⩾ 0.68 mg/dl, those who drank moderately had a lower incidence of the composite end point (p < 0.001) or its components. Conclusions: Moderate alcohol consumption may have a beneficial impact on the long term prognosis following successful coronary stenting. The extent of this effect is positively related to preprocedural inflammatory status. An anti-inflammatory action of moderate alcohol consumption cannot be excluded

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Prostate Cancer Patients: Methodological Pitfalls and Clinical Relevance

Disseminated malignancy is the major cause of prostate cancer–related mortality. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are essential for the establishment of metastasis. Various contemporary and molecular methods using prostate-specific biomarkers have been applied to detect extraprostatic disease that is undetectable by conventional imaging techniques, assessing the risk for disease recurrence after therapy of curative intent. However, the clinical relevance of CTC detection is still controversial. We review current literature regarding molecular methods used for the detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood and bone marrow biopsies of patients with prostate cancer, and we discuss the methodological pitfalls that influence the clinical significance of molecular staging