Limited stage small cell lung cancer: Treatment results and prognostic factors

OBJECTIVE

Elevated Serum Levels of Heat Shock Protein 70 Are Associated with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cause of cancer death in women throughout the world. Thus, it is necessary to establish sensitive screening, diagnosis and treatment methods for BC. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is an important cellular stress response protein that protects cells from apoptosis. Recent studies have shown that serum HSP70 levels may provide clinically important information in various types of cancer. HSP70 is also overexpressed in BC, which is known to be associated with cancer progression, apoptosis and cell proliferation. However, the serum level of HSP70 and its diagnostic and prognostic potential in BC have not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of serum HSP70 level as a diagnostic test and its predictive value in patients with BC. This prospective study consisted of 45 female patients diagnosed with BC and 16 healthy women who were matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to measure the serum level of HSP70. The serum level of HSP70 was significantly higher in patients with BC than in the healthy control group (5.98 +/- 2.05 vs. 1.49 +/- 0.47 ng/ml, p = 0.001). HSP70 level > 2.41 ng/ml was the best cutoff value to predict BC (97.78% sensitivity and 93.75% specificity). This study shows that HSP70 can be used as an adjunct to other diagnostic tests for BC and may be helpful for identifying patients at increased risk of BC

Paraoxonase-1 and arylesterase activities in patients with colorectal cancer

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE) activities and oxidative stress status in patients with colorectal carcinomas (CRC). Materials and methods: Thirty-three patients (20 male, 13 female) with CRC and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were obtained from the CRC patients before adjuvant therapy. Serum samples from CRC patients and healthy controls were analyzed for PON1 and ARE activities. Results: The PON1 and ARE activities of the patients with CRC were significantly higher compared to those of the control group (PON1 activity is 125.35 +/- 20.07 U/L for CRC patients and 1.22 +/- 0.48 U/L for control group, P<0.001; ARE activity is 160.76 +/- 10.79 U/L for CRC patients). ARE levels showed a positive correlation with smoking status (P=0.04). PON1 activity was higher in colon carcinoma patients (135.95 +/- 19.3 U/L) rather than rectal carcinoma patients (97.08 +/- 5.24 U/L) but it was not statistically significant (P=0.72). Conclusion: Serum PON1 activity is increased in patients with CRC, and serum ARE levels showed a positive correlation with smoking status. PON1 activity was higher in colon carcinoma patients. There is no other study in literature investigating these activities for CRC patients. It should be reevaluated by larger clinical trials

The Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Primary or Recurrent Desmoid Tumors and Long-Term Results

Background: Desmoid tumors are uncommon and benign mesenchymal neoplasms. The optimal treatment of patients with desmoid tumors is still controversial. Surgery is the primary treatment for locally invasive or recurrent desmoid tumors. Also, radiotherapy is a treatment option for patients at high risk for local failure such as those with positive margins or recurrent and unresectable tumors. Aims: To report our institutional experience and long-term results of patients with desmoid tumors who received radiotherapy. Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Between 1980 and 2009, 20 patients who received radiotherapy (RT) in our institution were analyzed. The majority of patients (80%) were referred with a recurrent tumor after previous surgery. Thirteen patients underwent marginal resection, 4 had wide local excision and 3 patients had only biopsy. Resection margin was positive in 15 (75%) patients. All patients received radiation therapy. The median prescribed dose was 60 Gy. Five patients received less than 54 Gy. Results: The median follow-up time was 77.5 months (28-283 months). Nine patients developed local recurrence after RT. Seven local failures (78%) were in field. Time to local recurrence ranged from 3-165 months (median 33 months). The 2-5 year local control (LC) rates were 80% and 69%, respectively. On univariate analysis, the 5 year local control rate was significantly better in the patients treated with ≥54 Gy than in patients who received <54 Gy (p=0.023). The most common acute side effect was grade 1-2 skin toxicity. As a late side effect of radiotherapy, soft tissue fibrosis was detected in 10 patients and lymphangitis was seen in 1 patient. One patient developed radiation-induced sarcoma. Conclusion: According to our results, radiotherapy is especially effective in recurrent disease and provides a high local control rate in the patients received more than 54 Gy