Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Expression And Function Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha In Human Melanoma Under Non-Hypoxic Conditions, Caroline N. Mills, Sandeep S. Joshi, Richard M. Niles

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) protein is rapidly degraded under normoxic conditions. When oxygen tensions fall HIF-1α protein stabilizes and transactivates genes involved in adaptation to hypoxic conditions. We have examined the normoxic expression of HIF-1α RNA and protein in normal human melanocytes and a series of human melanoma cell lines isolated from radial growth phase (RGP), vertical growth phase (VGP) and metastatic (MET) melanomas.

Results

HIF-1α mRNA and protein was increased in RGP vs melanocytes, VGP vs RGP and MET vs VGP melanoma cell lines. We also detected expression of a HIF-1α mRNA splice variant that lacks part …

A Generalized Beta Model For The Age Distribution Of Cancers: Application To Pancreatic And Kidney Cancer., Tengiz Mdzinarishvili, Michael X. Gleason, Leo Kinarsky, Simon Sherman

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

The relationships between cancer incidence rates and the age of patients at cancer diagnosis are a quantitative basis for modeling age distributions of cancer. The obtained model parameters are needed to build rigorous statistical and biological models of cancer development. In this work, a new mathematical model, called the Generalized Beta (GB) model is proposed. Confidence intervals for parameters of this model are derived from a regression analysis. The GB model was used to approximate the incidence rates of the first primary, microscopically confirmed cases of pancreatic cancer (PC) and kidney cancer (KC) that served as a test bed for …

Factors Influencing Early Detection Of Breast Cancer In African American Women, Tamrah Joy Parker

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Background. African American women are more likely to have breast cancer diagnosed at a later stage than Caucasian women and with a five year death rate 1.5 times greater than Caucasian women. Mammography screening detects breast cancer in its early stages and can reduce mortality.

Objective. To examine factors influencing early detection of breast cancer for African American women.

Methods. A convenience sample of 39 African American women 50 years of age and older was selected from two local Baptist churches in eastern North Carolina. Eligibility criteria included ability to read and write in English with no prior or present …

'Why I Feel Bad': Refinement On The Effects Of Prostate Cancer Upon Lifestyle Questionnaire And An Initial Exploration Of Its Links With Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Objective: To psychometrically refine a standardized scale for identifying those lifestyle changes that were most likely to contribute to anxiety and depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

Methods: Three hundred and eighty-one PCa patients who had received their initial diagnosis between one and 96 months completed a survey of background variables, anxiety and depression inventories and the 36-item Effects of Prostate Cancer upon Lifestyle Questionnaire (EPCLQ).

Results: Levels of anxiety (24%) and depression (26%) were similar to those previously reported for PCa patients. The EPCLQ was shown to have satisfactory psychometric properties and significantly predicted anxiety and depression scores and …

Post-Operative Extended Volume External Beam Radiation Therapy In High Risk Esophageal Cancer Patients: A Prospective Experience, E. Yu, P. Tai, J. Younus, R. Malthaner, P. Truong, L. Stitt, G. Rodrigues, R. Ash, R. Dar, B. Yaremko, A. Tomiak, B. Dingle, M. Sanatani, M. Vincent, W. Kocha, D. Fortin, R. Inculet

Edward Yu

Background and purpose: Extended volume external beam radiation therapy (RT) following esophagectomy is controversial. This prospective study evaluates the feasibility of extended volume RT treatment in high-risk esophagectomy patients with cervical anastomosis receiving post–operative combined chemo-radiation therapy. Patients and methods: From 2001-2006, 15 patients with resected esophageal cancer were prospectively accrued to this pilot study, to evaluate the adverse effects of extended volume RT. Eligibility criteria were pathologically proven esophageal malignancy, T3-4, N0-1, disease amenable to surgical resection and esophagectomy with or without resection margin involvement. Patients with distant metastases (M1) and patients treated with previous RT were excluded. All …