Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Lung Cancer Screening Education On Knowledge And Screening Rates In A Kentucky Cancer Survivorship Clinic, Alexandra Isler

DNP Projects

Background: Lung cancer is a significant problem in Kentucky, which ranks fourth in the nation in adults who currently smoke. Early detection, through lung cancer screening, can prevent untimely deaths. Several barriers to screening exist including lack of knowledge and awareness among patients regarding lung cancer screening. By increasing knowledge, at risk patients can take the necessary steps to decrease incidence of late stage diagnoses.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate patients’ knowledge of lung cancer screening and referral and screening rates before and after one-on-one patient education.

Methods: This was a quality improvement project that used …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Early Mobility Compliance In Oncology Nurses, Jonathan A. Hacker

DNP Projects

Background: Geriatric adult patients admitted into acute care hospital settings are at risk of functional decline in their capacity for activities of daily living and independent ambulation. Many of these patients fail to achieve pre-hospitalization levels of function and continue to decline, requiring additional support and care after discharge. Current literature supports early mobilization and ambulation during hospitalization. However, ambulation and patient mobilization has been shown to be the most missed item of nursing care. There is a gap in literature and patient outcome data regarding the impact of early mobilization on medical-surgical patient populations.

Purpose: The purpose of this …

Empirical Insights Into Survivorship Care: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Coc Accredited Hospitals In Kentucky, Amanda M. Beckett

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cancer survivorship care programs play a vital role in supporting cancer survivors and improving their quality of life. Understanding the landscape of survivorship and the potential barriers is key to optimizing care delivery.

Methods:

The primary purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore existing cancer survivorship care programs offered by Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals in Kentucky. Data from the Markey Cancer Affiliate Network (MCCAN) from 2022 through 2023 was analyzed. Variables included hospital characteristics such as rural code, types of survivorship services offered, and reported barriers to these services.

Results:

Analysis of n=19 CoC facilities …

Piloting An Oral History Approach To Investigate Cancer Perspectives Among Residents Of Appalachian Kentucky, Courtney Martin, Lauren Hudson, Nathan L. Vanderford

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Kentucky ranks first in the U.S. in overall cancer incidence and mortality rates. Areas of the state that fall within the Appalachian Region, along Kentucky’s eastern border, experience disproportionately high rates of cancer compared to non-Appalachian counties.

Purpose: This pilot study investigates whether oral history interviews can be used to understand perspectives on cancer among residents of Appalachian Kentucky.

Methods: In 2020, participants (n = 5) who identified as being from and/or having strong connections to Appalachian Kentucky were recruited to participate in this pilot study. Participants included individuals working in cancer-related fields, oncology professionals, and those with personal …

Enhancing Dna-Damaging Therapy Through The Inhibition Of Dntp Synthesis Using A Synergistic Drug Combination To Treat Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms, Jennifer Castle Md

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Despite clinical advances, pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN) remain a difficult clinical entity to treat and can carry a poor prognosis. Systemic therapy is used to treat pNENs which are not amenable to surgical resection. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, a form of radiation therapy (RT) and cisplatin are two different forms of DNA-damaging therapy in current use to treat pNENs. However, their efficacy remains poor as single agents. This study aimed to increase the sensitivity of pNENs to the DNA-damaging agents, RT and cisplatin, by inhibiting deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) synthesis. Triapine, a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor (RNRi), and ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related …

Differences In Distress Between Rural And Non-Rural Appalachian Breast Cancer Patient / Caregiver Dyads During The First Year Of Treatment, Jordan Tasman, Callie D. Mcadams, Jillian Lloyd, Ashton J. Brooks, Patricia Nola Eugene Roberson

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Breast cancer patients and their caregivers living in rural Appalachia face substantial health disparities compared to their non-rural Appalachian counterparts. However, there is limited research on how these specific health disparities in rural Appalachian communities may impact patient psychological distress and caregiver strain during the first year of breast cancer treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to assess differences in patient psychological distress (depression and anxiety) and caregiver strain between rural non-rural Appalachian breast-cancer-affected dyads (patients and their caregivers) during the first year of treatment.

Methods: A total of 48 Appalachian breast cancer patients (with a …

Integration Of Liquid Biopsy And Pharmacogenomics For Precision Therapy Of Egfr Mutant And Resistant Lung Cancers, Jill M. Kolesar, Spencer Peh, Levin Thomas, Gayathri Baburaj, Nayonika Mukherjee, Raveena Kantamneni, Shirley Lewis, Ananth Pai, Karthik S. Udupa, Naveena Kumar An, Vivek M. Rangnekar, Mahadev Rao

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

The advent of molecular profiling has revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer by comprehensively delineating the genomic landscape of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. Drug resistance caused by EGFR mutations and genetic polymorphisms of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters impedes effective treatment of EGFR mutant and resistant lung cancer. This review appraises current literature, opportunities, and challenges associated with liquid biopsy and pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing as precision therapy tools in the management of EGFR mutant and resistant lung cancers. Liquid biopsy could play a potential role in selection of precise tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapies during different phases …

Editorial: Anticancer Potential Of Artemisia Annua, Jill M. Kolesar, Peter H. Seeberger

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial For A Multi-Level, Clinic-Based Smoking Cessation Program With Women In Appalachian Communities: Study Protocol For The "Break Free" Program, Joanne G. Patterson, Tia N. Borger, Jessica L. Burris, Mark Conaway, Robert Klesges, Amie Ashcraft, Lindsay Hauser, Connie Clark, Lauren Wright, Sarah Cooper, Merry C. Smith, Mark B. Dignan, Stephenie Kennedy-Rea, Electra D. Paskett, Roger Anderson, Amy K. Ferketich

Psychology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The cervical cancer burden is high among women living in Appalachia. Cigarette smoking, a cervical cancer risk factor, is also highly prevalent in this population. This project aims to increase smoking cessation among women living in Appalachia by embedding a smoking cessation program within a larger, integrated cervical cancer prevention program.

METHODS: The broader program, the Take CARE study, is a multi-site research collaborative designed to address three risk factors for cervical cancer incidence and mortality: tobacco use, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and cervical cancer screening. Break Free is a primary care clinic-based implementation program that aims to promote …

Hpg80 (Circulating Progastrin), A Novel Blood-Based Biomarker For Detection Of Poorly Differentiated Neuroendocrine Carcinoma And Well Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors, Aman Chauhan, Alexandre Prieur, Jill Kolesar, Susanne Arnold, Léa Payen, Younes Mahi, Berengere Vire, Madison Sands, B. Mark Evers, Dominique Joubert, Lowell Anthony

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Current blood-based biomarkers for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) lack both sensitivity and specificity. Human circulating progastrin (hPG₈₀) is a novel biomarker that can be easily measured in plasma by ELISA. This study is the first to examine hPG₈₀ in NENs. Plasma hPG₈₀ was quantified from 95 stage IV NEN patients, using DxPG₈₀ technology (ECS Progastrin, Switzerland) and compared with hPG₈₀ concentrations in two cohorts of healthy donor controls aged 50–80 (n = 252) and 18–25 (n = 137). Median hPG₈₀ in NENs patients was 5.54 pM compared to 1.5 pM for the …

Iam Hiq—A Novel Pair Of Accuracy Indices For Imputed Genotypes, Albert Rosenberger, Viola Tozzi, Heike Bickeböller, Susanne M. Arnold, The Integral-Ilcco Consortium

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Imputation of untyped markers is a standard tool in genome-wide association studies to close the gap between directly genotyped and other known DNA variants. However, high accuracy with which genotypes are imputed is fundamental. Several accuracy measures have been proposed and some are implemented in imputation software, unfortunately diversely across platforms. In the present paper, we introduce Iam hiQ, an independent pair of accuracy measures that can be applied to dosage files, the output of all imputation software. Iam (imputation accuracy measure) quantifies the average amount of individual-specific versus population-specific genotype information in a linear manner. …

Esfuerzos Realizados En Puerto Rico Hacia La Consolidación De Políticas Públicas Para La Prevención De Cánceres Asociados Al Vph, Diana T. Medina-Laabes, Vivian Colón-López, Vilnery Rivera-Figueroa, Coralia Vázquez-Otero, Glizette O. Arroyo-Morales, Lara Arce-Cintrón, Paola Fernández-Rivera, Idamaris Vega, Roxana Soto-Abreu, Olga L. Díaz-Miranda, Ángel Rivera, Iris Cardona, Ana P. Ortiz, Lilliam Rodríguez Capó, Pamela C. Hull

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

El propósito de este informe especial es describir cronológicamente los eventos que contribuyeron al desarrollo y aprobación de la legislación e implementación del requisito escolar de vacunación en Puerto Rico (PR), con el fin de prevenir el VPH y los cánceres asociados a este. A partir del 2010, PR inició las aprobaciones de políticas públicas con el objetivo de mejorar el registro de casos de los cánceres y la cobertura de la vacuna contra el VPH a través de los planes médicos en adolescentes de 11 a 18 años. En el 2014, los esfuerzos científicos y comunitarios lograron documentar la …

Significance Of Pelvic Fluid Observed During Ovarian Cancer Screening With Transvaginal Sonogram, Justin W. Gorski, Charles S. Dietrich Iii, Caeli Davis, Lindsay Erol, Hayley Dietrich, Nicholas J. Per, Emily Lenk Ferrell, Anthony B. Mcdowell, Mckayla J. Riggs, Megan L. Hutchcraft, Lauren A. Baldwin-Branch, Rachel W. Miller, Christopher P. Desimone, Holly H. Gallion, Frederick R. Ueland, John R. Van Nagell Jr., Edward J. Pavlik

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The primary objective was to examine the role of pelvic fluid observed during transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) in identifying ovarian malignancy. A single-institution, observational study was conducted within the University of Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening trial from January 1987 to September 2019. We analyzed true-positive (TP), false-positive (FP), true-negative (TN), and false-negative (FN) groups for the presence of pelvic fluid during screening encounters. Measured outcomes were the presence and duration of fluid over successive screening encounters. Of the 48,925 women surveyed, 2001 (4.1%) had pelvic fluid present during a TVS exam. The odds ratio (OR) of detecting fluid in the comparison …

Ultrasonographic Visualization Of The Ovaries To Detect Ovarian Cancer According To Age, Menopausal Status And Body Type, Edward J. Pavlik, Emily Brekke, Justin Gorski, Lauren Baldwin-Branch, Rachel Miller, Christopher P. Desimone, Charles S. Dietrich, Holly S. Gallion, Frederick Rand Ueland, John R. Van Nagell, Jr.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Because the effects of age, menopausal status, weight and body mass index (BMI) on ovarian detectability by transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) have not been established, we determined their contributions to TVS visualization of the ovaries. A total of 29,877 women that had both ovaries visualized on their first exam were followed over 202,639 prospective TVS exams. All images were reviewed by a physician. While visualization of both ovaries decreased with age, one or both ovaries could be visualized in two of every three women over 80 years of age. Around 93% of pre-menopausal women and ~69% of post-menopausal women had both …

Upregulation Of Cd36, A Fatty Acid Translocase, Promotes Colorectal Cancer Metastasis By Increasing Mmp28 And Decreasing E-Cadherin Expression, James Drury, Piotr G. Rychahou, Courtney O. Kelson, Mariah E. Geisen, Yuanyuan Wu, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Eun Y. Lee, B. Mark Evers, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva

Surgery Faculty Publications

Altered fatty acid metabolism continues to be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in cancer. We previously found that colorectal cancer (CRC) cells with a higher metastatic potential express a higher level of fatty acid translocase (CD36). However, the role of CD36 in CRC metastasis has not been studied. Here, we demonstrate that high expression of CD36 promotes invasion of CRC cells. Consistently, CD36 promoted lung metastasis in the tail vein model and GI metastasis in the cecum injection model. RNA-Seq analysis of CRC cells with altered expression of CD36 revealed an association between high expression of CD36 and upregulation …

Lack Of Knowledge Is The Leading Key For The Growing Cervical Cancer Incidents In Bangladesh: A Population Based, Cross-Sectional Study, Nur E. Alam, Md. Shariful Islam, Fabia Rayyan, Humaira Nur Ifa, Md. Imam Ul Khabir, Kamal Chowdhury, A. K. M. Mohiuddin

Biology Graduate Research

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer in Bangladesh. Lack of awareness of screening methods, risk factors, and symptoms may lead to presenting most cervical cancers at an advanced stage. We investigated knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer (CCa) among females at the Sheikh Hasina Medical College (SHMC) of Tangail district in Bangladesh.

Methods

A cross sectional survey was conducted to collect data via a structured questionnaire from SHMC during the period of February 2019 to January 2020. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of cervical cancer were collected. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify …

Novel Mechanism Of Endogenous Pancreatic Cancer Cell Expression Of Immune Checkpoint Programmed Cell-Death 1 Protein (Pd-1) Inducing Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition (Emt) Through The Met Pathway And Promoting Cancer Progression In An Immune-Independent Process, Megan M. Harper

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical and Translational Science

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers with few treatment options, necessitating an urgent need for novel therapeutics. Immuno-oncologic (IO) therapies have revolutionized anti-cancer regimens in the past decade but typically involve reactivation of adaptive immune responses. In particular, immune checkpoint PD-1 is traditionally expressed only on immune cells while PD-L1 (PD-1 ligand) is overexpressed on cancer cells. When tumor-endogenous PD-L1 binds the PD-1 receptor on T-cells, the immune cells undergo anergy resulting in self-tolerance and cancer cell immune evasion. However, contrary to standard dogma, we previously demonstrated tumor-endogenous PD-1 expression in PDAC. Our data indicated that …

Promotion Of Early Recognition Of Depression To Improve Health Related Quality Of Life In Pediatric Oncology Patients, Jennifer Blankenship

DNP Projects

Background: Depression and anxiety are serious complications of cancer and deemed a challenging diagnosis due to the symptoms of depression mimicking common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Signs/symptoms frequently are underrecognized thus appropriate treatment is delayed, compromising the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for pediatric oncology patients.

Purpose: Analyze existing physician and Advanced Practice Provider (APP) clinical practice regarding depression, via a pre- and post-survey and educational PowerPoint on the use of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) to promote early recognition of depression.

Methods: A prospective, single-arm, study was completed in the Kentucky Children’s …

Through The Lens: Youth Experiences With Cancer In Rural Appalachian Kentucky Using Photovoice, Katie Gaines, Courtney Martin, Chris Prichard, Nathan L. Vanderford

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Rural Appalachian Kentucky experiences disproportionately high cancer incidence and mortality rates. This cancer burden is due to social determinants of health and cultural factors prominent in the region. The firsthand experiences of community members—especially young people—can highlight these factors and identify areas for improvement. The purpose of this study was to encourage Appalachian Kentucky youth to consider determinants of cancer and visualize the effects that cancer has on their families or communities by asking them to take photographs of cancer-related objects around them. Content analysis was performed on 238 photographs submitted by 25 students, and photographs were organized into themes, …

Radioresistance In Prostate Cancer: Focus On The Interplay Between Nf-Κb And Sod, Sameera Kumar, Daret St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer occurs frequently in men and can often lead to death. Many cancers, including prostate cancer, can be initiated by oxidative insult caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen species. The superoxide dismutase family removes the oxygen-derived reactive oxygen species, and increased superoxide dismutase activity can often be protective against prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can be treated in a variety of ways, including surgery, androgen deprivation therapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The clinical trajectory of prostate cancer varies from patient to patient, but more aggressive tumors often tend to be radioresistant. This is often due to the free-radical and …

Enhancing Cancer Care Of Rural Dwellers Through Telehealth And Engagement (Encore): Protocol To Evaluate Effectiveness Of A Multi-Level Telehealth-Based Intervention To Improve Rural Cancer Care Delivery, Tuya Pal, Pamela C. Hull, Tatsuki Koyama, Phillip Lammers, Denise Martinez, Jacob Mcarthy, Emma Schremp, Ann Tezak, Anne Washburn, Jennifer G. Whisenant, Debra L. Friedman

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite lower cancer incidence rates, cancer mortality is higher among rural compared to urban dwellers. Patient, provider, and institutional level factors contribute to these disparities. The overarching objective of this study is to leverage the multidisciplinary, multispecialty oncology team from an academic cancer center in order to provide comprehensive cancer care at both the patient and provider levels in rural healthcare centers. Our specific aims are to: 1) evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a multi-level telehealth-based intervention consisting of provider access to molecular tumor board expertise along with patient access to a supportive care intervention to improve cancer care …

Gender Differences In Urothelial Bladder Cancer: Effects Of Natural Killer Lymphocyte Immunity, Charles T. Lutz, Lydia Livas, Steven R. Presnell, Morgan Sexton, Peng Wang

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Men are more likely to develop cancer than women. In fact, male predominance is one of the most consistent cancer epidemiology findings. Additionally, men have a poorer prognosis and an increased risk of secondary malignancies compared to women. These differences have been investigated in order to better understand cancer and to better treat both men and women. In this review, we discuss factors that may cause this gender difference, focusing on urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) pathogenesis. We consider physiological factors that may cause higher male cancer rates, including differences in X chromosome gene expression. We discuss how androgens may promote …

Untargeted Lipidomics Of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Demonstrates Differentially Abundant Lipid Classes In Cancer Vs. Non-Cancer Tissue, Joshua M. Mitchell, Robert M. Flight, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) represents 85% of newly diagnosed lung cancers. In this study, we utilized our untargeted assignment tool Small Molecule Isotope Resolved Formula Enumerator (SMIRFE) and ultra-high-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry to examine lipid profile differences between paired cancerous and non-cancerous lung tissue samples from 86 patients with suspected stage I or IIA primary NSCLC. Correlation and co-occurrence analysis revealed significant lipid profile differences between cancer and non-cancer samples. Further analysis of machine-learned lipid categories for the differentially abundant molecular formulas identified a high abundance sterol, …

Androgen Receptor Signaling In Prostate Cancer And Therapeutic Strategies, Aasems Jacob, Rishi Raj, Derek B. Allison, Zin W. Myint

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer has led to development of therapeutic strategies targeting androgen receptor (AR). These androgen-receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) include androgen synthesis inhibitor-abiraterone and androgen receptor antagonists-enzalutamide, apalutamide, and darolutamide. Although these medications provide significant improvement in survival among men with prostate cancer, drug resistance develops in nearly all patients with time. This could be through androgen-dependent or androgen-independent mechanisms. Even weaker signals and non-canonical steroid ligands can activate AR in the presence of truncated AR-splice variants, AR overexpression, or activating mutations in AR. AR splice variant, AR-V7 is the most studied among these and …

Epigenetic Regulation And Post-Translational Modifications Of Snai1 In Cancer Metastasis, Bo Dong, Yadi Wu

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

SNAI1, a zinc finger transcription factor, not only acts as the master regulator of epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) but also functions as a driver of cancer progression, including cell invasion, survival, immune regulation, stem cell properties, and metabolic regulation. The regulation of SNAI1 occurs at the transcriptional, translational, and predominant post-translational levels including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. Here, we discuss the regulation and role of SNAI1 in cancer metastasis, with a particular emphasis on epigenetic regulation and posttranslational modifications. Understanding how signaling networks integrate with SNAI1 in cancer progression will shed new light on the mechanism of tumor metastasis and help …

A Prospective Observational Study Of Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant) Prophylaxis Related To Physical Activity Levels In Patients With Hemophilia A In The United States (Space), Barbara A. Konkle, Doris V. Quon, Leslie Raffini, Michael Recht, Vlad C. Radulescu, Shannon L. Carpenter, Amy L. Dunn, Mei Lu, Maureen Watt

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction: High collision-risk physical activity can increase bleeding risk in people with hemophilia A, as can increasing the time between factor VIII (FVIII) administration and physical activity. FVIII prophylaxis may be tailored to planned activities to prevent activity-related bleeding.

Aim: To explore the relationship between physical activity levels, FVIII infusion timing, and occurrence of bleeding in patients with severe/moderately severe hemophilia A without FVIII inhibitors receiving antihemophilic factor (recombinant) (rAHF; ADVATE^®; Baxalta US Inc., a Takeda company, Lexington, MA, USA).

Methods: SPACE was a 6-month, prospective, multicenter, observational outcomes study (NCT02190149). Enrolled patients received an eDiary application and …

Ovarian Cancer Epidemiology, Healthcare Access And Disparities (Orchid): Methodology For A Population-Based Study Of Black, Hispanic And White Patients With Ovarian Cancer, Tomi Akinyemiju, April Deveaux, Lauren Wilson, Anjali Gupta, Ashwini Joshi, Malcolm Bevel, Chioma Omeogu, Onyinye Ohamadike, Bin Huang, Maria Pisu, Margaret Liang, Molly Mcfatrich, Erin Daniell, Laura Jane Fish, Kevin Ward, Maria Schymura, Andrew Berchuck, Arnold L. Potosky

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Less than 40% of patients with ovarian cancer (OC) in the USA receive stage-appropriate guideline-adherent surgery and chemotherapy. Black patients with cancer report greater depression, pain and fatigue than white patients. Lack of access to healthcare likely contributes to low treatment rates and racial differences in outcomes. The Ovarian Cancer Epidemiology, Healthcare Access and Disparities study aims to characterise healthcare access (HCA) across five specific dimensions-Availability, Affordability, Accessibility, Accommodation and Acceptability-among black, Hispanic and white patients with OC, evaluate the impact of HCA on quality of treatment, supportive care and survival, and explore biological mechanisms that may contribute to …

Engaging Patients With Late-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In Shared Decision Making About Treatment, Ronald E. Myers, Shailesh M. Advani, Pamela Myers, Preethi Selvan, Gregory Garber, Brooke Worster, Neal Flomenberg, Andrew Chapman, Ralph Zinner

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Few treatment decision support interventions (DSIs) are available to engage patients diagnosed with late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in treatment shared decision making (SDM). We designed a novel DSI that includes care plan cards and a companion patient preference clarification tool to assist in shared decision making. The cards answer common patient questions about treatment options (chemotherapy, chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, clinical trial participation, and supportive care). The form elicits patient treatment preference. We then conducted interviews with clinicians and patients to obtain feedback on the DSI. We also trained oncology nurse educators to implement the prototype. …

Rorα Suppresses Cancer-Associated Inflammation By Repressing Respiratory Complex I-Dependent Ros Generation, Wei Mao, Gaofeng Xiong, Yuanyuan Wu, Chi Wang, Daret St. Clair, Jai-Da Li, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Breast cancer development is associated with macrophage infiltration and differentiation in the tumor microenvironment. Our previous study highlights the crucial function of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in enhancing macrophage infiltration during the disruption of mammary tissue polarity. However, the regulation of ROS and ROS-associated macrophage infiltration in breast cancer has not been fully determined. Previous studies identified retinoid orphan nuclear receptor alpha (RORα) as a potential tumor suppressor in human breast cancer. In the present study, we showed that retinoid orphan nuclear receptor alpha (RORα) significantly decreased ROS levels and inhibited ROS-mediated cytokine expression in breast cancer cells. RORα expression …

Association Of Body Composition With Odds Of Breast Cancer By Molecular Subtype: Analysis Of The Mechanisms For Established And Novel Risk Factors For Breast Cancer In Nigerian Women (Mend) Study, Tomi Akinyemiju, Kelley Jones, Anjali Gupta, Taofik Oyekunle, Veeral Saraiya, April Deveaux, Omolola Salako, Allison Hall, Olusegun Alatise, Gabriel Ogun, Adewale Adeniyi, Omobolaji Ayandipo, Thomas Olajide, Olalekan Olasehinde, Olukayode Arowolo, Adewale Adisa, Oludolapo Afuwape, Aralola Olusanya, Aderemi Adegoke, Trygve O. Tollefsbol, Donna K. Arnett, H3 Africa Kidney Research Network, Adetola Daramola

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women.

METHODS: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals …