Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Factors Influencing Resilience Among Haematological Cancer Survivors, Katherine S. Gallager

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Haematological cancers in bone marrow (leukaemia) and the immune system (lymphomas or myeloma) represent the sixth most common adult tumour group in Australia. These cancers often develop without warning and require intensive treatment regimes that last on average eight months, but may continue for a lifetime depending on the diagnosis. Encouragingly, advancing cancer treatments, a key accomplishment of cancer research over the past 40 years, have resulted in a growing community of cancer survivors. Approximately two in three adults diagnosed with haematological cancer (HC) can now expect to survive more than five years. However, they must attempt to navigate the …

A Novel Copper (Ii) Complex Identified As A Potent Drug Against Colorectal And Breast Cancer Cells And As A Poison Inhibitor For Human Topoisomerase Iiᶐ, Shayna Sandhaus, Rosella Taylor, Tiffany Edwards, Alexis Huddleston, Stephen J. Beebe, Alvin A. Holder

Bioelectrics Publications

A novel complex, [Cu(acetylethTSC)Cl]Cl · 0.25C₂H₅OH 1 (where acetylethTSC = (E)-N-ethyl-2-[1-(thiazol-2-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide), was shown to have anti-proliferative activity against various colon and aggressive breast cancer cell lines. In vitro studies showed that complex 1 acted as a poison inhibitor of human topoisomerase IIᶐ which may account for the observed anti-cancer effects.

Feasibility Of Integrating Tripterygium Wilfordii Into Modern Cancer Therapy For Increased Efficacy With Minimal Toxicity, Andy Vo

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and millions of novel cancer cases are being diagnosed each year. While chemotherapy and ionizing radiation are effective treatments against these malignant tumors, the adverse effects that accompany such treatments are devastating. In order to find alternative treatment methods with less side effects, we turn to Eastern herbal medicine. Recent scientific research has found that Tripterygium wilfordii, an herbal medicine traditionally used to treat inflammation in China, contains compounds (triptolide and celastrol) that prevent the growth of solid tumors, induce apoptosis, and prevent metastasis of developed tumors. Investigations on …

A Requirement For Y841 In Jak3 Enzymatic Activity And Hematopoietic Cancers, George Steven Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A medical need exists for successfully treating people afflicted with leukemia, especially those who develop drug resistant forms. Relapse leukemia cases are particularly high within Hispanic populations where this disease is among the most frequently occurring cancer. Fourteen somatic mutations have been reported in Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (Jak3), including M511I and A573V, from patients with various forms of leukemia. To monitor drug sensitivity, a model system was developed. Indeed, many of these mutations have been shown to possess transforming ability in cell lines such as the IL-3 dependent pro-B cell line Ba/F3. As such, Ba/F3 cells were transformed to …

Management Of Acute Postoperative Hypertension For Reducing Cardiovascular Complications In Cancer Patients: When And How Aggressively?, Ning Lou, Daofeng Wang, Zhi Wang, Wenfeng Ye, Xiao Liu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: We sought to determine what factors cardiovascular complications (CVCs) correlate with in cancer patients with acute postoperative hypertension (APH) and to define when and how aggressively to treat this disorder in the present study. Materials and methods: A retrospective observational study of cancer patients with postoperative hypertension at a single intensive care unit between July 2007 and June 2013 was conducted. The outcome of interest was the incidence of a CVC. Results: There were 1162 patients enrolled, of which 92 (7.9%) experienced one or more CVCs. Preexisting hypertension (OR 38.3, 95% CI 3.2-457.4, P = 0.004) and choice of …

Surface-Initiated Polymerizations For The Rapid Sorting Of Rare Cancer Cells, Jacob L. Lilly

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Cancer metastasis directly accounts for an estimated 90% of all cancer related deaths and is correlated with the presence of malignant cells in systemic circulation. This observed relationship has prompted efforts to develop a fluid biopsy, with the goal of detecting these rare cells in patient peripheral blood as surrogate markers for metastatic disease as a partial replacement or supplement to tissue biopsies. Numerous platforms have been designed, yet these have generally failed to support a reliable fluid biopsy due to poor performance parameters such as low throughput, low purity of enriched antigen positive cells, and insufficiently low detection thresholds …

Investigating Mechanisms Determining Cancer Cell Sensitivity To Carfilzomib And Novel Strategies To Overcome Resistance, Lin Ao

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are a class of FDA-approved anti-cancer agents which includes the first-generation PI bortezomib (BTZ) and second-generation carfilzomib (CFZ). Drug resistance is a major challenge in PI therapy with no solution currently available. While a few resistance mechanisms had been proposed for BTZ, little was known about CFZ resistance before the start of our studies. In this dissertation work, we investigated multiple mechanisms contributing to CFZ resistance—alterations in the drug transporter activity, metabolic stability, and proteasome activity profiles—and evaluated potential strategies to overcome CFZ resistance.

We observed marked upregulation of the drug efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in our …

Evaluation Of Diet Composition Of Pediatric Cancer Survivors As A Need For Nutrition Counseling, Sean O'Nan

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Prior research has shown that pediatric cancer survivors face a multitude of longterm effects from treatment of their disease. Many of these conditions can be treated or managed through proper nutrition, however patients of the DanceBlue Kentucky Children's Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic do not see a registered dietitian. This study looked at food and drink consumption of the past 30 days by the patient using the NHANES Dietary Screener Questionnaire to see if they met nutrition recommendations as outlined by the 2015‐2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Results from the study found that off‐treatment pediatric cancer survivors (n=21) failed to meet …

The Microenvironment Of Visceral Adipose Tissue And Liver Alter Natural Killer Cell Viability And Function, Melissa J. Conroy, Vivienne Fitzgerald, Suzanne Doyle, Shauna Channon, Zivile Useckaite, Niamh Gilmartin, Cliona O'Farrelly, Narayanasamy Ravi, John V. Reynolds, Joanne Lysaght

Articles

The role of NK cells in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and liver inflammation in obesity is not fully understood. This study investigated the frequency, cytokine expression, chemokine receptor, and cytotoxicity receptor profile of NK cells in the blood, omentum, and liver of patients with the obesity-associated cancer, oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). The effect of chronically inflamed tissue microenvironments on NK cell viability and function was also examined. We identified significantly lower NK cell frequencies in the liver of OAC patients compared with healthy controls and within the omentum and liver of OAC patients compared with blood, whereas IL-10-producing populations were significantly …

Protocol Of The Australasian Malignant Pleural Effusion-2 (Ample-2) Trial: A Multicentre Randomised Study Of Aggressive Versus Symptom-Guided Drainage Via Indwelling Pleural Catheters, Maree Azzopardi, Rajesh Thomas, Sanjeevan Muruganandan, David C.L Lam, Luke Garske, Benjamin Kwan, Muhammad Redzwan S Rashid Ali, Phan Nguyen, Elaine Yap, Fiona Horwood, Alexander Ritchie, Michael Bint, Claire Tobin, Ranjan Shrestha, Francesco Piccolo, Christian De Chaneet, Jenette Creaney, Robert Newton, Delia Hendrie, Kevin Murray, Catherine Read, David Feller-Kopman, Nick Maskell, Y C Gary Lee

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) can complicate most cancers, causing dyspnoea and impairing quality of life (QoL). Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are a novel management approach allowing ambulatory fluid drainage and are increasingly used as an alternative to pleurodesis. IPC drainage approaches vary greatly between centres. Some advocate aggressive (usually daily) removal of fluid to provide best symptom control and chance of spontaneous pleurodesis. Daily drainages however demand considerably more resources and may increase risks of complications. Others believe that MPE care is palliative and drainage should be performed only when patients become symptomatic (often weekly to monthly). Identifying the …

Atp6v1c1 Enhances Breast Cancer Growth By Activating V-Atpase Mediated Mtorc1 Signaling And Metastasis By Increasing V-Atpase Activity In Cancer Cells, Matthew J. Mcconnell

All ETDs from UAB

It is known that the vacuolar ATPase has a number of functions related to tumor growth and progression such as involvement in drug resistance, pH regulation, autophagy, and lysosomal acid protease activation, as well as invasion and metastasis. Here we specifically describe the role of ATP6v1c1 in murine and human models of breast cancer. ATP6v1c1 is the dominant isoform of the coordinating subunit (ATP6v1c) involved in the assembly of the vacuolar ATPase complex which plays a key role in cancer growth and progression. We also describe how ATP6v1c1 knockdown impairs tumor nutrient signaling through mTORC1 and tumor cell proliferation, by …

A Review Of Factors Contributing To The Shortage Of Palliative Care Service For Adolescent And Young Adult Oncology Patients, Erin K. Harper

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Adolescent and young adult oncology (patients aged 15–39 years old) is an emerging group of patients that are recognized to have distinctive qualities concerning their cancer treatment, including intensified psychosocial needs compared to their adult and child counterparts (Bleyer, 2012). The quality of life for adolescent and young adults during and after cancer treatment is disproportionally worse than what is reported by adults and children and the incidence of cancer in this population is steadily growing (Bleyer, 2011, 2012; Pritchard, Cuvelier, Harlos, & Barr, 2011; Rosenberg & Wolfe, 2013; Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2013; Wein, Pery, & Zer, 2011). Palliative …

Effects Of Exercise Interventions And Physical Activity Behavior On Cancer Related Cognitive Impairments: A Systematic Review, Philipp Zimmer, Freerk Baumann, Max Oberste, Peter Wright, Alexander Garthe, Alexander Schenk, Thomas Elter, Daniel A. Galvao, Wilhelm Bloch, Sven Hübner, Florian Wolf

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This systematic review analyzes current data on effects of exercise interventions and physical activity behavior on objective and subjective cancer related cognitive impairments (CRCI). Out of the 19 studies which met all inclusion criteria, five RCTs investigated rodents, whereas the other 14 trials explored humans and these included six RCTs, one controlled trial, two prospective noncontrolled trials, one case series, one observational study, and three cross-sectional studies. The results from animal models revealed positive effects of exercise during and after chemotherapy or radiation on structural alterations of the central nervous system, physiological as well as neuropsychological outcomes. The overall study …

Multifunctional Nanocarriers For Cancer Therapy, Bei Cheng

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is one of the leading causes of human mortality and mortality in all diseases. There has been a boost in developing nanocarrier-based therapies for treating cancer or other diseases during the past decade. One of the major advantages about nanocarrier (with the size range from 1-1000 nm) lies in its ability to specifically target tumor and maximize drug accumulation in tumor foci through the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Advancement in nanotechnology has opened a new paradigm in pharmaceutical field. But new challenges have to be overcome in order to fully exploit the technology and improve safety in clinical …

Distributed Cognition In Cancer Treatment Decision Making: An Application Of The Decide Decision-Making Styles Typology, Janice L. Krieger, Jessica L. Krok-Schoen, Phokeng M. Dailey, Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, Nancy Schoenberg, Electra D. Paskett, Mark Dignan

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Distributed cognition occurs when cognitive and affective schemas are shared between two or more people during interpersonal discussion. Although extant research focuses on distributed cognition in decision making between health care providers and patients, studies show that caregivers are also highly influential in the treatment decisions of patients. However, there are little empirical data describing how and when families exert influence. The current article addresses this gap by examining decisional support in the context of cancer randomized clinical trial (RCT) decision making. Data are drawn from in-depth interviews with rural, Appalachian cancer patients (N = 46). Analysis of transcript …

Factors Associated With Late Stage Diagnosis Of Cervical Cancer In The United States, Marianne S. Pelletier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cervical cancer represents a significant public health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prognosis is related to stage at diagnosis, with the 5-year survival rate being 91.2% for early stage disease and only 17.0% for those with late stage disease. There is a gap in the literature examining the association of insurance status with late stage cervical cancer diagnosis across a large segment of the United States population. There is also a gap in the literature examining women residing in the United States with late stage cervical cancer diagnosis and identifying …

Evaluating Adherence To Colorectal Cancer Screening, Jaime Bradley-Miller

DNP Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project and literature review was to determine provider documentation practices of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, identify the percent of clinic patients who need to be screened, and develop a set of recommendations and targeted interventions which will increase CRC screening rates.

Methods: A retrospective chart review including males and females of all ethnicities between the ages of 45 and 80 was performed in one primary care practice. A randomized sample of 360 office visits between February and November of 2015 were selected, of which 281 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patient demographics and characteristics …

Identification Of Functional Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated With Breast Cancer Based On Chromatin Modifications, Laura E. Hayward

CMC Senior Theses

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women and can be deadly; yet when detected early enough it is often treatable. Thus, early detection of breast cancer is imperative to save lives. The success of early detection depends, in part, on being able to stratify risk. A new approach to determining risk involves identifying genetic variants that alter an individual’s risk for developing breast cancer. This thesis identified key functional candidates involved in breast cancer development, some of which have been verified by other studies. For a few of the functional candidates, further research needs to be done in order to …

Self-Efficacy And Coping In Transition Of Care After Remission Of Cancer In Adolescents, Leah M. Mcdonnell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The improvement in cancer remission rates in children and adolescents due to advances in cancer treatment and therapy has led to the development of guidelines that address long-term follow up for survivors of childhood cancers. Adolescents often experience negative emotions related to the fear of uncertainty about long-term survival after cancer remission, yet often report feelings of hope and optimism for the future more than adult cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of self-efficacy and coping in adolescents after remission of cancer. A secondary purpose was to analyze which coping strategies supported long-term survival …

The Synchronicity Of Hope And Enhanced Quality Of Life In Terminal Cancer, Brianna M. Terry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide. The rate of mortality is currently approximately 171.2 out of every 100,000 individuals with a terminal cancer diagnosis annually. Individuals with terminal cancer diagnoses facing probable mortality utilize various coping mechanisms or internal resources in an attempt to maintain an internal sense of well-being, commonly referred to as quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this literature review was to investigate themes prevalent in the literature pertaining to internal coping mechanisms and analyze any correlation or causation linking these resources to …

Selective Action Of Aqueous Maté Extract On Human Breast Cancer, Catherine Nguyen, Kenisha Nisbett, Vanessa Halvorsen, Calvin He, Amina Sadik

College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUN) Publications and Research

Ilex paraguariensis, Yerba Maté, is a subtropical plant native to South America, where it is consumed several times daily as a tea made with roasted leaves. Several studies have been conducted to elucidate the beneficial effects of this plant. A recent study has shown that saponins isolated from Yerba Maté extract induce apoptosis in human colon cancer cells, while another study indicated that the consumption of Maté tea causes higher incidence of esophageal cancer. Our study looked into the effects Yerba Maté extract have on human breast cancer cells and non-cancer cells from the same tissue. The findings show …

Whsc1l1 Regulates Estrogen Receptor Activity In Sum44 Breast Cancer Cells, Jonathan Curtis Irish

Wayne State University Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading

cause of cancer death in women. While ER-positive breast cancer subtypes are initially

well-managed by targeted therapies targeting estrogen signaling, many women are

suffering from recurrence of a more aggressive, hormone insensitive cancer 5 or more years after initial remission. Late recurrence of hormone resistant breast cancer in patients

who were previously successfully treated with anti-estrogen therapies worsens

overall long-term outcomes, and specific oncogenic mutations may be driving late recurring aggressive disease in these patients. More complete characterization of the oncogenome of

a tumor may allow for the possibility …

Structural Characterization And Therapeutic Utility Of The Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter, Michael Roy Wilson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Folate is a B9 vitamin essential to DNA synthesis. The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) is a newly discovered proton/folate symporter with an acidic pH optimum and broad expression across a variety of solid tumor types, with limited expression in normal tissues. Several antifolate molecules have been developed as cancer therapeutics, although these classical antifolates display numerous off-target effects due to transport by the ubiquitous reduced folate carrier (RFC). In this dissertation, we determine the roles of multiple PCFT structure/function domains, and develop PCFT-specific antifolates to target solid tumors. We utilize substituted cysteine accessibility methods (SCAM) to identify a novel reentrant …

Parallel Profiles Of Inflammatory And Effector Memory T Cells In Visceral Fat And Liver Of Obesity-Associated Cancer Patients, Melissa Conroy, Karen Galvin, Suzanne Doyle, Maria Kavanagh, Ann-Marie Mongan, Aoife Cannon, Gillian Moore, John Reynolds, Joanne Lysaght

Articles

In the midst of a worsening obesity epidemic, the incidence of obesity-associated morbidities, including cancer, diabetes, cardiac and liver disease is increasing. Insights into mechanisms underlying pathological obesity-associated inflammation are lacking. Both the omentum, the principal component of visceral fat, and liver of obese individuals are sites of excessive inflammation, but to date the T cell profiles of both compartments have not been assessed or compared in a patient cohort with obesity-associated disease. We have previously identified that omentum is enriched with inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and T cells. Here, we compared the inflammatory profile of T cells in the omentum …

Improving Communication Between Cancer Patients And Providers During A 15-Minute Office Visit: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Dr. Tammy Elizabeth Manganelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer often experience adverse side effects, including cognitive deficits. These deficits impact the patient's ability to communicate effectively with their oncology provider. Ineffective communication can adversely affect patient outcomes and decrease patient-provider satisfaction. The resulting poor communication can contribute to poor patient outcomes. This systematic literature review focused on assistive communication tools that could be used in an outpatient oncology setting to improve patient-provider communication. The literature review findings led to the development of a resource for providers that includes 15 communication tools that can be used to assess and improve communication in cancer care. …

Race, Ethnicity, Psychosocial Factors, And Telomere Length In A Multicenter Setting, Shannon M. Lynch, M. K. Peek, Nandita Mitra, Krithika Ravichandran, Charles Branas, Elaine Spangler, Wenting Zhou, Electra D. Paskett, Sarah Gehlert, Cecilia Degraffinreid, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Harold Riethman

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Background

Leukocyte telomere length(LTL) has been associated with age, self-reported race/ethnicity, gender, education, and psychosocial factors, including perceived stress, and depression. However, inconsistencies in associations of LTL with disease and other phenotypes exist across studies. Population characteristics, including race/ethnicity, laboratory methods, and statistical approaches in LTL have not been comprehensively studied and could explain inconsistent LTL associations.

Methods

LTL was measured using Southern Blot in 1510 participants from a multi-ethnic, multi-center study combining data from 3 centers with different population characteristics and laboratory processing methods. Main associations between LTL and psychosocial factors and LTL and race/ethnicity were evaluated and then …

The Use Of An Open-Label Placebo To Treat Cancer-Related Fatigue In Cancer Survivors, Theresa Walker Hoenemeyer

All ETDs from UAB

Background: A placebo is an inert substance (e.g., sugar pill) or procedure (e.g., sham surgery) that should confer no beneficial effects. Nonetheless, typically, 30-50% of those randomized to placebos report significant benefits. New studies indicate that the use of disclosed or open-label placebos reduces self-reported symptoms among patients with irritable bowel syndrome, migraine attacks, and major depression. Methods: The investigator conducted a 7-week pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and effects of an open-labeled administration of placebo pills on patient-reported clinical and psychosocial outcomes among cancer survivors seeking relief from cancer-related fatigue. The specific aims of this study were to: …

Exploratory Psychomteric Properties Of The Farsi And English Version Of Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (Spnq), Nejat Nazi, Lisa Whitehead, Marie Crowe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to translate and test the psychometric properties of a Farsi and an English version of the spiritual needs questionnaire (SpNQ) a measure originally developed in German. The World Health Organization guideline for translating and validating questionnaires was used. Participants were recruited from hospitals in Iran and New Zealand during an outpatient follow-up appointment after cancer treatment. People diagnosed with cancer in Iran (68) and New Zealand (54) completed and returned the SpNQ (at time 1) and within the two week time period (time 2). Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.92, except for the …

Stimuli Responsive Nanoparticle For Cancer Targeted Therapy, Huacheng He

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticle is the particle with a size in the range from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. It has been extensively used for cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, it is still a great challenge to fabricate nanoparticles with spatiotemporally controllable delivery of anticancer drugs to tumors and with high therapeutic efficacy. This thesis mainly focuses on the development of stimuli responsive nanoparticles for cancer targeted therapy. These nanoparticles either response to internal stimuli such as pH and redox potential or external stimuli like temperature and light could effectively target tumors and control the release of anticancer drugs there to improve …

Federal Policies And Prescription Drugs, Ali Bonakdar Tehrani

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three discrete empirical papers, with an introductory essay that evaluates the impact of different federal policies on prescription drug prices, utilization, and spending. Two main databases are used: (a) Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data and (b) the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. These two databases are designed to track Medicaid drug utilization and overall medical use and expenditures, respectively. The variables of interest in this dissertation are prescription drug price, prescription drug use and spending, and overall drug expenditures.

The objective of the first paper (Chapter 2) is to examine whether oncology drug prices have significantly …