Medical Specialties Commons^™

Just A “Click” Away From Evidence-Based Online Breast Cancer Information, Advice And Support Provided By A Specialist Nurse: An Ethnonetnographic Study, Cynthia Ann Witney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Breast cancer has had, and will continue to have, a devastating impact on the lives of many Australian women, their families, friends and the wider community. The concomitant treatment of this disease places a considerable burden on the health care system and the supporters of the person diagnosed with this disease. While there are many government and non-government organisations that provide treatment and support services for the person with breast cancer, these services are usually provided in person either in the home or at the organisation’s offices. This study extended the information advice and support aspects of these services to …

Saying ‘No’: A Biographical Analysis Of The Experiences Of Women With A Genetic Predisposition To Developing Breast/Ovarian Cancer Who Reject Risk Reducing Surgery, Doreen Molloy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Genetic technologies have identified some of the genes implicated in cancer susceptibility. Women with mutations in breast/ovarian cancer-susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and 2) have a lifetime combined risk of breast/ovarian cancer of more than 80%. Risk reducing surgery (RRS) reduces cancer risk by as much as 90% in high risk populations. Despite this, some BRCA1/2 mutation-positive women say no to RRS.

Purpose: To illuminate an understanding of why women at high risk of developing breast/ovarian cancer say no to risk reducing surgery (RRS).

Design: Denzin’s (1989) interpretive biography was combined with Dolby-Stahl’s (1985) literary folkloristic methodology to provide a contextualised …

Heat Stress: A Risk Factor For Skin Carcinogenesis, Leslie Calapre

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

BACKGROUND: The incidence of skin cancer in Australia has increased rapidly in the last few decades. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a major risk factor for skin carcinogenesis. UV, particularly the UVB spectrum, causes formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) in cellular DNA. Persistent and incorrectly repaired CPDs lead to DNA mutations and consequently, formation of cutaneous lesions. Interestingly, recent epidemiological studies have shown a significant increase in skin cancer incidence in geographical locations with high environmental temperatures. Thus, heat stress may potentiate the effects of UV exposure and act as an additional risk factor for skin cancer. Previous studies …

Comparative Analysis Of Prostate Cancer Gene Regulatory Networks Via Hub Type Variation, Pegah Khosravi, Vahid H. Gazestani, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, Samira Mirkhalaf, Mehdi Sadeghi, Bahram Goliaei

Publications and Research

Background

Prostate cancer is one of the most widespread cancers in men and is fundamentally a genetic disease. Identifying regulators in cancer using novel systems biology approaches will potentially lead to new insight into this disease. It was sought to address this by inferring gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Moreover, dynamical analysis of GRNs can explain how regulators change among different conditions, such as cancer subtypes.

Methods

In our approach, independent gene regulatory networks from each prostate state were reconstructed using one of the current state-of-art reverse engineering approaches. Next, crucial genes involved in this cancer were highlighted by analyzing each …

Circulating Tumor Dna To Monitor Treatment Response And Detect Acquired Resistance In Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Elin S. Gray, Helen Rizos, Anna L. Reid, Suzanah Boyd, Michelle Pereira, Johnny Lo, Varsha Tembe, James Freeman, Jenny Lee, Richard Scolyer, Kelvin Siew, Chris Lomma, Adam Cooper, Muhammad Khattak, Tarek Meniawy, Georgina Long, Matteo Carlino, Michael Millward, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Repeat tumor biopsies to study genomic changes during therapy are difficult, invasive and data are confounded by tumoral heterogeneity. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can provide a non-invasive approach to assess prognosis and the genetic evolution of tumors in response to therapy. Mutation-specific droplet digital PCR was used to measure plasma concentrations of oncogenic BRAF and NRAS variants in 48 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma prior to treatment with targeted therapies (vemurafenib, dabrafenib or dabrafenib/trametinib combination) or immunotherapies (ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab). Baseline ctDNA levels were evaluated relative to treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS). Tumor-associated ctDNA was …

Support After Brain Tumor Means Different Things: Family Caregivers' Experiences Of Support And Relationship Changes, T. Ownsworth, E. Goadby, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Shorter hospital stays and greater emphasis on outpatient care means that family members have the primary responsibility for supporting a person with brain tumor to manage the physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional effects of the illness and its treatment. Given the integral role of family caregivers, it is essential to understand their experience of the impact of brain tumor and their own support needs. Accordingly, this qualitative study aimed to investigate family caregivers' experiences of support and relationship changes in the context of brain tumor. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 family caregivers (8 spouse/partner, 3 parents) of people with …

Integrating Psychosocial Care Into Neuro-Oncology: Challenges And Strategies, Suzanne K. Chambers, L. Grassi, M.K. Hyde, J. Holland, J. Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Approximately 256,000 cases of malignant brain and nervous system cancer were diagnosed worldwide during 2012 and 189,000 deaths, with this burden falling more heavily in the developed world. Problematically, research describing the psychosocial needs of people with brain tumors and their carers and the development and evaluation of intervention models has lagged behind that of more common cancers. This may relate, at least in part, to poor survival outcomes and high morbidity associated with this illness, and stigma about this disease. The evidence base for the benefits of psychosocial care in oncology has supported the production of clinical practice guidelines …

Compliance To Exercise-Oncology Guidelines In Prostate Cancer Survivors And Associations With Psychological Distress, Unmet Supportive Care Needs, And Quality Of Life, Daniel A. Galvao, Robert U. Newton, Robert A. Gardiner, Afaf Grigis, Steven J. Lepore, Anna Stiller, Cathrine Mihalopolous, Steven Occhipinti, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of Australian prostate cancer survivors meeting contemporary exercise-oncology guidelines and identify associations with distress, unmet supportive care needs, and quality of life. Methods A population-based cohort of 463 prostate cancer survivors who were on 10.8 months post-curative therapy was assessed for compliance with current exercise guidelines for cancer survivors, motivational readiness for physical activity, psychological distress, unmet supportive care needs, and quality of life. Results Only 57 men (12.3%) reported sufficient exercise levels (150 min of moderate intensity or 75 min of strenuous exercise per week and twice weekly resistance …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Decision Aids For Decision Making In Prostate Cancer Testing: A Systematic Review, Dragan Ilic, Walid Jammal, Pauline Chiarelli, Robert A. Gardiner, Suzanne Hughes, Dana Stefanovic, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Prostate cancer is a leading disease affecting men worldwide. Conflicting evidence within the literature provides little guidance to men contemplating whether or not to be screened for prostate cancer. This systematic review aimed to determine whether decision aids about early detection of prostate cancer improve patient knowledge and decision making about whether to undergo prostate-specific antigen testing. Methods Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and Health Technology Assessment databases up until March 2014 were searched. All included randomised controlled trials were assessed for methodological quality. Clinical selection and assessment …

Surveys Of Cancer Patients And Cancer Health Care Providers Regarding Complementary Therapy Use, Communication, And Information Needs, Ngaire King, Lynda G. Balneaves, Gregory T. Levin, Thao Nguyen, Jill G. Nation, Cynthia Card, Tracy Truant, Linda E. Carlson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background. Complementary therapies (CTs) are increasingly utilized by cancer patients. Nonetheless, patients report insufficient support from health care practitioners (HCPs) and there is a general lack of patient-practitioner communication about CT use. Best care practices suggest that HCPs should address the needs of patients, including CT use. This study examined current practices of patients and HCPs as well as their interactions relating to CTs. Methods. A total of 481 cancer outpatients and 100 HCPs completed questionnaires. Patient questions addressed CT use and information needs; HCP questions addressed knowledge, opinions and beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine. Patient-practitioner communication around CT …

Do Patients With Long-Term Side Effects Of Cancer Treatment Benefit From General Practitioner Support? A Literature Review, Irene M. Ngune, Moyez Jiwa, Alexandra Mcmanus, Jeff Hughes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Alongside specialist cancer clinics, general practitioners have an important role in cancer patients ’ follow-up care, yet no literature summarises the nature, extent and impact of their involvement. This paper addresses this issue through a review of the literature. Methods: Studies were sourced from six academic databases - AustHealth ( n = 202), CINAHL ( n = 500), the Cochrane Library (reviews and trials; n = 200), Embase ( n = 368), PHCRIS ( n = 132) and PubMed/Medline ( n = 410). Studies that focused on interventions designed for patients receiving follow-up care and reported cancer care provided …

The Specialist Breast Care Nurse's Role In The Indentification And Minimisation Of Distress In A Members' Only, Breast Cancer Focused Online Support Community, Cynthia Witney, Joyce M. Hendricks Phd, Vicki C. Cope Ms

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives: To show how a specialist breast care nurse (SBCN) can use the distress thermometer to determine an online community member’s distress level and then use the information in their posts and blogs to identify the cause(s) and deal with them appropriately. To highlight the use of a structured written emotional expression (SWEE) format online, as a way of minimising distress. Method: A survey of online community members together with analysis of the content of members’ posts and blogs to determine whether their distress thermometer score had decreased since the SBCN had been online to deal with member distress. Results: …

Prostate Cancer Support Groups: Canada-Based Specialists' Perspectives, John L. Oliffe, Suzanne K. Chambers, Bernie Garrett, Joan L. Bottorff, Michael Mckenzie, Christina S. Han, John S. Ogrodniszuk

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To understand prostate cancer (PCa) specialists’ views about prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs), a volunteer sample of Canada-based PCa specialists ( n = 150), including urologists ( n = 100), radiation oncologists ( n = 40), and medical oncologists ( n = 10) were surveyed. The 56-item questionnaire used in this study included six sets of attitudinal items to measure prostate cancer specialists’ beliefs about positive and negative influences of PCSGs, reasons for attending PCSGs, the attributes of effective PCSGs, and the value of face-to-face and web-based PCSGs. In addition, an open-ended question was included to invite additional input from …

Psychological Wellness And Health-Related Stigma: A Pilot Study Of An Acceptance-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Intervention For People With Lung Cancer, Suzanne K. Chambers, B A. Morris, S Clutton, E Foley, L Giles, P Schofield, D O'Connell, J Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

People with lung cancer experience health-related stigma that is related to poorer psychosocial and quality of life outcomes. The present Phase 1 study applied mixed methods to test the acceptability of an acceptance-focused cognitive behavioural intervention targeting stigma for this patient group. Fourteen lung cancer patients completed a 6-week Psychological Wellness intervention with pre- and post-test outcome measures of psychological and cancer-specific distress, depression, health-related stigma and quality of life. In-depth interviews applying interpretative phenomenological analysis assessed participants' experiences of the intervention. Moderate to large improvements were observed in psychological (ηp 2=0.182) and cancer-specific distress (ηp 2=0.056); depression (ηp 2=0.621); …

The Analysis Of Diruthenium Compounds On Human Cells As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents, Elizabeth Mcculloch

Honors Program Theses

Chemotherapy is a common method of cancer treatment, and cisplatin is a common anticancer compound used in chemotherapy. While effective, cisplatin is known to cause many side effects, and people can form resistance to it. Because of these problems, new chemotherapeutic compounds are needed. One compound that has shown anticancer properties, an ability to overcome resistance, and nontoxicity is ruthenium. Multiple mono-ruthenium compounds have been previously studied and were found to be effective. The current research project synthesized a diruthenium compound Cp₂Ru₂(bipy)₂(DMSO)₂ and exposed the compound to human liver cells (HepG2) to determine …

Analysis Of Protein Expression For Potential Biomarkers In Human Pancreatic Tumor Cell Lines, Jade Ashley Simpson

Honors Program Theses

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer of the pancreas that has been shown to have extremely low survival rates. It can be quite lethal because of its asymptomatic early stages and inability to detect cancer at the cellular level. Once diagnosed, the cancer will have usually spread or metastasized beyond surgical resection. Thus, research is focused on finding potential biomarkers in tumor cell lines to help in earlier diagnosis of this disease leading to better treatment options. Previous work using bioinformatics data suggest several cellular genes including, CTHCR1, EPPK1, AHNAK2, and IGHG3, can be potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. The …

Classification Of Current Anticancer Immunotherapies., Lorenzo Galluzzi, Erika Vacchelli, José-Manuel Bravo-San Pedro, Aitziber Buqué, Laura Senovilla, Elisa Elena Baracco, Norma Bloy, Francesca Castoldi, Jean-Pierre Abastado, Patrizia Agostinis, Ron N Apte, Fernando Aranda, Maha Ayyoub, Philipp Beckhove, Jean-Yves Blay, Laura Bracci, Anne Caignard, Chiara Castelli, Federica Cavallo, Estaban Celis, Vincenzo Cerundolo, Aled Clayton, Mario P Colombo, Lisa Coussens, Madhav V Dhodapkar, Alexander M Eggermont, Douglas T Fearon, Wolf H Fridman, Jitka Fučíková, Dmitry I Gabrilovich, Jérôme Galon, Abhishek Garg, François Ghiringhelli, Giuseppe Giaccone, Eli Gilboa, Sacha Gnjatic, Axel Hoos, Anne Hosmalin, Dirk Jäger, Pawel Kalinski, Klas Kärre, Oliver Kepp, Rolf Kiessling, John M Kirkwood, Eva Klein, Alexander Knuth, Claire E Lewis, Roland Liblau, Michael T Lotze, Enrico Lugli, Jean-Pierre Mach, Fabrizio Mattei, Domenico Mavilio, Ignacio Melero, Cornelis J Melief, Elizabeth A Mittendorf, Lorenzo Moretta, Adekunke Odunsi, Hideho Okada, Anna Karolina Palucka, Marcus E Peter, Kenneth J Pienta, Angel Porgador, George C Prendergast, Gabriel A Rabinovich, Nicholas P Restifo, Naiyer Rizvi, Catherine Sautès-Fridman, Hans Schreiber, Barbara Seliger, Hiroshi Shiku, Bruno Silva-Santos, Mark J Smyth, Daniel E Speiser, Radek Spisek, Pramod K Srivastava, James E Talmadge, Eric Tartour, Sjoerd H Van Der Burg, Benoît J Van Den Eynde, Richard Vile, Hermann Wagner, Jeffrey S Weber, Theresa L Whiteside, Jedd D Wolchok, Laurence Zitvogel, Weiping Zou, Guido Kroemer

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

During the past decades, anticancer immunotherapy has evolved from a promising therapeutic option to a robust clinical reality. Many immunotherapeutic regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in cancer patients, and many others are being investigated as standalone therapeutic interventions or combined with conventional treatments in clinical studies. Immunotherapies may be subdivided into "passive" and "active" based on their ability to engage the host immune system against cancer. Since the anticancer activity of most passive immunotherapeutics (including tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies) also relies on the host immune system, this classification …

Web Tool For Estimating The Cancer Hazard Rates In Aging., Tengiz Mdzinarishvili, Alexander Sherman, Oleg Shats, Simon Sherman

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

A computational approach for estimating the overall, population, and individual cancer hazard rates was developed. The population rates characterize a risk of getting cancer of a specific site/type, occurring within an age-specific group of individuals from a specified population during a distinct time period. The individual rates characterize an analogous risk but only for the individuals susceptible to cancer. The approach uses a novel regularization and anchoring technique to solve an identifiability problem that occurs while determining the age, period, and cohort (APC) effects. These effects are used to estimate the overall rate, and to estimate the population and individual …

Engineered Plga Nanoparticles For Delivery Of Sirna In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Sydney Pong, Samit Shah, Vivek Gupta

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Small interfering RNAs have been an emerging medical treatment for molecular based diseases as they are capable of gene-specific knockdown. Appropriate and efficient delivery remains one of the biggest challenges in the development of siRNA as an anti-cancer treatment. Nanoparticles containing siRNA were characterized and the efficacy of various peptides in the transfection of the nanoparticles were tested. A gene silencing assay was developed in order to determine the effect of siRNA therapeutics on gene functionality in breast cancer cells.

Toxicity And Cosmesis Outcomes For Single Fraction Intra-Operative Electron Radiotherapy (Ioert) For Breast Cancer, Monica Hanna, Robert Ash, Wesley Babaran, Michele M. Carpenter, Afshin Forouzannia, Jay K. Harness, Brian Kaltenecker, Snehith Maddula, Venita Williams, Lawrence Wagman

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Background: Adjuvant radiation therapy is proven to reduce local recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer. To reduce toxicity, improve geographic accuracy, and reduce treatment time, IOERT can be utilized as an alternative to external beam radiation therapy. The study’s objective was to determine the short term toxicity and cosmesis profile of single fraction IOERT given as definitive treatment in a community setting. Materials and Methods: From Mar 2012 to Jul 2014, 84 patients (3 bilateral), ages 45-91 y.o. with stage 0-II were treated with IOERT (Mobetron, IntraOp Medical, Sunnyvale, CA). A single 21 Gy fraction was administered to …

Molecular Insights Into Prostate Field Cancerization: Telomere Length, Egr-­‐1 Expression, And Regulation Of Mic-­‐1, Pdgf-­‐A, And Fas, Emily Frisch, Kristin Gabriel, Marco Bisoffi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The diagnosis of prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma) relies on screening for elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in blood samples and on digital rectal examination (DRE). With high PSA levels and/or abnormal DRE, physicians recommend a biopsy, which often misses the location of the adenocarcinoma and results in false negatives. Previous studies have shown expression of the key transcription factor early growth response 1 (EGR-1), the pro-survival factor macrophage inhibitor cytokine 1 (MIC-1), and the growth stimulatory platelet derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) to be up-regulated in histologically normal tissues 1 centimeter adjacent to prostate adenocarcinomas. We hypothesize that tumors emerge from “field …

Cancer Survivorship Care: An Emphasis On Rehabilitation Needs In Maine, Cassandra Dawley, Charles Dowd, Irina Fedulow, Miranda Carlson, Lisa Gerhardt, Erin Pike, Kaitlin Powers, Nicole Christine, Angela Serrani

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Resources

Presentation proposing that standardized rehabilitation and wellness services be incorporated into cancer treatment as well as into a personalized plan of care to be carried out after cancer treatment ends. Proposal is based on research regarding evidence of causation concerning impairments developed as a result of a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, evidence regarding rehabilitation and physical activity as an effective intervention in the prevention and treatment of impairments from cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, and the underlying behavioral change theory for incorporation of a Cancer Survivorship Rehabilitation Algorithm which includes the use of rehabilitation and wellness services in the …

Suppression Of Invasion And Metastasis Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Lines By Pharmacological Or Genetic Inhibition Of Slug Activity., Giovanna Ferrari-Amorotti, Claudia Chiodoni, Fei Shen, Sara Cattelani, Angela Rachele Soliera, Gloria Manzotti, Giulia Grisendi, Massimo Dominici, Francesco Rivasi, Mario Paolo Colombo, Alessandro Fatatis, Bruno Calabretta

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Most triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) exhibit gene expression patterns associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a feature that correlates with a propensity for metastatic spread. Overexpression of the EMT regulator Slug is detected in basal and mesenchymal-type TNBCs and is associated with reduced E-cadherin expression and aggressive disease. The effects of Slug depend, in part, on the interaction of its N-terminal SNAG repressor domain with the chromatin-modifying protein lysine demethylase 1 (LSD1); thus, we investigated whether tranylcypromine [also known as trans-2-phenylcyclopropylamine hydrochloride (PCPA) or Parnate], an inhibitor of LSD1 that blocks its interaction with Slug, suppresses the migration, invasion, and metastatic …

The Impact Of Inflammatory And Immune Response-Related Genetic Variants On Prostate Cancer Risk Among Men Of African Descent., Dominique Zilpha Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: In the U.S., prostate cancer (PCA) metastasis is associated with a 5-yr survival rate of 29% and disproportionately affects men of African descent. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may serve as genetic markers to identify individuals at high risk of developing PCA. Methods: We examined main and joint effects of 119 inflammatory and immune response-associated SNPs among men of African descent (535 controls, 279 cases) via logistic regression (LR) and entropy-based-multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) modeling. Results: MDR yielded highly synergistic [(TLR10, TLR6 and IRF3), (TLR2, IRAK4), (IL1R2, IL10, IL10RA)] interaction …

Modulation Of The Ovarian Cancer Humoral Response By Tumor-Derived Exosomes., Carolyn Denise Roberson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer is complicated by its diagnosis during the latter stages of the disease resulting from lack of symptoms or from presence of symptoms that mimic other conditions. Because of the often fatal prognosis by the time of actual detection, efforts are being made to better understand the host immune response to ovarian cancer. In this study, the contributions of the humoral immune response were investigated by focusing on the role of tumor-derived exosomes and their ability to modulate humoral immune responses. First, ovarian cancer patient-derived free circulating antibodies were investigated for immunoreactivity to patient antigen. …

Hyperthermia, Radiation And Chemotherapy: The Role Of Heat In Multidisciplinary Cancer Care., Mark Hurwitz, Md, Paul R. Stauffer

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

The compelling biologic basis for combining hyperthermia with modern cancer therapies including radiation and chemotherapy was first appreciated nearly half a century ago. Hyperthermia complements radiation as conditions contributing to radio-resistance generally enhance sensitivity to heat and sensitizing effects occur through increased perfusion/tumor oxygenation and alteration of cellular death pathways. Chemosensitization with hyperthermia is dependent on the particular mechanism of effect for each agent with synergistic effects noted for several commonly used agents. Clinically, randomized trials have demonstrated benefit including survival with the addition of hyperthermia to radiation or chemotherapy in treatment of a wide range of malignancies. Improvements in …

Development And Characterization Of An Autologous Whole Cell Breast Cancer Vaccine, Samantha Leigh Kurtz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in the United States in 2014. About 90% of these deaths will be due to metastases, rather than the primary tumor and majority of metastases are due to the recurrence and progression of non-metastatic disease. Current adjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, have severe side effects and may result in overtreatment and drug resistance.

Since greater than 90% of patients are diagnosed between stages I-III and have minimal residual disease after treatment, there is an opportunity to treat patients with an autologous breast cancer vaccine. Autologous vaccines under development have a …

Treatment Updates Regarding Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma And Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Nasir Ali

Department of Radiation Oncology

Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma / Anaplastic Oligoastrocytoma (AO/AOA) is a WHO Grade-III primary brain tumor. These tumors comprise about 5 - 10% of all gliomas, which make them the third most common primary brain tumors after glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytomas. For many years standard of treatment remained Maximum Safe Resection (MSR) followed by Radiotherapy (RT). These tumors have also been known to be sensitive to alkylator-based chemotherapy particularly the subset having 1p/19q co-deletion signature. There is robust data showing that these tumors are responsive to chemotherapy in recurrent or progressive setting. Recently, up front chemotherapy has been added to standard post-surgery RT. …

Lung Cancer Survival Disparities In Nevada, Chima Osuoha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Nevada shows moderate incidence rates of lung cancer for men but high rates for women. Little is known about the lung cancer experience and survival characteristics of the nearly 2000 new cases occurring every year in the State. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which geographic area of residency, gender, race, health insurance, social economic status (SES) and stage at diagnosis were associated with survival in patients diagnosed with lung cancer in Nevada. This was a retrospective …

The Long Non-Coding Rna Pcat-1 Promotes Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation Through Cmyc., John R. Prensner, Wei Chen, Sumin Han, Matthew K. Iyer, Qi Cao, Vishal Kothari, Joseph R. Evans, Karen E. Knudsen, Michelle T. Paulsen, Mats Ljungman, Theodore S. Lawrence, Arul M. Chinnaiyan, Felix Y. Feng

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an emerging layer of cancer biology, contributing to tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we describe a role for the oncogenic lncRNA PCAT-1 in prostate cancer proliferation through cMyc. We find that PCAT-1-mediated proliferation is dependent on cMyc protein stabilization, and using expression profiling, we observed that cMyc is required for a subset of PCAT-1-induced expression changes. The PCAT-1-cMyc relationship is mediated through the post-transcriptional activity of the MYC 3' untranslated region, and we characterize a role for PCAT-1 in the disruption of MYC-targeting microRNAs. To further elucidate a role for post-transcriptional regulation, we demonstrate …