Medical Specialties Commons^™

Plan Dose Evaluation Of Three Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy Planning (3d-Crt) Of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (Npc): Experience Of A Tertiary Care University Hospital In Pakistan, Ahmed Nadeem Abbasi, Asim Hafiz, Nasir Ali, Khurshid Ahmed Khan

Department of Radiation Oncology

Background: Radiation therapy is the mainstay of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Importance of tumor coverage and challenges posed by its unique and critical location are well evident. Therefore we aimed to evaluate our radiation treatment plan through dose volume histograms (DVHs) to find planning target volume (PTV) dose coverage and factors affecting it.MATERIALS AND Methods: This retrospective study covered 45 histologically proven nasopharyngeal cancer patients who were treated with definitive 3D-CRT and chemotherapy between Feb 2006 to March 2013 at the Department of Oncology, Section Radiation Oncology ,Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. DVH was evaluated to find numbers of …

Intronic Non-Cg Dna Hydroxymethylation And Alternative Mrna Splicing In Honey Bees, Pablo Cingolani, Xiaoyi Cao, Radhika S. Khetani, Chieh-Chun Chen, Melissa Coon, Alya'a Sammak, Aliccia Bollig-Fischer, Susan Land, Yun Huang, Matthew E. Hudson, Mark D. Garfinkel, Sheng Zhong, Gene E. Robinson, Douglas M. Ruden

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Previous whole-genome shotgun bisulfite sequencing experiments showed that DNA cytosine methylation in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is almost exclusively at CG dinucleotides in exons. However, the most commonly used method, bisulfite sequencing, cannot distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, an oxidized form of 5-methylcytosine that is catalyzed by the TET family of dioxygenases. Furthermore, some analysis software programs under-represent non-CG DNA methylation and hydryoxymethylation for a variety of reasons. Therefore, we used an unbiased analysis of bisulfite sequencing data combined with molecular and bioinformatics approaches to distinguish 5-methylcytosine from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. By doing this, we have performed the first whole …

Quantitative Measures Of Estrogen Receptor Expression In Relation To Breast Cancer-Specific Mortality Risk Among White Women And Black Women, Huiyan Ma, Yani Lu, Polly A. Marchbanks, Suzanne G. Folger, Brian L. Strom, Jill A. Mcdonald, Michael S. Simon, Linda K. Weiss, Kathleen E. Malone, Ronald T. Burkman, Jane Sullivan-Halley, Dennis M. Deapen, Michael F. Press, Leslie Bernstein

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Introduction

The association of breast cancer patients’ mortality with estrogen receptor (ER) status (ER + versus ER-) has been well studied. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the quantitative measures of ER expression and mortality.

Methods

We evaluated the association between semi-quantitative, immunohistochemical staining of ER in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast carcinomas and breast cancer-specific mortality risk in an observational cohort of invasive breast cancer in 681 white women and 523 black women ages 35-64 years at first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, who were followed for a median of 10 years. The quantitative measures of …

A Novel Community-Based Study To Address Disparities In Hypertension And Colorectal Cancer: A Study Protocol For A Randomized Control Trial, Joseph Ravenell, Hayley Thompson, Helen Cole, Jordan Plumhoff, Gia Cobb, Lola Afolabi, Carla Boutin-Foster, Martin Wells, Marian Scott, Gbenga Ogedegbe

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Black men have the greatest burden of premature death and disability from hypertension (HTN) in the United States, and the highest incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). While several clinical trials have reported beneficial effects of lifestyle changes on blood pressure (BP) reduction, and improved CRC screening with patient navigation (PN), the effectiveness of these approaches in community-based settings remains understudied, particularly among Black men.

Methods/design

MISTER B is a two-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial that will compare the effect of a motivational interviewing tailored lifestyle intervention (MINT) versus a culturally targeted PN intervention on improvement of BP …

The Bca2 And Ampk Paradigm: Unraveling The Cancer Connection, Daniela (Buac) Ventro

Wayne State University Dissertations

THE BCA2 & AMPK PARADIGM: UNRAVELING THE CANCER CONNECTION

By

DANIELA (BUAC) VENTRO

December 2013

Advisor: Dr. Q Ping Dou and Angelika M. Burger (deceased)

Major: Cancer Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, has emerged as a promising molecular target in the prevention of breast cancer, and phase II and III clinical trials using the FDA-approved, AMPK activating, anti-diabetic drug metformin are promising in this regard, but the question of why metformin is protective for some women but not others still remains. Breast Cancer Associated Gene 2 (BCA2/Rabring7/RNF115), a novel …

Race/Ethnicity, Subjective And Objective Sleep Quality, Physical And Psychological Symptoms In Breast Cancer Survivors, Pinky H. Budhrani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a major health problem and comprises the largest population of cancer survivors in the United States, estimated at 2.9 million women, accounting for 22% of all cancer survivors (National Cancer Institute, 2013). The advances in breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment has increased the importance of survivorship needs. A major concern among breast cancer survivors (BCS) is sleep disturbances. This study used an innovative approach to examine ethnic and racial disparities in sleep disturbances present in BCS. In addition, this study also explored sleep disturbances across different races/ethnicities. This study was a secondary data analysis of baseline …

Prevalence, Predictors, And Correlates Of Patient Concealment Of A Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Brian David Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most cases of lung cancer have a commonly-understood behavioral etiology. Thus, individuals with lung cancer are often blamed for their illness by others and may therefore seek to avoid this blame by concealing their diagnosis from others. This study sought to determine the prevalence of diagnosis concealment, examine potential predictors of concealment, and test parts of a cognitive-affective-behavioral model of the effects of concealing a concealable stigma among individuals receiving treatment for lung cancer. With regard to predictors of concealment, it was hypothesized that concealment would be positively associated with male gender, introversion, and trait social anxiety and would be …

The Translational Machinery As A Target For Radiosensitization, Thomas John Hayman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current approaches aimed at improving the efficacy of radiation as a cancer treatment modality involve the development and application of molecularly targeted radiosensitizers, a strategy that requires a thorough understanding of the fundamental processes comprising the cellular radioresponse. Recent data indicating that radiation modifies gene expression primarily through translational control rather than transcriptional events suggests that mRNA translation contributes to cell survival after irradiation. The overall goal of this project is to determine whether the regulatory/rate-limiting components of the translational machinery provide targets for tumor cell radiosensitization. The majority of translation in mammalian cells occurs in a cap-dependent manner and …

Factors Associated With Fear Of Breast Cancer Recurrence Among Survivors, Jean Marie Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-sectional, secondary data analysis was to explore, non-modifiable (stable) trait factors and modifiable (transient) state factors associated with fear of recurrence (FOR) in breast cancer survivors. Antecedent trait factors included demographic, clinical, social/behavioral factors, postulated mediator state factors included pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, state anxiety and perceived stress, and FOR was the outcome variable. The study used baseline data from an R-21 NCI funded (grant #R21CA109168) randomized control trial that examined the effects of mindfulness based stress reduction in early stage breast cancer recovery. Instruments from this study for antecedent variables (trait factors) included a …

Interrogation Of Epor Fidelity In Myelodysplastic Syndrome Hematopoiesis And Stabilization By The Immunomodulatory Agent, Lenalidomide, Kathy Lynn Mcgraw

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) include a spectrum of stem cell malignancies characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transformation. Patients are predominantly older (greater than 60 years old), with progressive cytopenias resulting from ineffective and cytologically dysplastic hematopoiesis. MDS subtypes are classified by morphologic features and bone marrow blast percentage, as well as cytogenetic pattern, as is the case for deletion 5q MDS. Interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5, del(5q), is the most common chromosomal abnormality in patients with MDS, and the 5q- syndrome, represents a distinct subset of del(5q) MDS characterized by an …

Histone Deacetylases As Targets For Melanoma Immunotherapy, David Michael Woods

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer represents the second leading cause of death in the United States. For many malignancies, currently available treatment options offer little long-lasting survival benefits to patients. However, recent studies have shown immunotherapeutic approaches to be an attractive strategy to cancer treatment. While many current immunotherapeutic strategies convey durable responses, such responses are only seen in a minority of patients. An increased understanding of the mechanisms governing tumor immunogenicity and the biology of immune responses is crucial to improving upon the efficacy of current and future cancer immunotherapies. Histone deacetylases (HDACs), enzymes classically associated with regulation of gene expression, have been …

Characteristics And Quality Of Life Of Patients Presenting To Cancer Support Centres: Patient Rated Outcomes And Use Of Complementary Therapies, Bonnie J. Furzer, Kemi E. Wright, Anna S. Petterson, Karen E. Wallman, Timothy R. Ackland, David Jl Joske

Research outputs 2013

Background: In order to effectively target and provide individualised patient support strategies it is crucial to have a comprehensive picture of those presenting for services. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and patient rated outcomes of individuals presenting to SolarisCare cancer support centres and their choices regarding complementary and integrated therapies (CIT).Methods: A cohort with a current or previous cancer diagnosis aged 18 - 87 years presenting to a SolarisCare centre during a 5-day period completed a questionnaire. Four SolarisCare centres participated in the trial including regional and metropolitan locations. Outcomes included medical and demographic characteristics, …

Prediction Models For Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Based On Curvelet Textural Features And Clinical Parameters, Jing-Jing Wang, Hai-Feng Wu, Tao Sun, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Li-Xin Tao, Da Huo, Ping-Xin Lv, Wen He, Xiu-Hua Guo

Research outputs 2013

Lung cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, usually appears as solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) which are hard to diagnose using the naked eye. In this paper, curvelet-based textural features and clinical parameters are used with three prediction models [a multilevel model, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method, and a support vector machine (SVM)] to improve the diagnosis of benign and malignant SPNs. Dimensionality reduction of the original curvelet-based textural features was achieved using principal component analysis. In addition, non-conditional logistical regression was used to find clinical predictors among demographic parameters and morphological features. …

Exercise Medicine For Prostate Cancer, Robert U. Newton, Daniel A. Galvao

Research outputs 2013

Since initial reports in the mid-1980s, there has been increasing interest in the application of exercise as medicine for the prevention and management of cancer. A large number of high-quality, randomised, controlled trials with cancer survivors have confirmed both aerobic and resistance exercise to be highly beneficial for improving body composition, quality of life, mental health functional capacity and reducing risk of cancer recurrence and development of other chronic diseases. Such benefits have ultimately been realised in reduced cancer mortality between 30 and 60 % in large cohort retrospective studies. Treatments for prostate cancer are increasingly effective with quite high …

The Identification Of Diagnostic Serological Autoantibodies For Cutaneous Melanoma, Pauline Zaenker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Abstract not available.

Pax3 Expression, Protein Modifications And Downstream Target Gene Profiling In Melanocytes And Melanoma Cells, Danielle Bartlett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

PAX3 is a transcription factor. It plays a major role in the development of melanocytes in the embryo. As a result of alternative splicing, the gene gives rise to eight different transcripts which encode proteins that have differing structures and are therefore likely to activate different downstream target genes. The presence of post-translational modifications has also been shown to alter the functions of the proteins.

PAX3 regulates the maintenance of undifferentiated melanoblasts and mediates pathways involved in proliferation, migration and survival. It has been shown to be expressed in melanoblasts, adult melanocytes, naevi and in most melanoma cells. This implies …

Formative Development Of A Culturally Appropriate Mammography Screening Campaign For Low-Income African-American Women., Kimberly D. Leeks, Ingrid J. Hall, C. Ashani Johnson-Turbes, Ngozi Kamalu, Yasmine Zavahir

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct a formative evaluation of messages and materials to inform the development of a promotional, health campaign designed to increase breast cancer screening awareness and utilization among low-income, uninsured African American women through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) in Savannah and Macon, Georgia (GA). A priority of CDC is to understand why women eligible for screening through the NBCCEDP do not participate in NBCCEDP screening services as well as to identify effective strategies for increasing enrollment among NBCCEDP-eligible women who have never received breast cancer screening. As …

Evaluating Changes In Radiation Treatment Volumes From Post-Operative To Same-Day Planning Mri In High-Grade Gliomas., Colin E Champ, Joshua Siglin, Mark V Mishra, Xinglei Shen, Maria Werner-Wasik, David W Andrews, Sonal U Mayekar, Haisong Liu, Wenyin Shi

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) with temozolomide (TMZ) is standard of care for high grade gliomas (HGG) patients. RT is commonly started 3 to 5 weeks after surgery. The deformation of the tumor bed and brain from surgery to RT is poorly studied. This study examined the magnitude of volume change in the postoperative tumor bed and the potential impact of RT planning.

METHOD AND MATERIALS: This study includes 24 patients with HGG who underwent craniotomy and adjuvant RT with TMZ at our institution. All patients had immediate postoperative MRI and repeat MRI during the day of RT simulation. Gross …

The Face Of Cancer In Montgomery County Ohio: A Look At The Population At Risk, Chika E. Okere

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify the population in Montgomery County Ohio who are at the greatest risk for cancer based on age, sex, and race/ethnicity, family history and demographics. The research will also look at modifiable behaviors such as use of tobacco products, physical inactivity, obesity, poor nutrition and heavy drinking of alcohol that increase the risk and identify areas of improvement in data collection for reporting purposes. During 1996-2006, cancer was the second-leading cause of death for residents of Montgomery County.

Methods: Age, sex, race/ethnicity of people in Montgomery County with cancer were examined and using …

The Use Of Infliximab To Control Recurrent Cytokine Storms In Ebv-Associated Angioimmunoblastic Lymphoma And Hemophagocytic Syndrome, Sameh Gaballa, Emmanuel Besa, Onder Alpdogan

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Introduction: Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) has been implicated in several diseases including hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH) and lymphomas including Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma. The exact mechanism by which EBV infection causes these complications is currently not well understood. EBV-HLH is a syndrome in which T-cells, NK cells and macrophages are aberrantly activated. Cytokine storms play a major role in cellular damage and organ dysfunction. In the event that the body is unable to clear the EBV viremia, dysregulated T, NK cells and macrophages continue to release cytokines leading to the accumulation of lymphohistiocytic infiltrates into organs and organ damage. …

Gsk3Β Inhibition Blocks Melanoma Cell/Host Interactions By Downregulating N-Cadherin Expression And Decreasing Fak Phosphorylation., Jobin K John, Kim H T Paraiso, Vito W Rebecca, Liliana P Cantini, Ethan V Abel, Nicholas Pagano, Eric Meggers, Rahel Mathew, Clemens Krepler, Victoria Izumi, Bin Fang, John M Koomen, Jane L Messina, Meenhard Herlyn, Keiran S M Smalley

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

This study addresses the role of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling in the tumorigenic behavior of melanoma. Immunohistochemical staining revealed GSK3β to be focally expressed in the invasive portions of 12 and 33% of primary and metastatic melanomas, respectively. GSK3 inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of GSK3β were found to inhibit the motile behavior of melanoma cells in scratch wound, three-dimensional collagen-implanted spheroid, and modified Boyden chamber assays. Functionally, inhibition of GSK3β signaling was found to suppress N-cadherin expression at the messenger RNA and protein levels, and was associated with decreased expression of the transcription factor Slug. Pharmacological …

Differentiating Lymphovascular Invasion From Retraction Artifact On Histological Specimen Of Breast Carcinoma And Their Implications On Prognosis., Nicholas George Zaorsky, Ninad Patil, Gary Mitchel Freedman, Madalina Tuluc

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

On a pathological specimen of breast cancer cells, retraction artifact during histological processing mimics true lymphovascular invasion (LVI). The accurate determination of the presence or absence of LVI is a factor in determining risk of having a positive sentinel node, or having additional positive axillary nodes after a positive sentinel node biopsy in women with early-stage breast cancer. The determination of nodal risk influences the decision of the treating physicians as to whether a sentinel node biopsy or completion axillary dissection is necessary. On slide preparation, ideal factors favoring true LVI include: a definite endothelial lining, with endothelial nuclei that …

Data Mining Of Pancreatic Cancer Protein Databases, Peter Revesz, Christopher Assi

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

Data mining of protein databases poses special challenges because many protein databases are non- relational whereas most data mining and machine learning algorithms assume the input data to be a type of rela- tional database that is also representable as an ARFF file. We developed a method to restructure protein databases so that they become amenable for various data mining and machine learning tools. Our restructuring method en- abled us to apply both decision tree and support vector machine classifiers to a pancreatic protein database. The SVM classifier that used both GO term and PFAM families to characterize proteins gave …

Characterization Of Beryllium As A Novel Agent To Study Cell Cycle Arrest And Cellular Senescence, Priyatham Gorjala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cancer cells evade senescence, apoptosis, and other constraints on proliferation, often via mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene (TP53). Normal human lung fibroblasts have been shown to enter premature senescence upon exposure to beryllium. In these cells, BeSO₄ stabilizes p53 protein, increases p21 gene expression, induces senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and causes cell proliferation arrest. In the present study, we have investigated whether BeSO₄ is able to induce similar effects in cancer cells that have wildtype p53. We have demonstrated that beryllium salt at low concentration can induce molecular changes in the p53 signaling pathway leading to cell …

Fibulin-2 Stabilizes Tumor Extracellular Matrix And Drives Malignant Progression Of Lung Adenocarcinoma, Brandi N. Baird

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The ECM of epithelial carcinomas undergoes structural remodeling during periods of uncontrolled growth, creating regional heterogeneity and torsional stress. How tumors maintain ECM integrity in the face of dynamic biophysical forces is still largely unclear. This study addresses these deficiencies using mouse models of human lung adenocarcinoma. Spontaneous lung tumors were marked by disorganized basement membranes, dense collagen networks, and increased tissue stiffness. Metastasis-prone lung adenocarcinoma cells secreted fibulin-2 (Fbln2), a matrix glycoprotein involved in ECM supra-molecular assembly. Fibulin-2 depletion in tumor cells decreased the intra-tumoral abundance of matrix metalloproteinases and reduced collagen cross-linking and tumor compressive properties resulting in …

Long Noncoding Rna (Lncrna) As A Biomarker And Therapeutic Marker In Cancer, Dave S B Hoon, Laurent Lessard

Technology Transfer - Patents

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that may be used as cancer biomarkers and methods of diagnosing, prognosing and monitoring cancer including, but not limited to, cutaneous melanoma using said lncRNAs are provided herein. In some embodiments, the methods include steps of isolating one or more lncRNA transcripts in a biological sample from the subject; measuring a test level of the one or more isolated lncRNA transcripts; comparing the test level to a control level of the one or more lncRNA transcripts; and diagnosing or making a prognosis based on the lncRNA level. In some embodiments, the lncRNA transcript is an linc00340 …

Rorα, A Potential Tumor Suppressor And Therapeutic Target Of Breast Cancer, Jun Du, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The function of the nuclear receptor (NR) in breast cancer progression has been investigated for decades. The majority of the nuclear receptors have well characterized natural ligands, but a few of them are orphan receptors for which no ligand has been identified. RORα, one member of the retinoid orphan nuclear receptor (ROR) subfamily of orphan receptors, regulates various cellular and pathological activities. RORα is commonly down-regulated and/or hypoactivated in breast cancer compared to normal mammary tissue. Expression of RORα suppresses malignant phenotypes in breast cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo. Activity of RORα can be categorized into the …

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Natasha Bahadur Ali, Salman Adil, Mohammad Usman Shaikh, Nehal Masood

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

We report a case series of 12 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant with a matched related donor. Male to female ratio was 1:1. The main complication post-transplant was graft-versus-host disease (n=7 patients). Transplant-related mortality involved one patient; cause of death was multi-organ failure. After a median follow up of 36.0±11.3 months, overall survival was 16%.

Building A Statistical Model For Predicting Cancer Genes, Ivan P. Gorlov, Christopher J. Logothetis, Shenying Fang, Olga Y. Gorlova, Christopher Amos

Dartmouth Scholarship

More than 400 cancer genes have been identified in the human genome. The list is not yet complete. Statistical models predicting cancer genes may help with identification of novel cancer gene candidates. We used known prostate cancer (PCa) genes (identified through KnowledgeNet) as a training set to build a binary logistic regression model identifying PCa genes. Internal and external validation of the model was conducted using a validation set (also from KnowledgeNet), permutations, and external data on genes with recurrent prostate tumor mutations. We evaluated a set of 33 gene characteristics as predictors. Sixteen of the original 33 predictors were …

Breast Cancer Incidence In Black And White Women Stratified By Estrogen And Progesterone Receptor Statuses., Michael X. Gleason, Tengiz Mdzinarishvili, Simon Sherman

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease presented by different phenotypes and that white women have a higher breast cancer incidence rate, whereas black women have a higher mortality rate. It is also well known that white women have lower incidence rates than black women until approximately age 40, when rate curves cross over and white women have higher rates. The goal of this study was to validate the risk of white and black women to breast cancer phenotypes, stratified by statuses of the estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: SEER17 data were …