Medical Specialties Commons^™

Driver Fusions And Their Implications In The Development And Treatment Of Human Cancers., Qingsong Gao, Wen-Wei Liang, Steven M Foltz, Gnanavel Mutharasu, Reyka G Jayasinghe, Song Cao, Wen-Wei Liao, Sheila M Reynolds, Matthew A Wyczalkowski, Lijun Yao, Lihua Yu, Sam Q Sun, Ken Chen, Alexander J Lazar, Ryan C Fields, Michael C Wendl, Brian A Van Tine, Ravi Vij, Feng Chen, Matti Nykter, Ilya Shmulevich, Li Ding

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Gene fusions represent an important class of somatic alterations in cancer. We systematically investigated fusions in 9,624 tumors across 33 cancer types using multiple fusion calling tools. We identified a total of 25,664 fusions, with a 63% validation rate. Integration of gene expression, copy number, and fusion annotation data revealed that fusions involving oncogenes tend to exhibit increased expression, whereas fusions involving tumor suppressors have the opposite effect. For fusions involving kinases, we found 1,275 with an intact kinase domain, the proportion of which varied significantly across cancer types. Our study suggests that fusions drive the development of 16.5% of …

Abstracts From The 24th Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, April 11–13, 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Founded in 1994, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) is a consortium of 18 research centers that are housed in community-based health systems. The organization's annual conference serves as a venue for research teams to disseminate scientific findings, stimulate new collaborations, and share insights about conducting research in real-world care-delivery settings. Abstracts accepted for presentation at HCSRN 2018 are published within this supplement of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

The Moderating Effect Of Religion On Death Distress And Quality Of Life Between Christian Cancer Patients In The United States With Muslim Cancer Patients In Saudi Arabia, Doaa Almostadi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is an illness that knows no international boundaries. There are more than eight million global cancer deaths each year. A life-threatening diagnosis generates significant emotional problems for many patients across cultures. Death distress—consisting of death depression, death anxiety and death obsession—often results in poorer treatment adherence and lower overall health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether religiosity has a moderating effect on the relationship between death distress and quality of life among patients facing a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

The study sample consisted of 118 cancer patients: 82 cancer patients from a National …

Treatment-Related Mortality In Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis., Paul Gibson, Jason D Pole, Tanya Lazor, Donna Johnston, Carol Portwine, Mariana Silva, Sarah Alexander, Lillian Sung

Paediatrics Publications

Using a previously developed reliable and valid treatment-related mortality (TRM) definition, our objective was to describe the proportion of children newly diagnosed with cancer experiencing TRM and to identify risk factors for TRM in a population-based cohort. We included children with cancerincluded, 179 had TRM, 478 died of progressive disease, and 4522 were still alive. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of TRM among the entire cohort was 3.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-4.5%). When compared to brain tumor patients, leukemia and lymphoma patients had a significantly higher risk of TRM (hazard ratio (HR) 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6-4.0; P < 0.0001). Infants were at significantly higher risk of TRM across diagnostic groups. Other factors associated with higher risks of TRM were metastatic disease (P < 0.0001), diagnosis prior to 1 January 2008 (P = 0.001), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (P < 0.0001), and relapse (P < 0.0001). The 5-year cumulative incidence of TRM was 3.9% among newly diagnosed children with cancer. Infants were at higher risk of TRM across diagnostic groups. Other risk factors for TRM were leukemia or lymphoma, metastatic disease, earlier diagnosis year, HSCT, and relapse. Future work should further refine prognostic factors by specific cancer diagnosis to best understand when and how to intervene to improve outcomes.

Treatment-Related Mortality In Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis, Paul Gibson, Jason D Pole, Tanya Lazor, Donna Johnston, Carol Portwine, Mariana Silva, Sarah Alexander, Lillian Sung

Paediatrics Publications

Using a previously developed reliable and valid treatment-related mortality (TRM) definition, our objective was to describe the proportion of children newly diagnosed with cancer experiencing TRM and to identify risk factors for TRM in a population-based cohort. We included children with cancerincluded, 179 had TRM, 478 died of progressive disease, and 4522 were still alive. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of TRM among the entire cohort was 3.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-4.5%). When compared to brain tumor patients, leukemia and lymphoma patients had a significantly higher risk of TRM (hazard ratio (HR) 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6-4.0; P < 0.0001). Infants were at significantly higher risk of TRM across diagnostic groups. Other factors associated with higher risks of TRM were metastatic disease (P < 0.0001), diagnosis prior to 1 January 2008 (P = 0.001), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (P < 0.0001), and relapse (P < 0.0001). The 5-year cumulative incidence of TRM was 3.9% among newly diagnosed children with cancer. Infants were at higher risk of TRM across diagnostic groups. Other risk factors for TRM were leukemia or lymphoma, metastatic disease, earlier diagnosis year, HSCT, and relapse. Future work should further refine prognostic factors by specific cancer diagnosis to best understand when and how to intervene to improve outcomes.

In-Hospital Mortality And Post-Surgical Complications Among Cancer Patients With Metabolic Syndrome, Tomi Akinyemiju, Swati Sakhuja, Neomi Vin-Raviv

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an important etiologic and prognostic factor for cancer, but few studies have assessed hospitalization outcomes among patients with both conditions.

Methods

Data was obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS). Study variables were assessed using ICD-9 codes on adults aged 40 years and over admitted to a US hospital between 2007 and 2011 with primary diagnosis of either breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer. We examined in-hospital mortality, post-surgical complications, and discharge disposition among cancer patients with MetS and compared with non-MetS patients.

Results

Hospitalized breast (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.20–0.46), …

A Lin28b Tumor-Specific Transcript In Cancer, Weijie Guo, Zhixiang Hu, Yichao Bao, Yuchen Li, Shengli Li, Qiupeng Zheng, Dongbin Lyu, Di Chen, Tao Yu, Yan Li, Xiaodong Zhu, Jie Ding, Yingjun Zhao, Xianghuo He, Shenglin Huang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The diversity and complexity of the cancer transcriptome may contain transcripts unique to the tumor environment. Here, we report a LIN28B variant, LIN28B-TST, which is specifically expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and many other cancer types. Expression of LIN28B-TST is associated with significantly poor prognosis in HCC patients. LIN28B-TST initiates from a de novo alternative transcription initiation site that harbors a strong promoter regulated by NFYA but not c-Myc. Demethylation of the LIN28B-TST promoter might be a prerequisite for its transcription and transcriptional regulation. LIN28B-TST encodes a protein isoform with additional N-terminal amino acids and is critical for cancer …

Parp Pet Imaging Agents, Brandon Carney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The poly (adenosine-diphosphate (ADP) ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of enzymes has been of interest to researchers and clinicians for over fifty years, especially the first member of the family, PARP1. This enzyme has become a target for cancer therapeutics due the reliance of highly proliferating cells on PARP1 for genomic maintenance. In the coming age of individualized medicine, however, highly specific therapeutic agents like PARP inhibitors are in need of similarly highly specific companion diagnostic agents. These kind of agents have been made possible with the quickly progressing field of molecular imaging. Specifically, positron emission tomography (PET) has enabled the …

Amine Containing Analogs Of Sulindac For Cancer Prevention, Bini Mathew, Judith V. Hobrath, Michele C. Connelly, R. Kiplin Guy, Robert C. Reynolds

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background:

Sulindac belongs to the chemically diverse family of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) that effectively prevent adenomatous colorectal polyps and colon cancer, especially in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Sulindac sulfide amide (SSA), an amide analog of sulindac sulfide, shows insignificant COX-related activity and toxicity while enhancing anticancer activity in vitro and demonstrating in vivo xenograft activity.

Objective:

Develop structure-activity relationships in the sulindac amine series and identify analogs with promising anticancer activities.

Method:

A series of sulindac amine analogs were designed and synthesized and then further modified in a “libraries from libraries” approach to produce amide, sulfonamide and N,N-disubstituted …

Emotion Regulation And Positive Affect In The Context Of Salivary Alpha-Amylase Response To Pain In Children With Cancer, Brooke N. Jenkins, Douglas A. Granger, Ryan J. Roemer, Ariana Martinez, Tara K. Torres, Michelle A. Fortier

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Children with cancer routinely undergo painful medical procedures invoking strong physiological stress responses. Resilience to this pain may be conferred through resources such as emotion regulation strategies and positive affect.

Procedure

This study measured dispositional positive affect in children with cancer (N = 73) and randomly assigned participants to one of three emotion regulation strategy conditions (distraction, reappraisal, or reassurance). Children applied their assigned strategy during an experimental pain procedure (the cold pressor task [CPT]) and provided saliva samples before, immediately after, and 15 min after the CPT. Saliva samples were later assayed for salivary alpha amylase (sAA)—a surrogate …

Beta-Catenin Cleavage Enhances Transcriptional Activation, Tatiana Goretsky, Emily M. Bradford, Qing Ye, Olivia F. Lamping, Tomas Vanagunas, Mary Pat Moyer, Patrick C. Keller, Preetika Sinh, Josep M. Llovet, Tianyan Gao, Qing-Bai She, Linheng Li, Terrence A. Barrett

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Nuclear activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for cell proliferation in inflammation and cancer. Studies from our group indicate that β-catenin activation in colitis and colorectal cancer (CRC) correlates with increased nuclear levels of β-catenin phosphorylated at serine 552 (pβ-Cat⁵⁵²). Biochemical analysis of nuclear extracts from cancer biopsies revealed the existence of low molecular weight (LMW) pβ-Cat⁵⁵², increased to the exclusion of full size (FS) forms of β-catenin. LMW β-catenin lacks both termini, leaving residues in the armadillo repeat intact. Further experiments showed that TCF4 predominantly binds LMW pβ-Cat⁵⁵² in the nucleus of inflamed and …

Oral Curcumin For Radiation Dermatitis: A Urcc Ncorp Study Of 686 Breast Cancer Patients, J. R. Wolf, C. E. Heckler, J. J. Guido, A. R. Peoples, J. S. Gewandter, M. Ling, V. P. Vinciguerra, T. Anderson, L. Evans, G. R. Morrow, +2 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Pedunculated And Obstructive Wilms' Tumor: A Rare Presentation In A 2 Year- T Old Male, Leor T. Arbel, Morris Jessop, Osama Al-Omar

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Wilms' tumor manifesting as an obstructing ureteral mass is extremely rare. Herein, we report an unusual case in which a child presented with a clinical picture concerning for and suggestive of ureteropelvic junction ob- struction (UPJO), but was instead found to have an intrapelvic pedunculated Wilms' tumor with extension into the proximal ureter. We discuss the patient's diagnostic workup, radiographic, operative and pathologic findings, as well as important lessons learned from this unusual case.

Use Of Volumetric Laser Endomicroscopy For Determining Candidates For Endoscopic Therapy In Superficial Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, A. J. Trindade, P. C. Benias, S. Inamdar, C. Fan, A. Sethi, N. Fukami, A. Kahn, M. Kahaleh, D. Sejpal, A. Rishi, +1 Additional Author

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Preparedness Of School Psychologists To Provide Services For Students Diagnosed With Cancer, Lauren Mckenzie Blevins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Children who survive cancer face many challenges when reintegrating into the school system. School psychologists are among the school support professionals who may aid in providing support and identifying appropriate interventions and accommodations for the academic and mental health needs of these students. This study identifies whether school psychologists in West Virginia perceive themselves to be adequately prepared to assist students who have survived cancer upon returning to school. A survey containing fourteen questions regarding the individual’s experience, training, and knowledge was distributed to school psychologists in attendance at the Fall 2016 West Virginia School Psychologists’ Association conference. Of the …

Exploring The Regulatory Mechanism Of The Notch Ligand Receptor Jagged1 Via The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor In Breast Cancer, Sean Alan Piwarski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that binds pollutants, therapeutic drugs and endogenous ligands. AHR is of particular interest in cancer and has been shown to play roles in both tumor progression and tumor suppression. As a result, it has received growing attention as a possible chemotherapeutic target. AHR is expressed in all breast cancer subtypes and can promote or inhibit breast cancer depending on the ligand it binds. The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved evolutionary pathway that plays extremely vital roles during development by regulating cell fate and differentiation. Notch signaling has increasingly …

Cancer Care Annual Report 2017-2018, Children's Mercy Hospital

Cancer Center Annual Reports

Annual report of cancer care and oncology services at the Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City MO, a pediatric medical center. This report has a focus on the HOPE Clinic (Clinica de Hematologia/Oncologia: Puente de Esperanza).

The Future Of 5-Fluorouracil Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer: Translating A Better Understanding Into Improved Patient Care, Nathan Smits

Theses and Graduate Projects

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a pyrimidine analog that has been successfully employed in anticancer therapy for over forty years. Over the past several decades, researchers have characterized its cellular and clinical pharmacology and uncovered multiple mechanisms of action, which include the inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) and incorporation of its metabolites into DNA and RNA. The purpose of this quantitative systemic review was to summarize and evaluate what is known of these mechanisms to determine which are of most significance in the anticancer effects of 5-FU in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. A literature search of peer-reviewed articles dating back to …

Readability Of Prostate Cancer Information Online: A Cross-Sectional Study, Corey H. Basch, Danna Ethan, Sarah A. Maclean, Joseph Fera, Phillip Garcia, Charles E. Basch

Publications and Research

Reading and understanding health information, both components of health literacy, can influence patient decisions related to disease management. Older adults, the population of males at greatest risk for prostate cancer, may have compromised capacity to understand and use health information. The purpose of this study was to determine the readability of prostate cancer materials on the Internet using five recommended readability tests. Using a cleared Internet browser, a search was conducted for “prostate cancer.” The URLs of the first 100 websites in English were recorded to create the sample. The readability scores for each website were determined using an online, …

Evaluating The Needs Of Cancer Survivors Through Focus Groups And Surveillance Data, Maria George Mph, Taylor Seaton Ms, Diana Haggerty M.S., Debbie Webster Bsn, Rn, Lmsw

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Introduction

As cancer prevention and treatment advances, cancer survival rates continue to increase. The growing population of cancer survivors have unique needs that must be addressed to improve quality of life throughout the cancer-care continuum.

Methods

Using data compiled from the Michigan cancer registry, the Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (MiBRFS), and focus groups, several areas of need amongst cancer survivors were identified. The cancer registry provides information on incidence and survival rates to help understand the burden of cancer; this Quantitative data from the Michigan cancer registry and MiBRFS can supplement the qualitative data gained from the focus groups. …

The Effect Of Dna Methylation On Tp73 Expression In Tumorgenesis, Nujuma A. Moussa

Undergraduate Research Posters

Abstract: The Effect of DNA Methylation on TP73 Expression in Tumorgenesis

Nujuma Moussa, Zhixing Yao, Zaki A. Sherif

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Howard University College of Medicine

TP73 is a member of the TP53 family of proteins that acts as a transcription factor to help regulate cellular distress. This tumor protein may play a dual role as a tumor suppressor and tumor promoter. The TP73 gene is mapped to chromosome 1p36, a frequently deleted region in neuroblastoma and other types of tumors. While mutations in the TP53 gene are commonly known to cause noxious cancers, 30% of cancers …

Evaluation Of A Drug Delivery System Based On Cyclodextrins For Cancer Therapy, Caroline Mendes

Doctoral

Due to the side-effects caused by regular chemotherapy, the development of drug delivery systems that can specifically target cancer cells and deliver the therapeutic dose is required. In this study, a folate-derivative of β-cyclodextrin has been studied as a vehicle for targeting folate receptors (FR) and delivering the chemotherapeutic drug methotrexate (MTX). FRs can be considered key cell membrane targets since they are commonly over-expressed in cancer cells and play an important role in cancer development and progression. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides with a unique structure that allows them to form inclusion complexes with guest molecules, increasing their aqueous …

Carcinogenesis In Prostate Cancer: The Role Of Long Non-Coding Rnas, John Aird, Anne-Marie Baird, Marvin C.J Lim, Ray Mcdermott, Stephen P. Finn, Steven G. Gray

Articles

LncRNAs appear to play a considerable role in tumourigenesis through regulating key processes in cancer cells such as proliferative signalling, replicative immortality, invasion and metastasis, evasion of growth suppressors, induction of angiogenesis and resistance to apoptosis. LncRNAs have been reported to play a role in prostate cancer, particularly in regulating the androgen receptor signalling pathway. In this review article, we summarise the role of 34 lncRNAs in prostate cancer with a particular focus on their role in the androgen receptor signalling pathway and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathway.

Evaluation And Adaptation Of Live-Cell Interferometry For Applications In Basic, Translational, And Clinical Research, Kevin A. Leslie

Theses and Dissertations

Cell mass is an important indicator of cell health and status. A diverse set of techniques have been developed to precisely measure the masses of single cells, with varying degrees of technical complexity and throughput. Here, the development of a non-invasive, label-free optical technique, termed Live-Cell Interferometry (LCI), is described. Several applications are presented, including an evaluation of LCI’s utility for assessing drug response heterogeneity in patient-derived melanoma lines and the measurement of CD3+ T cell kinetics during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The characterization of mast cells during degranulation, the measurement of viral reactivation kinetics in Kaposi’s Sarcoma, and drug …

Improving Hpv Vaccination Series Initiation Rates And Compliance Among Indigent Women In South Texas, Ages 19-26, Through Provider Recommendation And Additional Clinic Funding: A Quality Improvement Project, Lacey Cudd

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase human papillomavirus vaccination series initiation rates among indigent women, ages 19-26, at a clinic in South Texas. The human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection that has been associated with multiple types of cancers. Each year, approximately 6.2 million cases of the human papillomavirus infection are diagnosed; as many as 75% of all new infections occur among females 18-26 years of age. The human papillomavirus vaccination has a high efficacy in regards to cancer prevention, preventing as many as 76% of cancers with only one dose. The project included educating …

The Role Of Mucin-Educated Platelet Activation In Tumor Invasiveness: An Unfolding Concern In The Realm Of Cancer Biology, Akbar Shoukat Ali, Arzoo Ajaz

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Metastasis is a complex and well-coordinated phenotypic transformation of cancer cells governed by aberrant genetic and molecular pathways. It has been approved as the most consistent cause of cancer death. With emerging insight into the genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, progress has been made and reasonably large number of molecular pathways of metastasis has been forwarded, but our understanding of precise underlying molecular mechanisms remains largely scarce. It has been well-known for around a decade and more that platelets are intriguingly contributing to the cancer metastasis. However, it is only recently that cancer cells can activate platelets have started to become …

Mutational Patterns In Chemotherapy Resistant Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer., David Liu, Philip Abbosh, Daniel Keliher, Brendan Reardon, Diana Miao, Kent Mouw, Amaro Weiner-Taylor, Stephanie Wankowicz, Garam Han, Min Yuen Teo, Catharine Cipolla, Jaegil Kim, Gopa Iyer, Hikmat Al-Ahmadie, Essel Dulaimi, David Y.T. Chen, R. Katherine Alpaugh, Jean Hoffman-Censits, Levi A. Garraway, Gad Getz, Scott L. Carter, Joaquim Bellmunt, Elizabeth R. Plimack, Jonathan E. Rosenberg, Eliezer M. Van Allen

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Despite continued widespread use, the genomic effects of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and implications for subsequent treatment are incompletely characterized. Here, we analyze whole exome sequencing of matched pre- and post-neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy primary bladder tumor samples from 30 muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. We observe no overall increase in tumor mutational burden post-chemotherapy, though a significant proportion of subclonal mutations are unique to the matched pre- or post-treatment tumor, suggesting chemotherapy-induced and/or spatial heterogeneity. We subsequently identify and validate a novel mutational signature in post-treatment tumors consistent with known characteristics of cisplatin damage and repair. We find that post-treatment tumor heterogeneity predicts …

De Novo Descending Aorta Thrombus In A Patient With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Case Report, Om Parkash, Adil Ayub, Buria Naeem, Saeed Hamid

Section of Gastroenterology

Thromboembolic events in patients with cancer are frequently reported in literature and usually involve the venous circulation. De novo thrombus formation in the arterial system without any underlying atherosclerosis, dissection or aneurysm is extremely rare. We report the case of a patient with metastatic colorectal carcinoma who developed a thrombus in the descending aorta without any intervention or risk factors. The patient presented with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. A CT scan revealed an aortic thrombus obstructing 70% of the lumen. She opted for no treatment of her thrombus and was later complicated by extensive lower limb emboli. Patients with aortic thrombosis …

Sensitive Droplet Digital Pcr Method For Detection Of Tert Promoter Mutations In Cell Free Dna From Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Leslie Calapre, Michelle Pereira, Tindaro M. Giardina, Cleo Robinson, Muhammad A. Khattak, Tarek M. Meniawy, Antonia L. Pritchard, Nicholas K. Hayward, Benhur Amanuel, Michael J. Millward, Mel R. Ziman Dr, Elin S. Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Currently mainly BRAF mutant circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is utilized to monitor patients with melanoma. TERT promoter mutations are common in various cancers and found in up to 70 % of melanomas, including half of BRAF wildtype cases. Therefore, a sensitive method for detection of TERT promoter mutations would increase the number of patients that could be monitored through ctDNA analysis.

Methods:

A droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay was designed for the concurrent detection of chr5:1,295,228 C > T and chr5:1,295,250 C > T TERT promoter mutations. The assay was validated using 39 melanoma cell lines and 22 matched plasma and …

Meta-Regression: Prognostic Models As Objective Predictors Of Mortality Among Icu Cancer Patients, Sheila Donnell

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) may be experiencing complications of disease or treatment-related effects. While acute complications related to disease and/or its therapeutic management vary in severity, the approach to ICU-centered care is complicated by actual versus perceived risks of poor outcomes. Prognostic models that inform clinical judgment of nurses and physicians may prove helpful in this population. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) are ICU-based models predicting 30-day mortality among the general ICU population. Although studies have been …