The possible relation of sex chromosome aneuploidy to breast cancer risk in men, and to cancer risk generally, needs further investigation. »
01/08/13

Diabetic patients have a higher risk of bladder cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Theoretically, BPH patients may have an increased risk of bladder cancer because residual urine in the bladder surely increases the contact time between urinary excreted carcinogens and the urothelium. However, whether BPH increases bladder cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been studied. »
12/30/12

There are no reliable biomarkers for diagnosis, prediction of outcome or treatment effect monitoring for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), which is a uniquely prevalent cancer in Taiwan. In the present study, 128 primary UTUC specimens of various grades and primary tumor status were examined for the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in tumor and stroma tissues aiming to clarify the association of COX-2 expression with clinical outcomes in Taiwanese patients with UTUC. »
12/21/12

Tissue factor (TF) pathway inhibitor-1 (TFPI) is expressed in several malignant tissues- and cell lines and we recently reported that it possesses anti-tumor effects in breast cancer cells, indicating a biological role of TFPI in cancer. The two main splice variants of TFPI; TFPIalpha and TFPIbeta, are both able to inhibit TF-factor VIIa (FVIIa) activity in normal cells, but only TFPIalpha circulates in plasma. The functional importance of TFPIbeta is therefore largely unknown, especially in cancer cells. We aimed to characterize the expression and function of TFPIalpha, TFPIbeta, and TF in a panel of tumor derived breast cancer cell lines in comparison to normal endothelial cells. »
01/15/13

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exhibits strong intrinsic and acquired drug resistance which is the main obstacle to chemotherapy. Overexpression of ATP binding cassette (ABC) proteins correlates with activation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in HCC. Here, we systematically investigated the inhibition of MAPK pathway and its role in regulating HCC cell growth as well as ABC proteins MRP1 and MRP3 expression. »
01/15/13

Different types of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) are known to be involved in carcinogenesis. Several studies have emphasized the formation of ROMs in ischemic tissues and in cases of inflammation. The increased amounts of ROMs in tumor tissues can either be because of their causative effects or because they are produced by the tumor itself. Our study aimed to investigate and compare the levels of ROMs in tumor tissue and adjacent lung parenchyma obtained from patients with lung cancer. »
01/17/13

Loss of the retinoblastoma protein tumor suppressor gene (RB) coding for a nuclear phosphoprotein that regulates the cell cycle is found in many human cancers and probably leads to disruption of the p16-cyclin D1-CDK4/6-RB pathway. Cyclin D1 is known to activate CDK4, which then phosphorylates the RB protein, leading to cell cycle progression. p16 inhibits CDK4, keeping RB hypophosphorylated and preventing cell cycle progression. The significance of these three markers, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p16, for breast cancer and carcinogenesis is nevertheless still controversial. »
01/21/13

Studies evaluating the association between alcohol intake and ovarian carcinoma (OC) are inconsistent. Because OC and ovarian borderline tumor histologic types differ genetically, molecularly and clinically, large numbers are needed to estimate risk associations. »
01/22/13

The use of standard chemotherapy regimens has changed the application of chemosensitivity tests from all chemotherapy-eligible patients to those who have failed standard chemotherapy, which includes patients with highly advanced, relapsed, or chemoresistant tumors. »
01/22/13

RhoB has been reported to exert positive and negative effects on cancer pathophysiology but an understanding of its role in breast cancer remains incomplete. Analysis of data from the Oncomine database showed a positive correlation between RhoB expression and positivity for both the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERalpha) and the Progesterone Receptor (PR). »
01/22/13