Emerging evidence suggests that members of the Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs) family, including IGF-I, IGF-II, the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), and the IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) play a central role in the development and progression of cancer. Cancer cells exhibit an increased and deregulated proliferative activity. Abnormalities in many positive and negative modulators of the cell cycle are also frequent in many cancer types. Recent advances in the understanding of cell-cycle control mechanisms have been applied to outline the molecular mechanism through which IGFs regulate cell cycle progression. In this review, we will provide a brief overview of the role of the IGF system as a regulator of some components of the cell cycle.

Animals↗

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New agents for the treatment of ovarian cancer: the next generation.

Ovarian cancer shares many important characteristics with more common malignancies including breast, lung, and colon cancer. The relative chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer and other aspects of its unique biology provide opportunities for novel interventions. In this brief summary, some of the potential targets in ovarian cancer are discussed, including the HER kinases, heat shock protein, the 26S proteasome, and the angiogenesis pathway. The opportunities to change the treatment of ovarian cancer will require creative clinical trial design but the next decade promises to be filled the therapeutic advances for patients with ovarian cancer.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

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Topotecan and liposomal doxorubicin in recurrent ovarian cancer: is sequence important?

A variety of agents have emerged to treat patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Most patients receive both topotecan (T) and liposomal doxorubicin (D); however, there are no data regarding the benefit of a sequence-D followed by T (DT) or T followed by D (TD). We identified 89 consecutive patients with recurrent EOC, who received both D and T from January 1994 to January 2004 at Memorial Hospital. We compared the duration of treatment, toxicity, and overall survival (OS) for patients who received either DT or TD. Sixty-four patients received DT, and 25 patients received TD. The groups were balanced regarding age, stage, surgical debulking, platinum sensitivity, prior therapy, and intervening drugs between D and T. Median numbers of cycles on DT and TD were seven and six, respectively (P= 0.61); there was no difference in duration based on platinum sensitivity. Removal from therapy for toxicity was similar, DT (22%) and TD (36%) (P= 0.18). Finally, there was no difference in median OS based on sequence, DT (18.28 months) and TD (17.75 months) (P= NS). Platinum sensitivity did not affect median OS based on sequence. Based on duration, toxicity, and OS there is no advantage of one sequence of D and T when treating patients with recurrent EOC.

Adenocarcinoma↗

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Sonographic measurement of the fetal iliac angle cannot be used alone as a marker for trisomy 21.

The fetal iliac wings angle was studied in 255 fetuses before amniocentesis at 16.7 weeks (+/- 1.3), using a sonographic axial view of the fetal pelvis. The measurement could be performed in 208 fetuses (81.6%), of whom 4 had trisomy 21 (T 21). The mean iliac angle was greater in fetuses with T 21 than in normal fetuses (69.8 degrees vs. 88.7 degrees; p = 0.03). This measurement is subject to significant intra- and interexaminer variability (interclass correlation coefficient: 0.65 and 0.23, respectively). When a 90 degrees value is used as a threshold, specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values are, respectively, 80, 75, 7. 0 and 99.4%. The 20% rate of false-positives rules out the use of this measurement as the sole criterion for the indication of amniocentesis for T 21 antenatal diagnosis.

Down Syndrome↗

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[Estimation of the frequency of reno-vascular hypertension among unselected hypertensives (author's transl)].

In practical terms the frequency of renovascular hypertension can only be measured from groups of hospitalized hypertensives, in which severe forms and young subjects are over-represented, thus leading probably to an overestimate. Using a group of 1 009 consecutively hospitalized hypertensives, the frequency of renovascular hypertension was measured in 18 subgroups defined by sex, age (three classes) and blood pressure (three classes). For each subgroup the specific rate was then multiplied by the prevalence of the corresponding category in the population of unselected 20-64 years old hypertensives. This method led to the following conclusions: about 2% of the unselected hypertensives would be candidates for surgical correction of renovascular hypertension and 0.5% would be cured.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied