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At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources

Depressive symptoms after breast cancer surgery: relationships with global, cancer-related, and life event stress.

For women with breast cancer, rates of depression are the third highest of any cancer diagnostic group. Stress, defined as life events or perceptions of stress, is associated with depressive symptoms. However, little is known about the relationships between different types of stress and these symptoms in women with breast cancer. This relationship was tested in 210 women assessed after initial surgical treatment for regional breast cancer. Using Hierarchical Multiple Regression, three types of stress were examined: the occurrence of five stressful life events in the year prior to cancer diagnosis, perceptions of global stress, and perceptions of cancer-related traumatic stress. Other potentially relevant correlates of depressive symptoms were also examined, including the personality trait neuroticism, sociodemographics, and disease/treatment characteristics. Fifty-three percent of the variance in depressive symptoms was accounted for by three stress variables (perceptions of global and cancer-related traumatic stress and the life event-major financial difficulty) and two control variables (neuroticism and racial group). Specifically, global stress perceptions coupled with cancer-related intrusive thoughts and financial concerns along with the tendency towards negativity (neuroticism) may conspire to heighten a women's risk for depressive symptoms. Assessing multiple sources of stress would improve our ability to identify women 'at risk' for depressive symptoms and provide appropriate intervention.

Adult↗

Management of familial breast cancer. II. Case reports, pedigrees, genetic counseling, and team concept.

The lack of therapeutic progress, coupled with limitations in early breast cancer diagnostic surveillance, suggest the need for innovative control programs for this disease. We have provided certian practical criteria for prophylactic subcutaneous mastectomy based on family history, presence of precancerous diseases of the breast, and other breast cancer risk factors, and the attitudes, feelings, and emotional aspects of the patient, all of which temper decisions for the type of cancer surveillance program and/or prophylactic surgery.

Adult↗

Cancer survival rates and GDP expenditure on health: a comparison of England and Wales and the USA, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland in the 1990s.

Health funding is central to public health planning and clinical practice, hence this comparison of GDP health expenditure and five year post-diagnostic cancer survival rates of England and Wales with the USA and eight European countries. The three lowest proportional GDP health expenditures over the period 1980-1990 were Denmark, England and Wales, and Spain. The USA had the highest proportional GDP expenditure, followed by France, Germany, and The Netherlands. Overall the USA had the best cancer survival rates in the 14 sites reviewed, followed by Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Germany. The least successful were Spain, England and Wales, and Italy. In respect to the high incidence cancers, colorectal, lung, and female breast cancers, England and Wales survival rates were the poorest of all ten countries, followed by Denmark and Spain. Higher GDP health expenditure and longer survival rates for each gender were significantly correlated indicating a possible association between fiscal input and clinical outcomes, which poses problems for the development of effective public health.

Denmark↗

Combined detection of CEA, CK-19 and c-met mRNAs in peripheral blood: a highly sensitive panel for potential molecular diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Detection of tumor-related mRNA in blood has become a potential cancer diagnostic approach. However, the sensitivity of single-marker assays is not high enough for clinical applications. The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a multimarker panel for molecular diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 (CK-19), c-met and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) B1 mRNAs were quantified by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in 34 tumor tissues and 69 peripheral blood samples of NSCLC patients. RESULTS: All four markers displayed high overexpression rates (range 82.3-97.1%) in NSCLC tumors. When used as single markers in blood for NSCLC diagnosis, CEA, CK-19, c-met and hnRNP B1 could only reach sensitivities of 52.2, 50.7, 42 and 17.4%, respectively. However, the sensitivity was enhanced up to 85.5% when CEA, CK-19 and c-met were combined in a 3-marker panel. Moreover, the expression of c-met and hnRNP B1 in blood was significantly correlated with patients' pathological stages. CONCLUSIONS: The combined detection of CEA, CK-19 and c-met mRNAs in blood provided a valuable tool for molecular diagnosis of NSCLC. In addition, our results also suggested that hnRNP B1 was not a valuable diagnostic marker but a potential prognostic marker for NSCLC.

Actins↗

Inter-observer variation on registration of signals of cancer.

Previous studies have dealt with the role of seven warning signals of cancer in public health education and cancer diagnostics in general practice. Registrations of warning signals from medical records have some inconveniences common to most retrospective record studies. In the present inter-observer variation study it is found that agreement is good for warning signals in cancer patients when the warning signal has a probable connection with the disease. In control patients, and for more incidentally occurring warning signals in cancer patients, agreement is not so good. It seems that reproducible registrations from records are possible when there is a precise definition of what to look for and the data are relevant to the patient's disease. This study stresses the importance of good record keeping in medical practice.

Adolescent↗

Chlorin e6-polyvinylpyrrolidone as a fluorescent marker for fluorescence diagnosis of human bladder cancer implanted on the chick chorioallantoic membrane model.

The use of fluorescence diagnosis as a modern cancer diagnostic modality is rapidly gaining importance in the field of urology. It is based on the detection of distinctive light emission of tissues sensitized by fluorescent dyes, commonly referred to as photosensitizers, after irradiation with a specific light source. Therefore, the search for specific fluorescent dyes with high sensitivity and specificity for bladder cancer is constantly being sought after. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of a new formulation consisting a mixture of chlorin e6 and polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ce6-PVP) for the detection of human bladder cancer cells (MGH) implanted on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Uptake kinetics studies were quantitatively determined for both systemic and topical administrations of Ce6-PVP to the normal CAM as well as the MGH human bladder tumor implanted on CAM using fluorescence imaging technique. Rapid elimination of Ce6-PVP was displayed following topical application compared to systemic administration in the normal CAM system. Ce6-PVP was found to localize selectively in the xenografted bladder tumor in contrast to the CAM tissue. Neither dark toxicity nor irritancy was observed on the CAM tissue at the dose of 2 mg/kg Ce6-PVP. In conclusion, the Ce6-PVP formulation appeared to have the potential as a fluorescent marker for fluorescence diagnosis of human bladder cancer.

Animals↗

The clinical value of the determinations in the serum of zinc concentration in women with breast cancer.

The clinical usefulness of the determinations of the zinc serum concentration at different stages of the breast cancer diagnostic process was evaluated in the present work. On the basis of the analysis of 182 women surgically treated because of this neoplasm, a statistically significant dependence was shown between the frequency of occurrence of hypozincemia and the progression of the cancer, its histological form, and the microscopic state of the axillary lymph nodes. The clinical usefulness was also shown by the determinations of the zincemia in the post-operative monitoring of patients with breast cancer. The critical value was also determined for the microelement concentration below which a statistically significantly high risk of occurrence of distant metastases appears.

Adult↗

Breast imaging. State-of-the-art.

The underlying goal of all breast imaging procedures is the detection of cancer. X-ray mammography places greatest emphasis on the disclosure of early, nonpalpable, curable cancer. Diagnostic ultrasonography stresses the differentiation of benign cysts from diagnostically indeterminate solid masses that require biopsy. Evolving experimental procedures such as transillumination light-scanning and magnetic resonance imaging currently are undergoing preliminary evaluation. An older procedure, thermography, seems to operate at a high level of effectiveness only for advanced cancer. Since x-ray mammography is the technique that has proven most successful in detecting early breast cancer, it is the standard to which all imaging alternatives must be compared.

Adult↗

[Conformity of cancerous diagnosis of serum-fluorimetry under the influence of carotenoid fluorescence].

We observed that carotenoid had sensitization for fluorescence of porphyrin as cancerous diagnostic technology was applied in clinic by serum-fluorimetry. The Forster theory was used in order to analyse sensitized fluorescence between carotenoid and porphyrin in this paper. Transfer characteristic between energy donor and energy acceptor was calculated and discussed its influence on cancerous diagnosis.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Prostate cancer: natural history and surgical treatment of localised disease.

In summary, there is increasing and convincing evidence that radical prostatectomy is effective in locally confined, poorly differentiated prostate cancer. Diagnostic efforts, therefore, should be targeted toward this disease and probably also, based on the natural history evidence, toward moderately differentiated disease, mainly Gleason score 7. It is unclear, at present, how this can be achieved. Further improvement of our diagnostic capabilities is urgently needed. Hopefully ongoing randomised studies comparing radical prostatectomy to surveillance and studies comparing radical prostatectomy to radiotherapy are urgently desired. The randomised screening studies, which are ongoing, will provide important information with respect to the effect of treatment. If prostate cancer mortality in those men who are randomised to screening turns out to be better than in those randomised to control, this will also be an indication of the effectiveness of treatment. Also, the screening studies and associated natural history studies based on serum repositories and follow-up in non-screened patients will provide important information with respect to the natural history of prostate cancer in relation to PSA and changes of PSA over time. Finally, quality of life with and without treatment will have to be evaluated, in a prospective manner, in multicentre settings according to validated criteria such as those presented by Litwin. The outcomes of such studies will have to be added as utilities to data relating to traditional endpoints such as cancer-specific and overall survival. In the meantime, clinical practice will be determined by the fact that the only way to cure prostate cancer is early diagnosis and aggressive management. Encouragement comes from the increasing volume of evidence showing that poorly differentiated disease can be eradicated as long as it is locally confined.

Europe↗

Small molecule alpha(v) integrin antagonists: novel anticancer agents.

The members of the integrin family are targets that potentially provide both therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities. Advances in the understanding of the signalling pathways, transcriptional regulation and the structure/function relationships of the adhesion molecules to extracellular matrix proteins have all contributed to these opportunities. The role of the integrins in pathological processes in both acute and chronic diseases, include ocular, cancer (solid tumours and metastasis), cardiovascular (stroke and heart failure) and inflammatory (rheumatoid arthritis) conditions. Various therapeutic candidates, including antibodies, cyclic peptides and peptidomimetics, have been identified. This review will focus on the key role of the alpha(v) integrin (alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(5)) in angiogenic processes in tumours, including its potential use in cancer diagnostics and therapy.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

Multi-functional polymeric nanoparticles for tumour-targeted drug delivery.

The use of nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles for anticancer therapeutics has great potential to revolutionise the future of cancer therapy. As tumour architecture causes nanoparticles to preferentially accumulate at the tumour site, their use as drug delivery vectors results in the localisation of a greater amount of the drug load at the tumour site; thus improving cancer therapy and reducing the harmful nonspecific side effects of chemotherapeutics. In addition, formulation of these nanoparticles with imaging contrast agents provides a very efficient system for cancer diagnostics. Given the exhaustive possibilities available to polymeric nanoparticle chemistry, research has quickly been directed at multi-functional nanoparticles, combining tumour targeting, tumour therapy and tumour imaging in an all-in-one system, providing a useful multi-modal approach in the battle against cancer. This review will discuss the properties of nanoparticles that allow for such multiple functionality, as well as recent scientific advances in the area of multi-functional nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics.

Animals↗

LightUp probes in clinical diagnostics.

The LightUp Probe technology has now matured and reached the phase where it has been implemented in commercial reagent kits, i.e. the ReSSQ product line. Several properties of the LightUp probes make them particularly suitable for clinical settings. For instance, extraordinary shelf life and a chemical stability that allows convenient fridge storage. The origin of the higher stability of LightUp probe kits compared to others, based on alternative probe technologies, is partly the relatively good stability of cyanine dyes but also the resistance towards nucleases and proteases of the synthetic DNA analogue peptide nucleic acid that is used as the sequence recognizing element in LightUp probes. It is clear from recent trends in the PCR amplification hardware technology that the instrumentation is becoming more flexible and less adapted for dedicated probe chemistries. This will pave the way for increased standardization in the field of DNA diagnostics and the development of cross-platform assays. In the present review the LightUp technology will briefly be presented and discussed. The utility of the technology will be illustrated by examples from cytomegalovirus quantification and monitoring of the viral load of the SARS Coronavirus. An example of cancer diagnostics by detection of altered gene expression patterns will also be shown.

DNA Probes↗

Population-based incidence and mortality cancer trends (1986-1997) from the network of Italian cancer registries.

The objective of this study was to analyse incidence and mortality cancer trends in the Italian Network of Cancer Registries (about 8,000,000 inhabitants) during the period 1986-1997. Included were 525,645 newly diagnosed cancers and 269,902 cancer deaths (subjects > 14 years). Joinpoints (points in time where trend significantly changes from linearity) were found and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) used to summarize tendencies. Overall cancer incidence increased in both sexes and cancer mortality significantly decreased (since 1991 among men). Lung cancer showed significantly decreasing incidence (EAPC = -1.4%) and mortality (EAPC = -1.6%) among men and increasing trends among women. In women, breast cancer incidence significantly increased (EAPC= +1.7%) and mortality decreased since 1989 (EAPC= -2.0%). Stomach cancer incidence and mortality decreased in both sexes. Prostate incidence sharply increased since 1991 and mortality decreased. Colon cancer incidence increased and rectum mortality decreased significantly in both sexes. Significant increases in incidence were also found for kidney (up to 1991 among men), urinary bladder, skin epithelioma, melanoma, liver (up to 1993 among men), pancreas, mesothelioma, Kaposi's sarcoma (up to 1995 among men), testis, thyroid, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and multiple myeloma. Mortality significantly decreased for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, oesophagus, liver (women), larynx (men), bone, cervix (since 1990), central nervous system, urinary bladder, thyroid, Hodgkin's lymphomas and leukaemias (men). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality increased in both sexes. In conclusion, most of the changes seen can be explained as the effect of changes in smoking habits and of the extension of secondary prevention activities. The Italian health care system will also have to cope with growing cancer diagnostic and therapeutic needs due to population ageing.

Age Distribution↗

Genome-based identification of diagnostic molecular markers for human lung carcinomas by PLS-DA.

Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) provides a sound statistical basis for the selection of a limited number of gene transcripts most effective in discriminating different lung tumoral histotypes. The potentialities of the PLS-DA approach are pointed out by its ability to identify genes which, according to current knowledge, are considered molecular markers for colon cancer diagnostics and classification. Indeed application of PLS-DA to in vivo data allowed identification of a set of genes able to discriminate primary lung tumours from colon metastases.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

APTIMA PCA3 molecular urine test: development of a method to aid in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) encodes a prostate-specific mRNA that has shown promise as a prostate cancer diagnostic tool. This report describes the characterization of a prototype quantitative PCA3-based test for whole urine. METHODS: Whole-urine specimens were collected after digital rectal examination from 3 groups: men scheduled for prostate biopsy (n = 70), healthy men (<45 years of age with no known prostate cancer risk factors; n = 52), and men who had undergone radical prostatectomy (n = 21). PCA3 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNAs were isolated, amplified, and quantified by use of Gen-Probe DTS400 Systems. Prostate biopsy results were correlated with the PCA3/PSA mRNA ratio, and PSA mRNA concentrations were used to normalize PCA3 signals and confirm the yield of prostate-specific RNA. Assay precision, specimen stability, and mRNA yield were also evaluated. RESULTS: The specimen informative rate (fraction of specimens yielding sufficient RNA for analysis) was 98.2%. In this clinical research study, ROC curve analysis of prebiopsy specimens yielded an area under the curve of 0.746; sensitivity was 69% and specificity 79%. Serum PSA assay specificity was 28% for this same group. PCA3 and PSA mRNAs were undetectable in postprostatectomy specimens except for one man with recurrent prostate cancer. Assay interrun CVs were < or =12%. Both mRNAs were stable in processed urine up to 5 days at 4 degrees C and after 5 freeze-thaw cycles. CONCLUSION: The APTIMA PCA3 assay combines simple specimen processing with precise assays and existing instruments and could add specificity to the current algorithm for prostate cancer diagnosis.

Aged↗

[Level of sialic acid in blood serum as a tumor marker].

In the recent quick development of cancer diagnostic methods, attention of researchers is focused onto tumor-derived compounds as possible markers of neoplasia. In this article we have reviewed researchers' opinions about sialic acid as a tumor marker. According to majority of researchers, blood sialic acid may be regarded as a useful marker for a variety of cancers although its specificity is not high.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Clinical impact and frequency of anatomic pathology errors in cancer diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: To the authors' knowledge, the frequency and clinical impact of errors in the anatomic pathology diagnosis of cancer have been poorly characterized to date. METHODS: The authors examined errors in patients who underwent anatomic pathology tests to determine the presence or absence of cancer or precancerous lesions in four hospitals. They analyzed 1 year of retrospective errors detected through a standardized cytologic-histologic correlation process (in which patient same-site cytologic and histologic specimens were compared). Medical record reviews were performed to determine patient outcomes. The authors also measured the institutional frequency, cause (i.e., pathologist interpretation or sampling), and clinical impact of diagnostic cancer errors. RESULTS: The frequency of errors in cancer diagnosis was found to be dependent on the institution (P < 0.001) and ranged from 1.79-9.42% and from 4.87-11.8% of all correlated gynecologic and nongynecologic cases, respectively. A statistically significant association was found between institution and error cause (P < 0.001); the cause of errors resulting from pathologic misinterpretation ranged from 5.0-50.7% (the remainder were due to clinical sampling). A statistically significant association was found between institution and assignment of the clinical impact of error (P < 0.001); the aggregated data demonstrated that for gynecologic and nongynecologic errors, 45% and 39%, respectively, were associated with harm. The pairwise kappa statistic for interobserver agreement on cause of error ranged from 0.118-0.737. CONCLUSIONS: Errors in cancer diagnosis are reported to occur in up to 11.8% of all reviewed cytologic-histologic specimen pairs. To the authors' knowledge, little agreement exists regarding whether pathology errors are secondary to misinterpretation or poor clinical sampling of tissues and whether pathology errors result in serious harm.

Diagnostic Errors↗