International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer
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To identify genetic variants involved in prognosis of cutaneous melanoma (CM), we investigated associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes in the integrin signaling pathway with CM survival by re-analyzing a published genome-wide association study (GWAS) from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and then validated significant SNPs in another GWAS from Harvard University. ⋯ Incorporating NUGs with clinical variables showed a significantly improved ability to classify CMSS (AUC increased from 86.8% to 88.6%, p = 0.031). Genetic variants in the integrin signaling pathway may independently or jointly modulate the survival of CM patients. Further large, prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
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This study sought to investigate the prevalence of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its prognostic value in patients with residual tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for locally advanced breast cancer. A total of 309 patients considered as non-pathological complete responders (non-pCR) after NCT followed by mastectomy were selected. The expression of PD-L1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in residual breast cancer cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry in surgical specimens. ⋯ High expression of PD-L1 was correlated to worse survival, which is most significantly observed in triple-negative patients. Patients classified as PD-L1-high/CD8-low exhibited relatively unfavorable survival, whereas patients with either low expression of PD-L1 or high expression of CD8 had similar outcomes. PD-L1 expression in residual tumor can be used as a prognostic marker in non-pCR patients after receiving NCT for breast cancer, which highlights the importance of immune evasion in the therapeutic vulnerability of chemoresistant cancer cells as well as the potential of anti-PD-L1 treatments in non-pCR responders.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effects of statins on cancer mortality and progression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 95 cohorts including 1,111,407 individuals.
Statins have been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumor progression in cancer patients and statin use at the time of cancer diagnosis has been reported to be associated with reduced cancer risk and improved survival, irrespective of concomitant anti-cancer therapy. A systematic literature search of relevant databases through May 2015 was conducted to identify studies assessing the prognostic impact of statin use on prognostic outcomes in cancer patients. Literature search identified 95 cohort studies that met the inclusion criteria. ⋯ Subgroup analyses according to initiation of statins showed postdiagnosis statin users (HR 0.65, 95% Cl 0.54 to 0.79) gained significantly more recurrence-free survival benefit than prediagnosis statin users (HR 0.86, 95% Cl 0.77 to 0.96) (p for interaction = 0.018). Statin therapy has potential survival benefit for patients with malignancy. Further large-scale prospective studies emphasising survival outcomes of individual cancer type are strongly encouraged.
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We studied harms related to cervical cancer screening and management of screen-positive women in the United States (US) and the Netherlands. We utilized data from four US integrated health care systems (SEARCH), the US National Health Interview Survey, New Mexico state, the Netherlands national histopathology registry, and included studies on adverse health effects of cervical screening. We compared the number of Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests, abnormal test results, punch biopsies, treatments, health problems (anxiety, pain, bleeding and discharge) and preterm births associated with excisional treatments. ⋯ Thus compared to the less intensive screening practice in the Netherlands, US practice of cervical cancer screening may have resulted in two- to threefold higher harms, while the effects on cervical cancer incidence and mortality are similar. The results are also of high relevance in making recommendations for HPV screening. Systematic collection of harms data is needed for monitoring and for better incorporation of harms in making screening recommendations.
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Anti-EGFR antibodies are used for the treatment of RAS wild type metastatic colorectal cancer. We previously showed that EGFR gene copy number (GCN) predicts response to anti-EGFR therapy in KRAS exon 2 wild type metastatic colorectal cancer. The aim of our study was to analyse the predictive role of EGFR GCN in RAS/BRAF/PIK3CA wild type metastatic colorectal cancer. ⋯ In contrast, survival of RAS/BRAF/PIK3CA wild type, EGFR GCN below 4.0 patients did not differ from patients with mutant RAS, BRAF or PIK3CA. Our study indicates that EGFR GCN predicts anti-EGFR treatment efficacy in patients with RAS/BRAF/PIK3CA wt metastatic CRC. Tumours with EGFR GCN below 4.0 appear to be as refractory to anti-EGFR treatment as tumours with mutation in any of the RAS/RAF/PIK3CA pathway genes.