Oncology reports
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Cancer cells can escape antitumor immune responses by exploiting inhibitory immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoint therapy, mainly including anti‑CTLA‑4 therapy and anti‑PD‑1/PD‑L1 therapy, can enhance antitumor immune responses by blocking the inhibitory signals of the immune system. ⋯ Here, we review immune checkpoint inhibitors that prevent tumor immune escape and recent clinical studies of immune checkpoint therapy. We also compare the efficacy of different combination immunotherapies, describe how the relationship between the gut microbiome and immune system can determine the therapeutic outcomes for immune checkpoint inhibitors and introduce several novel immune checkpoints that are potential targets for antitumor immunotherapy in the future.
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Epigenetics is a discipline that studies heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve altering the DNA sequence. Over the past decade, researchers have shown that epigenetic regulation plays a momentous role in cell growth, differentiation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The main epigenetic mechanisms include the well-understood phenomenon of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and regulation by non-coding RNAs, a mode of regulation that has only been identified relatively recently and is an area of intensive ongoing investigation. ⋯ However, taken together, a wide variety of recent studies have suggested that miRNAs, piRNAs, endogenous siRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs are the most common regulatory RNAs, and, significantly, there is a growing body of evidence that regulatory non-coding RNAs play an important role in epigenetic control. Therefore, these non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) highlight the prominent role of RNA in the regulation of gene expression. Herein, we summarize recent research developments with the purpose of coming to a better understanding of non-coding RNAs and their mechanisms of action in cells, thus gaining a preliminary understanding that non-coding RNAs feed back into an epigenetic regulatory network.
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'Epigenetics' is defined as the inheritable changes in gene expression with no alterations in DNA sequences. Epigenetics is a rapidly expanding field, and the study of epigenetic regulation in cancer is emerging. Disruption of the epigenome is a fundamental mechanism in cancer, and several epigenetic drugs have been proven to prolong survival and to be less toxic than conventional chemotherapy. ⋯ Despite significant advances, challenges remain, including a lack of predictive markers, unclear mechanisms of response and resistance, and rare responses in solid tumors. Preclinical studies are ongoing with novel classes of agents that target various components of the epigenetic machinery. In the present review, examples of studies that demonstrate the role of epigenetic regulation in human cancers with the focus on histone modifications and DNA methylation, and the recent clinical and translational data in the epigenetics field that have potential in cancer therapy are discussed.
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We comprehensively reviewed the published scientific literature on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cancer and evaluated results based upon epidemiologic criteria of judgment: consistency of results, strength of association, dose response, molecular specificity, and biological plausibility. Sufficient data from 91 epidemiologic studies were available to examine the dose response of relative risk and level of NSAID intake for ten human malignancies. Dose response curves were fitted by exponential regression. ⋯ Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and increased prostaglandin biosynthesis correlates with carcinogenesis and metastasis at most anatomic sites. Preclinical investigations provide consistent evidence that both selective and non-selective NSAIDs effectively inhibit chemically-induced carcinogenesis of epithelial tumors. This review provides compelling and converging evidence that regular intake of NSAIDs that non-selectively block COX-2 protects against the development of many types of cancer.
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Review Comparative Study
External beam radiotherapy in bone metastatic prostate cancer: impact on patients' pain relief and quality of life.
Bone metastases are a severe problem in oncology, since they usually are associated with pain. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) has been, for many years, an important component of the treatment regimen to relieve pain. We have performed a clinical study to evaluate the relationship of response to EBRT in terms of pain relief and improvement in quality of life (QoL). ⋯ Forteen patients of 61 (23%) responders was alive at 12 months. Our results confirm the ability of EBRT to relieve bony pain in the majority of the cancer patients treated as measured by prospective analysis of pain scales prior to and after EBRT. Minimal side effects were experienced and QoL improved as shown by the results of the specific questionnaire.