British journal of cancer
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British journal of cancer · Nov 2015
Review Meta AnalysisOverall survival benefits of first-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Accumulating data shows that exon 19 deletions and L858R, both activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), are just two different entities in terms of prognosis and treatment response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). ⋯ In patients with advanced NSCLC harbouring exon 19 deletions, TKIs are associated with better OS compared with conventional chemotherapy. Future clinical trials should take exon 19 deletions and L858R as distinct disease entities and evaluate the treatment efficacy separately.
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British journal of cancer · Nov 2015
Comparative StudyInternational study of the place of death of people with cancer: a population-level comparison of 14 countries across 4 continents using death certificate data.
Where people die can influence a number of indicators of the quality of dying. We aimed to describe the place of death of people with cancer and its associations with clinical, socio-demographic and healthcare supply characteristics in 14 countries. ⋯ A large country variation in the place of death can partly be explained by countries' healthcare resources. Country-specific choices regarding the organisation of end-of-life cancer care likely explain an additional part. These findings indicate the further challenge to evaluate how different specific policies can influence place of death patterns.
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British journal of cancer · Sep 2015
WISP-2 in human gastric cancer and its potential metastatic suppressor role in gastric cancer cells mediated by JNK and PLC-γ pathways.
It has recently been shown that WISP proteins (Wnt-inducted secreted proteins), a group of intra- and extra-cellular regulatory proteins, have been implicated in the initiation and progression of a variety of tumour types including colorectal and breast cancer. However, the role of WISP proteins in gastric cancer (GC) cells and their clinical implications have not yet been elucidated. ⋯ Increased expression of WISP-2 in GC is positively correlated with favourable clinical features and the survival of patients with GC and is a negative regulator of growth, migration and invasion in GC cells. These findings suggest that WISP-2 is a potential tumour suppressor in GC.
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British journal of cancer · Jul 2015
Macrophage polarisation changes within the time between diagnostic biopsy and tumour resection in oral squamous cell carcinomas--an immunohistochemical study.
The prognosis of solid malignancies has been shown to depend on immunological parameters, such as macrophage polarisation (M1/M2). Recently, it was reported that preoperative oral surgery leads to a worsening of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) prognosis. Diagnostic incision biopsies are oral surgery procedures that might lead to healing-associated M2 macrophage polarisation with a potential negative influence on tumour biology. No studies have compared macrophage polarisation in OSCC biopsies and tumour specimens. ⋯ This study revealed for the first time an increase in M2 polarisation in samples obtained during OSCC tumour resection surgery compared with preoperative incision biopsies. The biopsy-induced tissue trauma might explain the observed shift in macrophage polarisation towards the tumour-promoting M2 type and could lead to accelerated tumour progression.
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British journal of cancer · Jul 2015
Preoperative neutrophil:lymphocyte and platelet:lymphocyte ratios predict endometrial cancer survival.
Variations in systemic inflammatory response biomarker levels have been associated with adverse clinical outcome in various malignancies. This study determined the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil:lymphocyte (NLR), platelet:lymphocyte (PLR) and monocyte:lymphocyte (MLR) ratios in endometrial cancer. ⋯ Both NLR and PLR are independent prognostic indicators for endometrial cancer, which can be combined to provide additional patient stratification.