Cancer
-
Promoter hypermethylation is an important mechanism for silencing tumor-suppressor genes in cancer and a promising tool for development of molecular biomarkers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of RAS association domain family protein 1A (RASSF1A) promoter hypermethylation in bronchial aspirates of patients with suspected lung cancer and to test whether this type of methylation assay could be used as a diagnostic adjunct to conventional cytology. ⋯ The QMSP analysis of RASSF1A hypermethylation enabled a highly specific distinction between patients diagnosed with lung cancer and those with nonneoplastic lung disease. These results suggested that a QMSP assay is a promising molecular tool for diagnosis of primary lung cancer.
-
Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is an uncommon neoplasm arising from the olfactory mucosa. Because its cytopathology is largely limited to case reports, the goal was to evaluate a series of ONB cases, compare them with previously reported cases, and with a control group of pulmonary and cutaneous small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). ⋯ The cytopathology of metastatic ONB is nonspecific unless fibrillar neuropil is identified. Nonetheless, a cytopathologic diagnosis of metastatic ONB can be made with confidence in nearly all patients if a well documented history of ONB exists. Minus such a clinical context, aspirates of metastatic ONB may be mistaken for metastatic pulmonary small cell NEC, cutaneous neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma, and even small cell lymphoma.
-
Multicenter Study
Androgen-deprivation therapy as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer: data from Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE).
Prostate cancer is largely an androgen-sensitive disease. Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) generally has been used for patients with advanced disease. However, ADT is used increasingly as monotherapy for patients with clinically localized disease. The objective of the current report was to describe the characteristics of patients who underwent ADT for the management of localized disease. ⋯ The use of PADT therapy appeared to control disease in the majority of patients who received it, at least for an intermediate period. However, such patients appeared to be unique based on sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity status, and risk factors compared with patients who received other forms of therapy. The impact of PADT on quality of life needs to be compared with standard therapy, and its long-term durability should be assessed better in patients with prostate cancer.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Decitabine improves patient outcomes in myelodysplastic syndromes: results of a phase III randomized study.
Aberrant DNA methylation, which results in leukemogenesis, is frequent in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and is a potential target for pharmacologic therapy. Decitabine indirectly depletes methylcytosine and causes hypomethylation of target gene promoters. ⋯ Decitabine was found to be clinically effective in the treatment of patients with MDS, provided durable responses, and improved time to AML transformation or death. The duration of decitabine therapy may improve these results further.