Oncol Lett
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a gadolinium-based contrast agent is the gold standard for high-grade gliomas (HGGs). The compound 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) undergoes a high rate of cellular uptake, particularly in cancer cells. In addition, fluorescence-guided resection with 5-ALA is widely used for imaging HGGs. 5-ALA is water soluble, while protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is water insoluble. ⋯ No significant differences were observed in the AO group. These results suggest that the 5-ALA-induced PpIX enhanced the T2 signal intensity in HGG. Therefore, 5-ALA may be a potentially useful MRI contrast reagent for HGG.
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Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor that is usually localized to the skull base, vertebral column and sacrum. The transcription factor brachyury, which is encoded by the T gene, has a critical role in the development and progression of chordoma, although the mechanisms underlying brachyury regulation remain unclear. The aim of the current study was to identify and characterize microRNAs (miRs) that regulate brachyury expression in chordoma. ⋯ These in vitro results indicated that miR-219-5p may have an important role in regulating the cell proliferation and clonogenicity of human chordoma cells, potentially by targeting brachyury. Furthermore, the associations between the expression levels of miR-219-5p and various clinicopathological factors were analyzed, and miR-219-5p expression was shown to correlate with tumor extent and recurrence. These results suggested that miR-219-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in chordoma and, therefore, that miR-219-50 may be a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
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Despite progress in breast cancer treatment, disparity persists in survival time between African American (AA) and Caucasian women in the US. Tumor stage and tumor grade are the major prognostic factors that define tumor aggressiveness and contribute to racial disparity between AA and Caucasian women. Studying the interaction of race with tumor grade or stage may provide further insights into the role of intrinsic biological aggressiveness in disecting the AA-Caucasian survival disparity. ⋯ Among women diagnosed with grade I tumors, the race disparity in survival time after controlling for tumor stage and age was strong (HR, 9.07; 95% CI, 2.11-38.95), but no significant AA-Caucasian disparity was observed among women with higher-grade tumors. The data suggest that, when diagnosed with grade I breast cancer, AA may experience poorer survival outcomes compared with Caucasian patients, regardless of tumor stage or age. The findings potentially provide significant clinical and public health implications and justify further investigation.
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It is well known that local anesthetics have a broad spectrum of pharmacological actions, acting as nerve blocks, and treating pain and cardiac arrhythmias via blocking of the sodium channel. The use of local anesthetics could reduce the possibility of cancer metastasis and recurrence following surgical tumor excision. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of lidocaine upon the invasion and migration of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 6 (TRPV6)-expressing cancer cells. ⋯ The results suggested that lidocaine inhibits the cell invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231, PC-3 and ES-2 cells at lower than clinical concentrations. The inhibitory effect of lidocaine on TRPV6-expressing cancer cells was associated with a reduced rate of calcium influx, and could occur partly as a result of the downregulation of TRPV6 expression. The use of appropriate local anesthetics may confer potential benefits in clinical practice for the treatment of patients with TRPV6-expressing cancer.
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Malignant transformation of an epidermoid cyst is rare. The current report presents a case of a 55-year-old female patient with squamous cell carcinoma arising from a benign epidermoid cyst in the left temporal region and prepontine area. She had undergone subtotal resection of an epidermoid cyst 7 months previously. ⋯ The patient underwent removal of the lesion and postoperative histological examination revealed a squamous cell carcinoma possibly arising from the epidermoid cyst. Accurate diagnosis of malignant transformation prior to operation is difficult; however, the possibility of an intracranial epidermoid cyst must be considered if a focally enhancing area is visible. Postoperative histological examinations may be used to determine a definite diagnosis, and accurate diagnosis is important for planning a rational therapeutic strategy.