The lancet oncology
-
The lancet oncology · May 2008
Review Comparative StudyCancer disparities in indigenous Polynesian populations: Māori, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific people.
Polynesia consists of several islands that are scattered across a vast triangle in the Pacific, and include New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Pacific islands. There are reported differences in the types of cancer and epidemiologies seen among communities in these islands, the reasons for which are diverse and complex. ⋯ Additionally, we document the current knowledge of the underlying biology of cancers in these populations, and report risk factors that differ between ethnicities, including smoking, viral infections, and obesity. Disparities in measures of health are highlighted, as are evident differences in knowledge of tumour biology and cancer management between majority and minority populations.
-
The lancet oncology · Apr 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyThe UK Standardisation of Breast Radiotherapy (START) Trial A of radiotherapy hypofractionation for treatment of early breast cancer: a randomised trial.
The international standard radiotherapy schedule for breast cancer treatment delivers a high total dose in 25 small daily doses (fractions). However, a lower total dose delivered in fewer, larger fractions (hypofractionation) is hypothesised to be at least as safe and effective as the standard treatment. We tested two dose levels of a 13-fraction schedule against the standard regimen with the aim of measuring the sensitivity of normal and malignant tissues to fraction size. ⋯ The data are consistent with the hypothesis that breast cancer and the dose-limiting normal tissues respond similarly to change in radiotherapy fraction size. 41.6 Gy in 13 fractions was similar to the control regimen of 50 Gy in 25 fractions in terms of local-regional tumour control and late normal tissue effects, a result consistent with the result of START Trial B. A lower total dose in a smaller number of fractions could offer similar rates of tumour control and normal tissue damage as the international standard fractionation schedule of 50 Gy in 25 fractions.
-
The lancet oncology · Apr 2008
Comparative StudyIntrinsic markers of tumour hypoxia and angiogenesis in localised prostate cancer and outcome of radical treatment: a retrospective analysis of two randomised radiotherapy trials and one surgical cohort study.
Expression of intrinsic markers of tumour hypoxia and angiogenesis are important predictors of radiotherapeutic, and possibly surgical, outcome in several cancers. Extent of tumour hypoxia in localised prostate cancer is comparable to that in other cancers, but few data exist on the association of extent of tumour hypoxia with treatment outcome. We aimed to study the predictive value of intrinsic markers of tumour hypoxia and angiogenesis in localised prostate cancer, both in patients treated with radiotherapy and in those treated surgically. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the largest study of intrinsic markers of hypoxia and angiogenesis in relation to the outcome of radical treatment of localised prostate cancer. Increased expression of VEGF, HIF-1 alpha, and, for patients treated with surgery, osteopontin, identifies patients at high risk of biochemical failure who would be suitable for enrolment into trials of treatment intensification.
-
The lancet oncology · Apr 2008
Genomic DNA hypomethylation as a biomarker for bladder cancer susceptibility in the Spanish Bladder Cancer Study: a case-control study.
DNA hypomethylation has been suggested to cause genomic instability and increase cancer risk. We aimed to test the hypothesis that DNA hypomethylation is associated with increased risk of bladder cancer. ⋯ For the first time, to our knowledge, we have shown in a large case-control study that leucocyte DNA hypomethylation is associated with increased risk of developing bladder cancer, and this association is independent of smoking and the other assessed risk factors. Amount of global methylation in genomic DNA could provide a useful biomarker of susceptibility to certain cancer types and further research is warranted.