Nature reviews. Cancer
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Nature reviews. Cancer · Dec 2011
ReviewGastrointestinal stromal tumours: origin and molecular oncology.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are a paradigm for the development of personalized treatment for cancer patients. The nearly simultaneous discovery of a biomarker that is reflective of their origin and the presence of gain-of-function kinase mutations in these tumours set the stage for more accurate diagnosis and the development of kinase inhibitor therapy. ⋯ The study of drug-resistant tumours has advanced our understanding of kinase biology, enabling the development of novel kinase inhibitors. Further improvements in GIST treatment may require targeting GIST stem cell populations and/or additional genomic events.
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Abnormal choline metabolism is emerging as a metabolic hallmark that is associated with oncogenesis and tumour progression. Following transformation, the modulation of enzymes that control anabolic and catabolic pathways causes increased levels of choline-containing precursors and breakdown products of membrane phospholipids. ⋯ Because choline-containing compounds are detected by non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), increased levels of these compounds provide a non-invasive biomarker of transformation, staging and response to therapy. Furthermore, enzymes of choline metabolism, such as choline kinase, present novel targets for image-guided cancer therapy.
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Angiopoietins (ANGPTs) are ligands of the endothelial cell receptor TIE2 and have crucial roles in the tumour angiogenic switch. Increased expression of ANGPT2 relative to ANGPT1 in tumours correlates with poor prognosis. ⋯ This Review presents an encompassing picture of what we know about this important axis in tumour biology. The various options for therapeutic intervention are discussed to identify the best path forwards.
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Nature reviews. Cancer · May 2010
ReviewIntegrating high-throughput technologies in the quest for effective biomarkers for ovarian cancer.
Despite widespread interest, few serum biomarkers have been introduced to the clinic over the past 20 years. Each approach to ovarian cancer biomarker discovery has its own advantages and disadvantages and it seems likely that a global biomarker discovery platform that mines all possible sources for biomarkers might be more useful. Such data could be combined with information from relevant microarray data, bioinformatic analyses and literature searches. This proposed integrated systems biology approach has the potential to yield promising ovarian cancer markers for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of patients during therapy.
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Nature reviews. Cancer · Sep 2009
ReviewAvoidable global cancer deaths and total deaths from smoking.
On the basis of current consumption patterns, approximately 450 million adults will be killed by smoking between 2000 and 2050. At least half of these adults will die between 30 and 69 years of age, losing decades of productive life. ⋯ Tripling the taxes on tobacco could rapidly raise cessation rates and deter the initiation of smoking. Higher taxes, regulations on smoking and information for consumers could avoid at least 115 million smoking-associated deaths in the next few decades, including around 25 million cancer deaths.