Frontiers in Oncology

Altered cholesterol metabolism has been identified as a critical feature of cancers. Cholesterol functions as the main component of cell membrane, cholesterol and is required for sustaining membrane integrity and mediating signaling transduction for cell survival. The intracellular level of cholesterol is dynamically regulated. Excessive cholesterol could be converted to less toxic cholesteryl esters by acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferases (ACATs). While ACAT2 has limited value in cancers, ACAT1 has been found to be widely participated in tumor initiation and progression...

OBJECTIVE: This review aims to provide a quantitative and qualitative bibliometric analysis of literature from 2013 to 2023 on the role of exosomes in PC, with the goal of identifying current trends and predicting future hotspots. METHODS: We retrieved relevant publications concerning exosomes in PC, published between 2013 and 2023, from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer(1.6.19), CiteSpace(6.2.R4), and Microsoft Excel (2019)...

OBJECTIVE: Neoplastic gallbladder polyps (GPs), including adenomas and adenocarcinomas, are considered absolute indications for surgery; however, the distinction of neoplastic from non-neoplastic GPs on imaging is often challenging. This study thereby aimed to develop a CEUS radiomics nomogram, and evaluate the role of a combined grey-scale ultrasound and CEUS model for the prediction and diagnosis of neoplastic GPs. METHODS: Patients with GPs of ≥ 1 cm who underwent CEUS between January 2017 and May 2022 were retrospectively enrolled...

BACKGROUND: Cases of ALK-rearranged EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) transforming into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are rarely reported, and diagnosis is often delayed. The emergence of this transformation phenomenon is often regarded as a consequence of acquired resistance mechanisms. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old male diagnosed with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right middle lung (pT2N2M0, stage IIIA) achieved a 46-month progression-free survival (PFS) following surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy...

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among men in the United States. We examined the role of neighborhood obesogenic attributes on prostate cancer risk and mortality in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). METHODS: From the total of 34,166 SCCS male participants, 28,356 were included in the analysis. We assessed the relationship between neighborhood obesogenic factors [neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and neighborhood obesogenic environment indices including the restaurant environment index, the retail food environment index, parks, recreational facilities, and businesses] and prostate cancer risk and mortality by controlling for individual-level factors using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model...

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in certain genes influence risk of RMS. Although FOXO3 had been reported in multiple cancers including RMS, the role of FOXO3 polymorphisms in RMS remains unclear. In this case-control study, we evaluated the association of FOXO3 SNPs with RMS risk and prognosis in children. METHODS: Four FOXO3 SNPs(rs17069665 A>G, rs4946936 T>C, rs4945816 C>T and rs9400241 C>A) were genotyped in 110 RMS cases and 359 controls...

This study investigates breast cancer survival rates between 2000 and 2022 in northern Israel, focusing on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age at diagnosis, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Analyzing data from Clalit Health Services, we studied 8,431 breast cancer patients (6,395 Jewish, 2,036 Arab). We compared five- and ten-year survival rates across different demographics. Ethnicity showed a minor impact on survival (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.93 - 1.35). Socioeconomic status had a significant effect, with a higher level of improving survival (OR 2...

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of the first hepatic hilum lesion, and examine its clinical value of diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on patients diagnosed with the first hepatic hilum lesions at Fujian Provincial Hospital between February 2015 and October 2022. We selected patients who had lesions in the first hepatic hilum(including a 2cm surrounding area of the left/right hepatic ducts and upper-middle segment of the common bile duct) and the liver periphery(in the peripheral area of the liver, outside of the above-mentioned first hepatic porta region)...

BACKGROUND: Molecular testing plays a pivotal role in monitoring measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), aiding in the refinement of risk stratification and treatment guidance. Wilms tumor gene 1 ( WT1 ) is frequently upregulated in pediatric AML and serves as a potential molecular marker for MRD. This study aimed to evaluate WT1 predictive value as an MRD marker and its impact on disease prognosis. METHODS: Quantification of WT1 expression levels was analyzed using the standardized European Leukemia Network real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay (qRT-PCR) among a cohort of 146 pediatric AML patients...

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a sub-classification of breast carcinomas, which leads to poor survival outcomes for patients. TNBCs do not possess the hormone receptors that are frequently targeted as a therapeutic in other cancer subtypes and, therefore, chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for TNBC. Nuclear envelope proteins are frequently dysregulated in cancer cells, supporting their potential as novel cancer therapy targets. The Lem-domain (Lem-D) (LAP2, Emerin, MAN1 domain, and Lem-D) proteins are a family of inner nuclear membrane proteins, which share a ~45-residue Lem-D...

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) stands as the most prevalent form of urogenital cancer. However, there is currently no universally accepted method for predicting the prognosis of RCC. MiRNA holds great potential as a prognostic biomarker for RCC. METHODS: A total of 100 cases with complete paraffin specimens and over 5-year follow-up data meeting the requirements were collected. Utilizing the clinical information and follow-up data of the specimens, an information model was developed...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) combined with systemic therapy to systemic therapy alone as first-line treatment for unresectable patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). METHODS: From December 2017 to December 2022, patients with unresectable CRLM who received systemic therapy with or without DEB-TACE as first-line treatment were included in the study...

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing chemotherapy often encounter troubling and common side effects, notably Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). This side effect not only impairs the patient's quality of life but could also result in the interruption or discontinuation of the chemotherapy treatment. Consequently, research into CINV has consistently remained a focal point in the realm of clinical medicine. In this research domain, bibliometric analysis has not been conducted. The purpose of this study is to deliver a thorough summary of the knowledge framework and key areas of interest in the field of Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, using bibliometric methods...

INTRODUCTION: High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) are known to contribute to cervical cancer (CC), but the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in this process remains unclear, despite EBV's widespread detection in premalignant and malignant cervical tissues. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study of 258 cervical samples, including both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fresh cervical tissues, the presence and viral load of HR-HPVs (HPV-16 and HPV-18) and EBV were evaluated in Iranian women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and a cervicitis control group using real-time PCR...

INTRODUCTION: Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) face elevated risks of human papillomavirus (HPV) acquisition and cervical cancer (CC). Coverage of CC screening and treatment remains low in low-and-middle-income settings, reflecting resource challenges and loss to follow-up with current strategies. We estimated the health and economic impact of alternative scalable CC screening strategies in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a region with high burden of CC and HIV. METHODS: We parameterized a dynamic compartmental model of HPV and HIV transmission and CC natural history to KwaZulu-Natal...

BACKGROUND: The current standard of radiotherapy for inoperable locally advanced NSCLCs with single fraction doses of 2.0 Gy, results in poor outcomes. Several fractionation schedules have been explored that developed over the past decades to increasingly more hypofractionated treatments. Moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy, as an alternative treatment, has gained clinical importance due to shorter duration and higher patient convenience. However, clinical trials show controversial results, adding to the need for pre-clinical radiobiological studies of this schedule...

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the digestive tract, with the potential to metastasize. Metastases to bone and soft tissue are more frequent in advanced cases, where targeted therapy is the standard treatment. However, around 10-15% of patients develop disease progression despite treatment. Studies have shown the efficacy of ablation in managing bone and soft tissue metastases (1, 2), but there are no reports of ablation for treating GIST bone or soft tissue metastases...

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to investigate whether the stem cell marker LGR6 has prognostic value in colon cancer, alone or in combination with the prognostic biomarkers CEA and CXCL16. METHODS: LGR6 mRNA levels were determined in 370 half lymph nodes of 121 colon cancer patients. Ability to predict relapse after curative surgery was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival model and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Patients with high LGR6 levels [LGR6(+)] had a decreased mean survival time of 11 months at 5-year follow-up and 47 months at 12-year follow-up, respectively, with hazard ratios of 3...

Cancer treatment is associated with long lasting cognitive impairment in cancer survivors. This cognitive impairment is often termed cancer related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Cancer survivors treated for tumors outside the central nervous system are increasingly diagnosed with CRCI. The development of strategies to mitigate the negative effects of cancer treatment on the brain are crucial. Although neuroimaging research has proposed several candidate mechanisms, the pathogenic underpinnings of CRCI remain uncertain...

OBJECTIVE: Despite the lack of prospective evidence for the perioperative use of dexamethasone in meningioma surgery, its use is well established in the daily routine of several centers. The present study evaluates the effect of dexamethasone on postoperative complications, peritumoral T2/FLAIR hyperintensity, and progression-free survival in patients with supratentorial meningiomas undergoing resection. METHODS: A total of 148 patients who underwent resection of a primary sporadic supratentorial meningioma at the authors' institution between 2018 and 2020 were included in this retrospective cohort...