Enthusiasm for laparoscopic surgical approaches to prostate cancer treatment has grown despite limited evidence of improved outcomes compared with open radical prostatectomy. We compared laparoscopic prostatectomy with or without robotic assistance vs open radical prostatectomy in terms of postoperative outcomes and subsequent cancer directed therapy. »
02/24/10

Tumours contain hypoxic regions that select for an aggressive cell phenotype; tumour hypoxia induces metastasis−associated genes. Treatment refractory patients with metastatic cancer show increased numbers of circulating tumour cells (CTCs), which are also associated with disease progression. The aim of this study was to examine the as yet unknown relationship between hypoxia and CTCs. »
02/02/10

Recent findings that human serum contains stably expressed microRNA (miRNA) have revealed a great potential of serum miRNA signature as disease fingerprints to predict survival. We used genome−wide serum miRNA expression analysis to investigate the role of serum miRNA in predicting prognosis of non−small−cell lung cancer (NSCLC). »
03/01/10

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF−ss) signaling via Smads plays a central role in carcinogenesis. Bmp and activin membrane−bound inhibitor (BAMBI) was initially described as a pseudoreceptor antagonizing TGF−ss receptor activation, thus impairing signaling. Here we wanted to estimate the role of BAMBI in ovarian cancer. »
02/25/10

Hypoxia is an important mechanism of treatment resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MicroRNAs are short noncoding RNAs that regulate multiple mRNAs and are frequently dysregulated in cancer. The authors have investigated the role of 3 microRNAs, including the hypoxia−induced hsa−miR−210, as potential markers of hypoxia or prognosis. »
02/24/10

Expression of sperm protein 17 (Sp17) mRNA has been reported in various malignancies. In an earlier study, we reported the upregulation of Sp17 transcripts in primary esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) using differential display and detected Sp17 transcripts in 86% of ESCCs by RT−PCR, whereas no transcripts were detected in the paired normal esophageal tissues. »
03/15/10

Amplification of the HER2 gene and over−expression of the HER2 protein in gastric cancer have been shown in a large number of studies. HER2 positivity can be detected in approximately 20% of patients, which is a characteristic associated with poor prognosis. »
02/25/10

The G−protein−coupled formylpeptide receptor (FPR) that mediates chemotaxis of phagocytic leucocytes induced by bacterial and host−derived chemotactic peptides is selectively expressed by highly malignant human gliomas and contributes to tumour growth and angiogenesis. As invasion of surrounding normal tissues is one of the important features of tumour malignancy, we investigated the function of FPR in the invasive behaviour of human glioblastoma cells. »
03/02/10

Glutathione S−transferases (GSTs) are polymorphic enzymes that are responsible for glutathione conjugation of alkylators and scavenging of free radicals created by radiation. GST polymorphisms may result in altered or absent enzyme activity and have been associated with survival in patients with cancer. The authors of this report hypothesized that patients with anaplastic glioma (AG) who have GST genotypes that encode for lower activity enzymes will have longer survival than similar patients who have higher activity genotypes. The current study was performed to investigate the role of GST enzyme polymorphisms in predicting the survival of patients with AG. »
02/24/10

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive brain tumor that, by virtue of its resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is currently incurable. Identification of molecules whose targeting may eliminate GBM cells and/or sensitize glioblastoma cells to cytotoxic drugs is therefore urgently needed. CD44 is a major cell surface hyaluronan receptor and cancer stem cell marker that has been implicated in the progression of a variety of cancer types. »
03/02/10