Unraveling colorectal cancer prevention:The vitamin D-gut flora-immune system nexus

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the world.Although environmental and genetic factors play a major role in the pathogenesis of CRC,extensive research has suggested that vitamin D may play a pivotal role in the development of CRC.Vitamin D,primarily obtained through sunlight exposure,dietary sources,and supplements,has long been recognized for its essential functions in maintaining health,including immune regulation.This article delves into the intricate relationship between vitamin D,the immune system,gut flora,and the prevention of CRC.It presents a synthesis of epidemiological data,experimental studies,and clinical trials,highlighting the mechanisms by which vitamin D influences immune cell function,cytokine production,and inflammation.By enhancing the immune system’s surveillance and antitumor activity,vitamin D may offer a promising avenue for CRC prevention.Furthermore,this comprehensive review delves into the prospective clinical applications of vitamin D supplementation and delineates the forthcoming avenues of research in this dynamic domain.Additionally,the paper tentatively outlines a spectrum of prophylactic impacts of vitamin D on CRC,emphasizing its significant potential in reducing CRC risk through shedding light on its mechanisms,encompassing antineoplastic mechanisms,influences on the immune system,and modulation of the gut microbiome.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Challenges and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening and HPV Vaccinations in Ukraine and Eastern Europe

Objectives: To identify the obstacles and issues that hinder effective cancer prevention efforts in Ukraine. The study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the barriers to cancer prevention, including both infrastructure and behavioral factors, and identify potential solutions to address these challenges. Study Design: Comprehensive literature review. Methods: The following databases were searched: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health). The keywords used in the search included “Cervical Cancer”, “Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (HPV)”, “Ukraine”, “Eastern Europe”, “Healthcare Infrastructure in Disasters”, “Cervical Cancer Prevention”, “Pap Smear”, and “HPV Testing”. Results: A total of 3500 articles were screened. A total of 65 articles met the inclusion criteria. Limited public awareness and limited access to vaccination and screening, combined with inadequate treatment facilities lead to higher rates of cervical cancer. The COVID pandemic, war with Russia, and the Chernobyl disaster are significant factors for the low level of vaccination in Ukraine. Conclusion: The prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in Ukraine face significant challenges due to the inadequate HPV vaccination rates and screening by cytology. Efforts to improve funding and increase education of both the population and health care providers are necessary to increase interventions such as HPV vaccination, cervical cytology, and HPV testing to reduce cervical cancer rates in Ukraine.

External validation of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer risk calculators in a Chinese cohort

Several prediction models have been developed to estimate the outcomes of prostate biopsies. Most of these tools were designed for use with Western populations and have not been validated across different ethnic groups. Therefore, we evaluated the predictive value of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial （PCPT） and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer （ERSPC） risk calculators in a Chinese cohort. Clinicopathological information was obtained from 495 Chinese men who had undergone extended prostate biopsies between January 2009 and March 2011. The estimated probabilities of prostate cancer and high-grade disease （Gleason 〉6） were calculated using the PCPT and ERSPC risk calculators. Overall measures, discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness were assessed for the model evaluation. Of these patients, 28.7% were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 19.4% had high-grade disease. Compared to the PCPT model and the prostate-specific antigen （PSA） threshold of 4 ng m1-1, the ERSPC risk calculator exhibited better discriminative ability for predicting positive biopsies and high-grade disease （the area under the curve was 0.831 and 0.852, respectively, P〈O.01 for both）. Decision curve analysis also suggested the favourable clinical utility of the ERSPC calculator in the validation dataset. Both prediction models demonstrated miscalibration： the risk of prostate cancer and high-grade disease was overestimated by approximately 20% for a wide range of predicted probabilities. In conclusion, the ERSPC risk calculator outperformed both the PCPT model and the PSA threshold of 4 ng ml- z in predicting prostate cancer and high-grade disease in Chinese patients. However, the prediction tools derived from Western men significantly overestimated the probability of prostate cancer and high-grade disease compared to the outcomes of biopsies in a Chinese cohort.

The Changes in the Awareness of Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Acceptability of HPV Vaccines among Women after Their Introduction in China

Cervical cancer is a form of malignant tumor that seriously threatens women’s health. In China,according to the cancer statistics, 98,900 new cervical cancer cases and 30,500 deaths due to cervical cancer were estimated to have occurred in2015, and the incidence and mortality rates still exhibited an upward trend[1].

Natural products for cancer prevention associated with Nrf2–ARE pathway

Cancer chemoprevention involves the application of natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the risk of cancer development.One of the most effective strategies for preventing human cancers might involve inducing phase II detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant enzymes via natural dietary compounds.The regulatory regions of these inducible genes encode the antioxidant response element(ARE).Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),as a transcription factor,plays a key role in the expression of ARE-mediated genes.Similarly,Nrf2 performs an essential function in the up-regulation of these genes in response to oxidative stress and treatment with dietary phytochemicals.In this article,we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding the Nrf2/ARE pathway as a potential molecular target for cancer chemoprevention and its molecular regulation mechanisms,and highlight Nrf2/ARE inducers derived from natural products,which may be used as chemopreventive agents for cancer patients.©2013 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Chinese Anti-Cancer Association as a non-governmental organization undertakes systematic cancer prevention work in China

Cancer has become the first leading cause of death in the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Facing the increasing trend of cancer incidence and mortality, China issued and implemented ＂three-early（early prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment）＂ national cancer prevention plan. As the main body and dependence of social governance, non-governmental organizations（NGOs） take over the role of government in the field of cancer prevention and treatment. American Cancer Society（ACS） made a research on cancer NGOs and civil society in cancer control and found that cancer NGOs in developing countries mobilize civil society to work together and advocate governments in their countries to develop policies to address the growing cancer burden. Union for International Cancer Control（UICC）, Cancer Council Australia（CCA）, and Malaysian cancer NGOs are the representatives of cancer NGOs in promoting cancer control. Selecting Chinese Anti-Cancer Association（CACA） as an example in China, this article is to investigate how NGOs undertake systematic cancer prevention work in China. By conducting real case study, we found that, as a NGO, CACA plays a significant role in intensifying the leading role of government in cancer control, optimizing cancer outcomes, decreasing cancer incidence and mortality rates and improving public health.

Central Role of Innate B-Cell Immunity in Cancer Prevention

There are some forgotten items. There is a specific way to eradicate cancer cells at the very early stage of their appearance. Natural humoral immunity with CD5+ B-cell produced pentameric IgM to cancer associated glycans normally to eliminate arising cancer cells. This branch of innate immunity is decreasing with age and that is a basis for selective immunodeficieny which may be corrected. This area of research was well studied and proved by the team of Prof. Vollmers (Germany), but then forgotten for about 15 years.

Chiral polypeptide nanoparticles as nanoadjuvants of nanovaccines for efficient cancer prevention and therapy

The chirality of bioactive molecules is closely related to their functions.D-amino acids commonly distributed in the bacterial cell walls trigger a robust anti-infective immune response.Inspired by that,two kinds of chiral polypeptides,poly(L-phenylalanine)-block-poly(L-lysine)(PL-K)and poly(Lphenylalanine)-block-poly(D-lysine)(PD-K),were synthesized and used as nanoadjuvants of nanovaccines for cancer prevention and therapy.The amphiphilic polypeptides self-assembled into nanoparticles with a diameter of about 30 nm during ultrasonic-assisted dissolution in phosphate-buffered saline.The nanovaccines PL-K-OVA and PD-K-OVA were easily prepared by mixing solutions of PL-K or PD-K and the model antigen chicken ovalbumin(OVA),respectively,with loading efficiencies of almost 100%.Compared to PL-K-OVA,PD-K-OVA more robustly induced dendritic cell maturation,antigen cross-presentation,and adaptive immune response.More importantly,it effectively prevented and treated the OVA-expressed B16-OVA melanoma model.PD-K-OVA achieved a tumor inhibition rate of 94.9%and even 97.0%by combining with anti-PD-1 antibody.Therefore,the chiral polypeptide nanoparticles represent simple,efficient,and extensively applicable nanoadjuvants for various nanovaccines.

Unraveling the biological link between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer:Insights and implications

This article is a comprehensive study based on research on the connection between diabetes mellitus(DM)and prostate cancer(PCa).It investigates the potential role of DM as an independent risk factor for PCa,delving into the biological links,including insulin resistance and hormonal changes.The paper critically analyzes previous studies that have shown varying results and introduces mendelian randomization as a method for establishing causality.It emphasizes the importance of early DM screening and lifestyle modifications in preventing PCa,and proposes future research directions for further understanding the DM-PCa relationship.

The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention

Vitamin D,also known as cholecalciferol,is the precursor to the active steroid hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(calcitriol; 1,25(OH)2D3).The main physiological role for 1,25(OH)2D3 is to regulate calcium and inorganic phosphate homeostasis for bone health.More recently,vitamin D has been investigated for its effects in the prevention and treatment of a variety of diseases such as cancer,autoimmune disorders,and cardiovascular disease.Preclinical data strongly support a role for vitamin D in the prevention of cancer through its anti-proliferative,pro-apoptotic,and anti-angiogenic effects on cells.Epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown mixed data on the correlation between serum vitamin D levels and cancer risk.This report seeks to outline results from the most recent preclinical and clinical studies investigating the potential role of vitamin D in cancer prevention.

A systematic review of phytochemicals from Chinese herbal medicines for non-coding RNAs-mediated cancer prevention and treatment:From molecular mechanisms to potential clinical applications

Worldwide,cancer is a growing epidemic that results in large social and economic burdens.Despite advances in current diagnosis and treatment,most of the prognosis in cancer patients remains poor.It is urgent to find alternative therapies with effective cancer prevention and treatment.Chinese herbal medicines(CHMs)have been increasingly used worldwide for cancer prevention and treatment due to their privileged properties.CHMs are useful in the suppression of various types of cancers through different mechanisms of action.Non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs),including microRNAs,long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs,are closely involved in the cancer progression and development.Regulation of ncRNAs in tumor cells may be a useful pharmacological strategy for the cancer prevention and treatment.Substantial evidence exists that various phytochemicals from CHMs exert potent anticarcinogenic effects by regulating ncRNAs-related targets and signaling pathways.Herein,the purpose of this paper is to conclude the current understanding of phytochemicals from CHMs in ncRNAs-mediated cancer suppression and the molecular mechanisms.This review will help to provide beneficial clues related to the clinical use of CHMs in the cancer prevention and treatment and further promote new drug discovery against cancer.

Cancer: Education and Primary Prevention Starts in Childhood and Adolescence

At least one third of all newly diagnosed cancers could be prevented if lifestyle factors were changed. The University Cancer Center Dresden initiated two programs aiming at cancer awareness and intentions to engage in health-promoting behavior among children and adolescents. Study 1 examined sun protection knowledge of 80 preschool children in a non-randomized design and Study 2 inspected 235 7th grade students’ knowledge of cancer and its behavioral risk-factors as well as intentions on health-promoting behavior using a randomized pre-post design on group-level. Study 1 showed significant improvement of sun protection knowledge in preschool children (p 0.05). Study 2 was effective in increasing knowledge about risk factors for cancer (p 0.001) and in increasing intentions to engage in health-promoting behavior (p 0.001). Communicating health-related behavior in preschools as well as school-based programs targeting multiple cancer-related risk factors are promising tools for primary prevention of cancer.

Cancer risk stratification system and classification of gastritis:Perspectives

Kyoto global consensus reports that the current ICD-10 classification for gastritis is obsolete.The Kyoto classification of gastritis states that severe mucosal atrophy has a high risk of gastric cancer,while mild to moderate atrophy has a low risk.The updated Kimura-Takemoto classification of atrophic gastritis considers five histological types of multifocal corpus atrophic gastritis according to stages C2 to O3.This method of morphological diagnosis of atrophic gastritis increases sensitivity by 2.4 times for severe atrophy compared to the updated Sydney system.This advantage should be considered when stratifying the high risk of gastric cancer.The updated Kimura-Takemoto classification of atrophic gastritis should be used as a reference standard(gold standard)in studies of morphofunctional relationships to identify serological markers of atrophic gastritis with evidence-based effectiveness.The use of artificial intelligence in the serological screening of atrophic gastritis makes it possible to screen a large number of the population.During serological screening of atrophic gastritis and risk stratification of gastric cancer,it is advisable to use the Kyoto classification of gastritis with updated Kimura-Takemoto classification of atrophic gastritis.

Predicting Lung Cancers Using Epidemiological Data:A Generative-Discriminative Framework

Predictive models for assessing the risk of developing lung cancers can help identify high-risk individuals with the aim of recommending further screening and early intervention.To facilitate pre-hospital self-assessments,some studies have exploited predictive models trained on non-clinical data(e.g.,smoking status and family history).The performance of these models is limited due to not considering clinical data(e.g.,blood test and medical imaging results).Deep learning has shown the potential in processing complex data that combine both clinical and non-clinical information.However,predicting lung cancers remains difficult due to the severe lack of positive samples among follow-ups.To tackle this problem,this paper presents a generative-discriminative framework for improving the ability of deep learning models to generalize.According to the proposed framework,two nonlinear generative models,one based on the generative adversarial network and another on the variational autoencoder,are used to synthesize auxiliary positive samples for the training set.Then,several discriminative models,including a deep neural network(DNN),are used to assess the lung cancer risk based on a comprehensive list of risk factors.The framework was evaluated on over 55000 subjects questioned between January 2014 and December 2017,with 699 subjects being clinically diagnosed with lung cancer between January 2014 and August 2019.According to the results,the best performing predictive model built using the proposed framework was based on DNN.It achieved an average sensitivity of 76.54%and an area under the curve of 69.24%in distinguishing between the cases of lung cancer and normal cases on test sets.

Synthetic and immunological studies on the OCT4 immunodominant motif antigen-based anti-cancer vaccine

Objective:Cancer stem cell is one of the important causes of tumorigenesis as well as a drug target in the treatment of malignant tumor.However,at present,there is no immune vaccine targeting these cells.Octamer-binding transcription factor 4(OCT4),a marker of embryonic stem cells and germ cells,often highly expresses in the early stages of tumorigenesis and is therefore a good candidate for cancer vaccine development.Methods:To identify the optimal carrier and adjuvant combination,we chemically synthesized and linked three different OCT4 epitope antigens to a carrier protein,keyhole limpet hemocyanin(KLH),combined with Toll-like receptor 9 agonist(TLR9).Results:Immunization with OCT4-3+TLR9 produced the strongest immune response in mice.In prevention assays,significant tumor growth inhibition was achieved in BABL/c mice treated with OCT4-3+TLR9(P<0.01).Importantly,the results showed that cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity and the inhibition of tumor growth were enhanced in mice immunized with OCT4-3 combined with TLR9.Meanwhile,multiple cytokines[such as interferon(IFN)-γ(P<0.05),interleukin(IL)-12(P<0.05),IL-2(P<0.01),and IL-6(P<0.05)]promoting cellular immune responses were shown to be greatly enhanced in mice immunized with OCT4-3+TLR9.Moreover,we considered safety considerations in terms of the composition of the vaccines to help facilitate the development of effective next-generation vaccines.Conclusions:Collectively,these experiments demonstrated that combination therapy with TLR9 agonist induced a tumor-specific adaptive immune response,leading to the suppression of primary tumor growth in testis embryonic carcinoma.

The clinical use of interventional chemotherapy and intravesical instillation for preventing recurrence of superficial bladder cancer

Objective To study the therapeutic efficacy of combined interventional chemotherapy and intravesical instillation of mitomycin on preventing bladder cancers from recurring after local ablation. Methods 28 patients with superficial bladder cancers were randomized into combined interventional chemotherapy and intravesical instillation of mitomycin or intravesical instillation of mitomycin alone for preventing recurrence after local ablation. The result was assessed by x2 test. Results The patients have been followed up for 12-26 months (mean 21 months). 1 case has had tumor recurrence in the combined modality therapy group and 4 in the intravesical instillation alone group, the tumor recurrence rate being 7% (1/14) and 29% (4/14) respectively (P【0.05). Conclusion Combined use of interventional chemotherapy and intravesical instillation of mitomycin is effective in preventing superficial bladder cancer from recurring after local ablation with fewer adverse effects. The ragimen is not only reliable but

Bioprocessed Black Rice Bran Potentiates the Growth Inhibitory Activity of an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor against Murine Colon Carcinoma

This study determined the effect of orally fed polysaccharide-rich bioprocessed (fermented) black rice bran produced by culturing with shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushroom mycelium on CT-26 colon cancer cells in vivo in an intracutaneously transplanted mouse tumor alone and in combination with intraperitoneally administered anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor. Analysis of the isolated tumor weights at the end of the study shows that the average tumor size in control mice is 3.78 grams, and the average tumor size in mice treated with anti-PD-1 antibody is 2.16 grams. The average tumor size in mice treated with BRB-F alone is 2.25 grams, and the average tumor size in mice treated with anti-PD-1 antibody BRB-F combination is 1.38 grams. Thus, BRB-F or anti-PD-1 antibody alone each reduce tumor size by 40.5% or 42.9%, whereas the combination of BRB-F and anti-PD-1 antibody reduces tumor size by 63.5%, with their cooperative effect being statistically significant. The observed anti-tumor effects were accompanied by a series of biomarkers associated with cancer formation and inhibition. These results indicate that the reported potentiation of cancer therapy using drug-based medical chemotherapies with added checkpoint inhibitors in human patients are mechanistically similar with the functional food evaluated in the present study. These beneficial effects in mice challenge clinicians to investigate if the black rice bran food product can also protect against human cancer.

The effects of intravesical therapy with elemene in preventing postoperative recurrence of bladder cancer

To investigate the effects of intravesical therapy with elemene in preventing postoperative recurrence of superficial bladder cancer and its toxic and side effects.Methods This series included 123 patients with superficial bladder cancer (T1),consisting of transitional cell carcinoma GⅠ in 37 cases,GⅡ in 73 and GⅢ in 13.They all underwent surgical treatment.Postoperatively,they were randomly assigned to 2 groups;63 patients in elemene group received instillation of elemene (400 mg,once a week) 2 weeks after operation and 60 patients in mitomycin C (MMC) group received instillation of MMC (40 mg,once a week) 2 weeks after operation.The instillations were repeated for 6 weeks and thereafter monthly for 1 year.The recurrence rates,side effects,and NK cell activity before and after treatment were evaluated.Results The recurrence rate of elemene group (mean follow-up of 19.7 months) was 7.9% (5 cases),which was significantly lower than that (25.0%,15 cases) of MMC group (mean follow-up of 19.4 months;P<0.05).The side effect in elemene group (3.2%,2 cases) was significantly milder than that in MMC group (25.0%,15 cases)(P<0.05).In elemene group,the NK cell activity after treatment (28±2)% was significantly higher than that before treatment(20±2)%(P<0.05).Conclusion Instillation of elemene after operation is effective and safe in preventing postoperative recurrence of bladder cancer.8 refs.

Evaluation of computer aided detection during colonoscopy among Veterans:Randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND There has been significant interest in use of computer aided detection(CADe)devices in colonoscopy to improve polyp detection and reduce miss rate.AIM To investigate the use of CADe amongst veterans.METHODS Between September 2020 and December 2021,we performed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of CADe.Patients at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System presenting for screening or low-risk surveillance were randomized to colonoscopy performed with or without CADe.Primary outcomes of interest included adenoma detection rate(ADR),adenomas per colonoscopy(APC),and adenomas per extraction.In addition,we measured serrated polyps per colonoscopy,non-adenomatous,non-serrated polyps per colonoscopy,serrated polyp detection rate,and procedural time.RESULTS A total of 244 patients were enrolled(124 with CADe),with similar patient characteristics(age,sex,body mass index,indication)between the two groups.Use of CADe was found to have decreased number of adenomas(1.79 vs 2.53,P=0.030)per colonoscopy compared to without CADe.There was no significant difference in number of serrated polyps or non-adenomatous non-serrated polyps per colonoscopy between the two groups.Overall,use of CADe was found to have lower ADR(68.5%vs 80.0%,P=0.041)compared to without use of CADe.Serrated polyp detection rate was lower with CADe(3.2%vs 7.5%)compared to without CADe,but this was not statistically significant(P=0.137).There was no significant difference in withdrawal and procedure times between the two groups or in detection of adenomas per extraction(71.4%vs 73.1%,P=0.613).No adverse events were identified.CONCLUSION While several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated improved ADR and APC with use of CADe,in this RCT performed at a center with high ADR,use of CADe was found to have decreased APC and ADR.Further studies are needed to understand the true impact of CADe on performance quality among endoscopists as well as determine criteria for endoscopists to consider when choosing to adopt CADe in their practices.

The Influence of Organic and Conventional Food on Human Health

Organic food offers immense benefits to consumers as it contains a higher content of nutrients and antioxidants. The benefits of organic food over conventional products have been demonstrated by in-vitro experiments, whereby statistical analysis has shown that both types of food can have equivalent benefits. One of the important disadvantages of conventional food is that it contains heavy metals and also does not contribute toward prevention of cancer in consumers. It is not clear yet if consuming organic food combats obesity;we have attempted to gather some literature to clarify this aspect as well.