3D-CRT腹部残留或转移性癌瘤的剂量学分析

目的 :探索一种减轻腹部残留或转移性癌瘤放疗毒副作用的放疗计划设计方法。方法 :用美国 TOPSlane治疗计划系统对 2 0例腹部残留或转移性癌瘤患者进行计划设计。结果 :与常规外照射相比较 ,适形放疗能有效避开周围正常组织 ,靶区剂量分布均匀 ,病灶体积越小 ,适形度越好。结论 :三维适形放射治疗 (3D- CRT)腹部残留或转移性癌瘤 ,毒副作用轻 ,疗效肯定。

The altered DNA methylation pattern and its implications in liver cancer

DNA methylation is the most intensively studied epigenetic phenomenon, disturbances of which result in changes ingene transcription, thus exerting drastic imparts onto biological behaviors of cancer. Both the global demethylation andthe local hypermethylation have been widely reported in all types of tumors, providing both challenges and opportunitiesfor a better understanding and eventually controlling of the malignance. However, we are still in the very early stage ofinformation accumulation concerning the tumor associated changes in DNA methylation pattern. A number of excellentrecent reviews have covered this issue in depth. Therefore, this review will summarize our recent data on DNA methy-lation profiling in cancers. Perspectives for the future direction in this dynamic and exciting field will also be given.

S100A4 in esophageal cancer:Is this the one to blame?

Metastasis is the main reason for cancer-related death.S100A4 is one of the key molecules involved in this event.Several studies have shown that overexpression of S100A4 in non-metastatic cancer cells can make them become metastatic,and knockdown of S100A4 in metastatic cancer cells can curtail their invasive nature.A study by Chen et al published in the World J Gastroenterol 18(9):915-922,2012 is a typical example.This study showed in vitro and in vivo evidence that S100A4 expression level determines the invasiveness of esophageal squamous carcinoma.Considering the fact that more than half of the cancer-related deaths are caused by malignancies derived from the digestive system and esophageal cancer is the 4th top contributor to this fraction,this study warrants more attention.

Detection of micrometastasis in peripheral blood by multi-sampling in patients with colorectal cancer

AIM: To evaluate the reverse transcriptase-PCR assay and multiple sampling for detection of cytokeratin-positive cells in peripheral blood of colorectal carcinoma patients and to investigate the clinical significance of micrometastasis in peripheral blood.METHODS: The expression of CK20 mRNA by RT-PCR was investigated in bone marrow, portal vein and peripheral blood in 58 colorectal cancer patients and 12 controls without known cancer. The peripheral blood was sampled twice at intervals of 3 d before operation. All the patients were followed up for one year.RESULTS: There was no positive expression of CK20mRNA in 12 volunteers. The positive expression of CK20mRNA was 77.6% (45/58) in bone marrow, and that in portal vein was 74.1% (43/58) of colorectal carcinoma patients.The positive expression of CK20mRNA cells in peripheral blood rose from 44.8% (26/58) to 69.0% (40/58) (P＜0.01).The total positivity of CK20mRNA expression in peripheral blood was similar to the positivity of CK20mRNA in bone marrow and portal vein. The positive rates became higher in later clinical stages than in early stages. The CK20mRNA positive patients had a higher relapse rate within one year than the CK20mRNA negative patients.CONCLUSION: Multiple blood sampling can increase the detection of tumor cells in peripheral blood by RT-PCR for CK20mRNA in colorectal carcinoma patients and it is as sensitive and specific as that of bone marrow and portal vein. This technique may be reliable and convenient to diagnose micrometastasis of colorectal carcinoma and has an important significance in determining the prognosis of cancer patients.

Prostate cancer and metastasis initiating stem cells

Androgen refractory prostate cancer metastasis is a major clinical challenge. Mechanism-based approaches to treating prostate cancer metastasis require an understanding of the developmental origin of the metastasis-initiating cell. Properties of prostate cancer metastases such as plasticity with respect to differentiated phenotype and androgen independence are consistent with the transformation of a prostate epithelial progenitor or stem cell leading to metastasis. This review focuses upon current evidence and concepts addressing the identification and properties of normal prostate stem or progenitor cells and their transformed counterparts.

Correlation between expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and the presence of inflammatory cells in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma: Possible role in tumor promotion and angiogenesis

AIM： To investigate the association of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） expression with angiogenesis and the number and type of inflammatory cells （macrophages/Kupffer cells; mast cells） within primary hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） tissues and adjacent non-tumorous （NT） tissues. METHODS： Immunohistochemistry for COX-2, CD34, CD68 and mast cell tryptase （MCT） was performed on 14 well-characterized series of liver-cirrhosis-associated HCC patients. COX-2 expression and the number of inflammatory cells in tumor lesions and surrounding liver tissues of each specimen were compared. Moreover, COX-2, CD34 staining and the number of inflammatory cells in areas with different histological degrees within each tumor sample were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS： The percentage of COX-2 positive cells was significantly higher in NT tissues than in tumors. COX-2 expression was higher in well-differentiated HCC than in poorly-differentiated tissues. Few mast cells were observed within the tumor mass, whereas a higher number was observed in the surrounding tissue, especially in peri-portal spaces of NT tissues. Abundant macrophages/ Kupffer cells were observed in NT tissues, whereas the number of cells was significantly lower in the tumor mass. However, a higher cell number was observed in the welldifferentiated tumor and progressively decreased in relation to the differentiation grade. Within the tumor, a positive correlation was found between COX-2 expression and the number of macrophages/Kupffer cells and mastcells. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between CD34 and COX-2 expression in tumor tissues. Comparison between well- and poorly-differentiated HCC showed that the number of CD34-positive cells decreased with dedifferentiation. However, COX-2 was the only independent variable showing a positive correlation with CD34 in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION： The presence of inflammatory cells and COX-2 expression in liver tumor suggests a possible relationship with tumor angiogenesis. COX-2 expressing cells and the number of macrophages/Kupffer cells and mast cells decrease with progression of the disease.

Liver angiogenesis: tumor host interaction in non-metastatic colorectal cancer

Objective: Angiogenesis is a crucial step for tumor growth and progression. Changes of liver angiogenesis (without metastatic invasion) in response to primary tumors are not known. The aim of the study was to investigate the liver angiogenesis in non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Human colorectal adenocarcinoma tumors were grown subcutaneously in nude mice. All animals showed tumor growth locally without macroscopic or microscopic evidence of liver metastases. Livers were investigated for their microvessel density (MVD) at different stages of tumor growth (as small, medium, and large-sized tumors). Normal non-tumor-bearing mice served as controls. To assess MVD, two endothelial cell markers (anti-CD34 and -CD31 antibodies), image analysis, and immunofluorescent technique were utilized. Enumeration of positive stained endothelial cells revealed the MVD. Results: Non-metastatic livers showed increased levels of MVD vs. control. Moreover, levels of MVD were higher in small and medium-sized tumor groups versus large sized tumor groups. Conclusion: The present data indicate that angiogenesis in the liver is induced in early-stages of CRC. However, this effect is suppressed with advanced tumor growth. These results provide an additional rationale for including antiangiogenic therapy in the treatment of early stages of CRC.

A study of liposomal doxorubicin modified by tumor metastasis targeting peptide for its specificity to highly metastatic breast cancer cells

Tumor metastasis emerges as a crucial target for tumor therapy. In this study, a tumor metastasis targeting peptide（TMT） was conjugated to a lipid material（PEG-DSPE） to obtain the targeting compound（TMT-PEG-DSPE）, which was used to construct the targeted liposomal doxorubicin（TMT-LS-DOX）. We showed that TMT-LS-DOX presented satisfactory pharmaceutical characteristics. This metastasis-specific delivery system was tested in two highly metastatic breast cancer cell lines（MDA-MB-435S and MDA-MB-231） with a non-metastatic breast cancer cell line（MCF-7） as the control. The free TMT peptide itself showed no cytotoxicity even at the concentration of 100 μg/mL. Importantly, the enhanced cellular uptake of TMT-LS-DOX to both MDA-MB-435S and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was demonstrated as compared to MCF-7 cells, via a TMT-mediated mechanism demonstrated by a receptor competition study. In conclusion, the TMT modified nanocarriers might provide a strategy to enhance the specificity of chemotherapeutic agents to highly metastatic breast cancer.

QAP21 reduces stemness and mobility of metastatic breast cancer cells involving D1DR activation

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women mainly due to metastasis,which is closely related to cancer stemness.Evidence has shown that cancer stem-like cells(CSCs),which are responsible for cancer stemness,can be decreased by activating dopamine D1 receptor(D1 DR).In the present study,we aimed to explore the pharmacological effects as well as the underlying mechanisms of QAP21,a newly synthesized compound that can be orally administered,in metastatic breast cancer cells.Our results showed that QAP21 dose-dependently inhibited the ability of colony formation in 4 T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells.Cell mobility,including cell migration and invasion,was also remarkably inhibited.Besides,QAP21 significantly inhibited mammosphere formation and decreased CSC proportion,indicating reduced cancer stemness.We further verified that the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)/Akt/epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)pathway was markedly impacted by QAP21 treatment.Moreover,QAP21 up-regulated the expressions of D1 DR and its second messengers,including cAMP and cGMP,which can be increased when D1 DR is activated.SCH 23390,a specific D1 DR antagonist,partially or completely reversed the above-mentioned effects of QAP21,indicating that D1 DR activation might be involved in the underlying mechanism of QAP21.In summary,QAP21 effectively reduced breast cancer stemness and cell mobility,indicating its potential use for metastatic breast cancer therapy.