• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1363-1367
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• 2014

This research was conducted to compare differences in colon cancer lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) with D2-40 antibody labeling and regular HE staining, blood vessel invasion (BVI) with CD34 antibody labeling and HE staining and to assess the possibility of using D2-40-LVI/CD34-BVI in combination for predicting stage II colon cancer prognosis and guiding adjuvant chemotherapy.Anti-D2-40 and anti-CD34 antibodies were applied to tissue samples of 220 cases of stage II colon cancer to label lymphatic vessels and small blood vessels, respectively. LVI and BVI were assessed and multivariate COX regression analysis was performed for associations with colon cancer prognosis. Regular HE staining proved unable to differentiate lymphatic vessels from blood vessels, while D2-40 selectively labeled lymphatic endothelial cell cytosol and CD34 was widely expressed in large and small blood vessels of tumors as well as normal tissues. Compared to regular HE staining, D2-40-labeling for LVI and CD34-labeling for BVI significantly increased positive rate (22.3% vs 10.0% for LVI, and 19.1% vs 9.1% for BVI). Multivariate analysis indicated that TNM stage, pathology tissue type, post-surgery adjuvant chemotherapy, D2-40-LVI, and CD34-BVI were independent factors affecting whole group colon cancer prognosis, while HE staining-BVI, HE staining-LVI were not significantly related. When CD34-BVI/D2-40-LVI were used in combination for detection, the risk of death for patients with two or one positive results was 5.003 times that in the LVI(-)&BVI(-) group (95% CI 2.365 - 9.679). D2-40 antibody LVI labeling and CD34 antibody BVI labeling have higher specificity and accuracy than regular HE staining and can be used as molecular biological indicators for prognosis prediction and guidance of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4125-4128
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• 2014

The median ages at death from cancers between 1985 and 2005 were calculated to demonstrate that inherent anticancer mechanisms may be a common pathway for different cancers. Seventy-eight patients with gastric, liver and lung cancers, were recruited in the solid cancer group. The leukemia group consisted of 31 patients with three main types of leukemia. The controls were 100 healthy individuals. The samples were typed using an HLA-DR/DQ PCR-SSP typing kit. The results showed that the median ages at death from all causes were 64.7 years in 1985 and 70.1 years in 2005. The range of the median ages at death from all cancers was similar to the corresponding value for deaths attributed to all causes. The frequency of $DRB1^*03$ was 9.6% in the solid cancer group and 3.0% in the control group (p<0.05). The frequency of $DRB1^*04$ in the leukemia group were significantly lower than that of the control (p<0.05). $DRB1^*13$ and $DRB1^*06$ frequencies in the leukemia group were significantly higher than those of the controls (p<0.05). It is suggested that inherent anti-cancer mechanisms may be a common pathway for different cancers and are associated with the immune system and HLA.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.225-229
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• 2016

Background: It is important to validate scales related to cancer screening beliefs in order to better understand perceptions. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the colorectal cancer screening belief scale based on Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 600 persons referred to outpatient laboratory units in Iran through a convenience sampling procedure. In this cross-sectional study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine construct validity of scale. Results: Through exploratory factor analysis, 52 items of the scale converged to five constructs of HBM with 4 items omission. Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis through which correlated model was supported. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was obtained as 0.78, which indicates reliability of the scale. Conclusions: The study findings showed that this scale is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used for measuring HBM constructs about colorectal cancer screening with the fecal occult blood test.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2010

Epidemiological evidence of the effects of dietary sodium, calcium, and potassium, and anthropometric indexes on blood pressure is still inconsistent. To investigate the relationship between dietary factors or anthropometric indexes and hypertension risk, we examined the association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) with sodium, calcium, and potassium intakes and anthropometric indexes in 19~49-year-olds using data from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) III. Total of 2,761 young and middle aged adults (574 aged 19~29 years and 2,187 aged 30~49 years) were selected from KNHANES III. General information, nutritional status, and anthropometric data were compared between two age groups (19~29 years old and 30~49 years old). The relevance of blood pressure and risk factors such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), weight, waist circumference, and the intakes of sodium, potassium, and calcium was determined by multiple regression analysis. Multiple regression models showed that waist circumference, weight, and BMI were positively associated with SBP and DBP in both age groups. Sodium and potassium intakes were not associated with either SBP or DBP. Among 30~49-year-olds, calcium was inversely associated with both SBP and DBP (P = 0.012 and 0.010, respectively). Our findings suggest that encouraging calcium consumption and weight control may play an important role in the primary prevention and management of hypertension in early adulthood.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.237-246
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• 2021

Background: Pembrolizumab, an anti-cancer drug, is known to increase the activity of the immune system, leading to side effects called immune-related adverse events (irAE), including type 1 diabetes. This study analyzed the correlation between blood glucose level and pembrolizumab administration and investigated the covariates that affect those changes in cancer treatment. Methods: The information of 133 adult cancer patients was obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) to identify the changes in random blood glucose (RBG) levels during the pembrolizumab treatment. Subjects were classified into subgroups according to their baseline RBG level, history of diabetes, and the use of steroids, and linear regression analysis was conducted. In addition, a secondary analysis was performed within the group of subjects having a strong correlation to glycemic change, which was based on the Pearson correlation coefficient being less than -0.7 or greater than +0.7. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to identify the risk factors to glycemic increase. Results: The RBG level tended to descend without significant differences in total patients during the administration period of pembrolizumab. Despite the insignificance, the logistic regression analysis presents that the odds ratios of baseline RBG less than 130 mg/dL, prophylactic steroid use, and higher dose of pembrolizumab per cycle (mg/kg/cycle) were greater than 1. Conclusions: Prophylactic administration of steroids and a higher dose of pembrolizumab per cycle may increase the blood glucose level as irAE in cancer patients with a strong tendency to glycemic change.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4215-4220
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• 2012

AML (Acute myeloid leukemia) is a form of blood cancer where growth of myeloid cells occurs in the bone marrow. The prognosis is poor in general for many reasons. One is the presence of leukaemia-specific recognition markers such as FLT3 (fms-like tyrosine kinase 3). Another name of FLT3 is stem cell tyrosine kinase-1 (STK1), which is known to take part in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of hematopoietic cells, usually being present on haemopoietic progenitor cells in the bone marrow. FLT3 act as an independent prognostic factor for AML. Although a vast literature is available about the association of FLT3 with AML there still is a need of a brief up to date overview which draw a clear picture about this association and their effect on overall survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5829-5834
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Although different metabolic factors have been implicated in breast cancer development, the relationship between hypertension and breast cancer has not been elucidated. Aim: To evaluate hypertension as a risk factor for breast cancer in Chilean women of low and middle socio-economic status. Methods: We conducted an age-matched (1:1) case-control study in 3 hospitals in Santiago, Chile. Breast cancer cases (n=170) were histopathologically confirmed. Controls had been classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System I (negative) or II (benign findings) within 6 months of recruitment. Blood pressure was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer and standardized procedures. We used 2 hypertension cut-off points: blood pressures of ${\geq}140/90$ mmHg and ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Fasting insulin and glucose levels were assessed, and anthropometric, sociodemographic, and behavioral information were collected. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the entire sample and restricted to postmenopausal women using multivariable conditional logistic regression models. Results: Hypertension (${\geq}140/90$ mmHg) was significantly higher in cases (37.1%) than controls (17.1%) for the entire sample and in postmenopausal pairs (44.0% compared to 23.8%). In crude and adjusted models, hypertensive women had a 4-fold increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio: 4.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.8; 9.6) compared to non-hypertensive women in the entire sample. We found a similar association in the postmenopausal group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.1; 7.4). A significant effect was also observed when hypertension was defined as blood pressure of ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Conclusion: A significant association was found between hypertension and breast cancer over the entire sample and when restricted to postmenopausal women. Hypertension is highly prevalent in Latin America and may be a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer; therefore, a small association between hypertension and breast cancer may have broad implications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10339-10343
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• 2015

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females worldwide and a most prevalent malignancy in Iranian women. Chronic stress may make an important contribution to cancer, especially in the breast. Numerous studies showed roles of neurotransmitters in the occurrence and progression of cancers which are mediated by their various types of receptors. This study was conducted to evaluate alterations in the expression profile of dopamine receptor genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as stress factors in breast cancer patients and the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 30 patients and 30 healthy individuals. Total mRNA was extracted from PBMC and MCF-7 cells and RT-PCR was performed to confirm the presence of five dopamine receptors (DRD1-DRD5). Expression changes of dopamine receptor genes were evaluated by real time PCR. We observed that DRD2-DRD4 in PBMCs of breast cancer patients were increased compared to healthy individuals. In addition, all dopamine receptor subtypes but DRD1 were expressed in MCF-7 cells. Therefore, alterations of these receptors as stress factors should be assessed for selecting appropriate drugs such as D2-like agonists for treatment of breast cancer after performing complimentary tests. Determining the expression profile of dopamine receptor genes thus seems promising.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.347-350
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• 2013

The aim of the present study was to determine whether allogeneic red blood cell transfusions showed a deleterious effect and what might be preoperative risk factors for blood transfusion in patients with TNM stage II colon cancer. Total 470 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria were selected for a further 10-year follow-up study. We found that there were statistical significance between non-transfused and transfused group in mortality (P=0.018), local recurrence (P=0.000) and distant metastasis (P=0.040). Local recurrence and distant metastasis between 1 to 3 units and more than 3 units group did not show any significant differences. There was no difference in survival rate between non-transfused and 1 to 3 units group (log rank=0.031, P=0.860). The difference between different blood transfusion volume in transfused patients was found (78.77% vs 63.83%, P=0.006). Meanwhile, the significant difference of survival rate was existed between non-transfused group and more than 3 units group (84.83% vs 63.83%, P=0.002 ). Univariate analysis showed the following 3 variables to be associated with an increased risk of allogeneic blood transfusions: preoperative CEA level (P<0.05), location of tumor (P<0.01) and diameter of tumor (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that location of tumor and diameter of tumor are two independent factors for requirement of perioperative transfusions. Therefore, allogeneic transfusion increase the postoperative tumor mortality, local recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with stage II colon cancer. The postoperative tumor mortality, local recurrence and distant metastasis were not associated with the blood transfusion volume. The blood transfusion volume was associated with the survival rate. Location of tumor and diameter of tumor were the independent preoperative risk factors for blood transfusion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8837-8842
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• 2014

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important cause of liver cancer in Thailand. The highest prevalence of anti-HCV positive among Thai blood donors is found in the northeastern region. The present analysis of the genotype distribution among anti-HCV positive northeastern-Thai blood donors was conducted to provide a base for the epidemiological pattern of HCV infection in this region. Materials and Methods: A total of 112 HCV seropositive healthy blood donors were randomly selected and tested for the presence of HCV-RNA by RT-PCR. HCV-RNA positive samples were genotyped by direct sequencing at core region genomes and confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. Results: HCV viremia was found in 94.6% (106/112) of HCV seropositive blood donors. There were 3 major genotypes distributed among this population. HCV genotype 3a was the most prevalent (71.7%) followed by genotypes 1a (7.5%), 1b (7.5%), 6i (3.8%), 6f (2.8%) and 6n (1.9%). Conclusions: HCV genotype 3a in asymptomatic infections in northeastern Thailand is significantly higher than other previous reports. Subgenotype 6 prevalence is less than in neighboring countries and distribution patterns differ. The findings are relevant as predictors for using interferon therapy in this population.