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Journal of the American Academy of... Dec 2015Animal-type melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma with heavily pigmented dermal epithelioid and spindled melanocytes. Its classification as a subtype of melanoma versus... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Animal-type melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma with heavily pigmented dermal epithelioid and spindled melanocytes. Its classification as a subtype of melanoma versus a borderline melanocytic tumor is debated.
OBJECTIVES
Our primary objective was to characterize the demographics, clinical presentation, histopathology, management, and outcomes of patients with animal-type melanoma.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the English-language literature on animal-type melanoma.
RESULTS
We identified 190 cases of animal-type melanoma. They occurred equally in men and women, with Caucasians (53.7%) most commonly affected. The median Breslow depth was 3.8 mm; ulceration was reported present in 15.8%; and dermal mitoses greater than or equal to 1/mm(2) was reported in 27.4%. The most common initial management was wide local excision with sentinel lymph node biopsy (55.7%). In all, 78 patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy with 41.0% positivity rate. A total of 32 patients underwent completion lymph node dissection with 34.4% positivity rate. Locoregional recurrence was reported in 15 patients, recurrence with distant metastases in 6 patients, and death in 5 patients.
LIMITATIONS
Data were obtained from small studies with limited follow-up. There is no universally accepted definition of animal-type melanoma.
CONCLUSION
Prospective studies with complete staging information and molecular profiling may allow further characterization of this tumor.
Topics: Biopsy, Needle; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Incidence; Male; Melanocytes; Melanoma; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Rare Diseases; Risk Assessment; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 26412164
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.08.016 -
Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory... Feb 2024KIF2C/MCAK (KIF2C) is the most well-characterized member of the kinesin-13 family, which is critical in the regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics during mitosis, as... (Review)
Review
KIF2C/MCAK a prognostic biomarker and its oncogenic potential in malignant progression, and prognosis of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis as biomarker.
KIF2C/MCAK (KIF2C) is the most well-characterized member of the kinesin-13 family, which is critical in the regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics during mitosis, as well as interphase. This systematic review briefly describes the important structural elements of KIF2C, its regulation by multiple molecular mechanisms, and its broad cellular functions. Furthermore, it systematically summarizes its oncogenic potential in malignant progression and performs a meta-analysis of its prognostic value in cancer patients. KIF2C was shown to be involved in multiple crucial cellular processes including cell migration and invasion, DNA repair, senescence induction and immune modulation, which are all known to be critical during the development of malignant tumors. Indeed, an increasing number of publications indicate that KIF2C is aberrantly expressed in multiple cancer entities. Consequently, we have highlighted its involvement in at least five hallmarks of cancer, namely: genome instability, resisting cell death, activating invasion and metastasis, avoiding immune destruction and cellular senescence. This was followed by a systematic search of KIF2C/MCAK's expression in various malignant tumor entities and its correlation with clinicopathologic features. Available data were pooled into multiple weighted meta-analyses for the correlation between KIF2C protein or gene expression and the overall survival in breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Furthermore, high expression of KIF2C was correlated to disease-free survival of hepatocellular carcinoma. All meta-analyses showed poor prognosis for cancer patients with KIF2C expression, associated with a decreased overall survival and reduced disease-free survival, indicating KIF2C's oncogenic potential in malignant progression and as a prognostic marker. This work delineated the promising research perspective of KIF2C with modern and technologies to further decipher the function of KIF2C in malignant tumor development and progression. This might help to establish KIF2C as a biomarker for the diagnosis or evaluation of at least three cancer entities.
PubMed: 38344808
DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2024.2309933 -
Cells Jun 2021Telomeres are aging biomarkers, as they shorten while cells undergo mitosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether psychiatric disorders marked by psychological...
Telomeres are aging biomarkers, as they shorten while cells undergo mitosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether psychiatric disorders marked by psychological distress lead to alterations to telomere length (TL), corroborating the hypothesis that mental disorders might have a deeper impact on our physiology and aging than it was previously thought. A systematic search of the literature using MeSH descriptors of psychological distress ("Traumatic Stress Disorder" or "Anxiety Disorder" or "depression") and telomere length ("cellular senescence", "oxidative stress" and "telomere") was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect databases. A total of 56 studies (113,699 patients) measured the TL from individuals diagnosed with anxiety, depression and posttraumatic disorders and compared them with those from healthy subjects. Overall, TL negatively associates with distress-related mental disorders. The possible underlying molecular mechanisms that underly psychiatric diseases to telomere shortening include oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction linking. It is still unclear whether psychological distress is either a cause or a consequence of telomere shortening.
Topics: Humans; Mental Disorders; Mitochondria; Oxidative Stress; Telomere; Telomere Shortening
PubMed: 34200513
DOI: 10.3390/cells10061423 -
Chinese Clinical Oncology Aug 2017Tumor treating fields (TTF, Optune®), one of the low-intensity alternating electric fields, have been demonstrated to disrupt mitosis and inhibit tumor growth with... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tumor treating fields (TTF, Optune®), one of the low-intensity alternating electric fields, have been demonstrated to disrupt mitosis and inhibit tumor growth with antimitotic properties in a variety of tumor types. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States approved TTF for recurrent GBM and newly diagnosed GBM in 2011 and 2015, respectively.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted regarding the relevant studies published between January 1, 2000, and May 31, 2017 in PubMed database. The search term included "Tumor Treating Fields", "Optune", "TTF", "Novocure", and "GBM". This review summarizes the mechanism of action, efficacy, and adverse events based on pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for TTF in GBM.
RESULTS
Pre-clinical studies showed that TTF could inhibit tumor growth in vitro and in vivo by disrupting mitosis, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Two randomized phase III trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of TTF in GBM patients. It was revealed that the combination of TTF and standard chemotherapy (temozolomide) prolonged the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) without systemic safety issues in newly diagnosed GBM (EF-14 trial). For recurrent GBM, the efficacy of TTF monotherapy was shown to be equivalent in PFS and OS without systemic adverse events when compared to the control group that received best physicians-chosen chemotherapies (EF-11 trial).
CONCLUSIONS
The advantages of TTF in GBM treatment, including non-invasive antitumor effect, superior therapeutic benefit in combination with chemotherapy, and minimal systematic toxicity, have been demonstrated in pre-clinical data and randomized phased III clinical trials. Future investigations will be needed to explore combinations of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, as well as immunotherapy with this novel anti-tumor treatment modality to achieve additive or synergistic therapeutic benefit for GBM and other solid tumors.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Brain Neoplasms; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Combined Modality Therapy; Dacarbazine; Disease-Free Survival; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Glioblastoma; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Safety; Temozolomide; Treatment Outcome; United States
PubMed: 28841803
DOI: 10.21037/cco.2017.06.29 -
Acta Neurochirurgica Aug 2022Tumor-treating fields (TTF) is a novel cancer treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cell mitosis. It has been approved by the U.S. food... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Tumor-treating fields (TTF) is a novel cancer treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cell mitosis. It has been approved by the U.S. food and drug administration for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM). We designed this meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TTF in the treatment of rGBM.
METHODS
The study was based on the PRISMA guideline. Systematic retrieval was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. The outcomes were overall survival (OS) hazard ratio (HR), 1-year survival rate, and cutaneous toxicity.
RESULTS
These studies included a total of 1048 rGBM patients who received TTF treatment. The overall survival time between the TTF group and the control group was HR 0.75 ([95%CI 0.63 to 0.89]; P = 0.001). Pooled 1-year overall survival rate and incidence of cutaneous toxicity were 0.47 and 0.48, respectively. Data were insufficient to evaluate the effect of MGMT methylation status and tumor recurrence times on heterogeneity.
CONCLUSIONS
TTF therapy is effective for recurrent glioblastoma. However, most relevant trials should assess rGBM patient baseline characteristics such as age, KPS, MGMT methylation status, and number of tumor recurrence,. In addition, the risk of rashes caused by long-term wearing of devices should also be considered.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Glioblastoma; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
PubMed: 35397674
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-022-05192-z -
Thyroid : Official Journal of the... Mar 2024The current edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of endocrine tumors introduced grading for follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer. Tumors with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The current edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of endocrine tumors introduced grading for follicular cell-derived thyroid cancer. Tumors with necrosis and/or high mitotic count but not fulfilling the Turin criteria for poorly differentiated carcinoma will be reclassified as differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinoma (DHGTC). However, the impact of this reclassification has not been evaluated. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of this new entry across thyroid tumor subtypes. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, studies reporting data on necrosis and/or mitoses in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) were used to estimate the prevalence of DHGTC. Heterogeneity and potential publication bias were also evaluated. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed, and quality assessment was performed using a modification of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The study has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, ID: CRD42022378716). In clinically unselected patients, the prevalence of DHGTC in WDTC was 0.072 [95% confidence interval, CI, = 0.045-0.113]. The proportion of high-grade tumors greatly varied across growth patterns and subtypes. Overall, the prevalence of DHGTC was higher in follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC; 0.146 [CI = 0.101-0.205]) than in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC; 0.059 [CI = 0.036-0.097]). Diffuse sclerosing, follicular, and classic subtype PTC had the lowest rates of high-grade features (i.e., 0.018 [CI = 0.004-0.084]; 0.036 [CI = 0.010-0.124]; and 0.042 [CI = 0.027-0.066], respectively), while a greater proportion of solid trabecular and histologically aggressive PTC could be reclassified as DHGTC (i.e., 0.154 [CI = 0.067-0.314] and 0.168 [CI = 0.108-0.252], respectively). Similar proportions were obtained for minimally and widely invasive FTC (i.e., 0.136 [CI = 0.058-0.287] and 0.152 [CI = 0.086-0.254], respectively). Finally, in a cohort of patients with poor prognosis (i.e., fatal cases, metastatic and radioiodine resistant tumors, cases with biochemical recurrence), the proportion of DHGTC was 0.287 [CI = 0.155-0.469]. Following the current WHO indications, some tumors will be reclassified as DHGTC. The proportion of tumors with high-grade features is relevant in FTC, solid trabecular, and histologically aggressive PTC subtypes. A remarkable enrichment in DHGTC among patients with poor prognosis confirms the negative impact of high-grade features on outcome.
Topics: Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes; Prevalence; Thyroid Neoplasms; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular; Necrosis
PubMed: 38115626
DOI: 10.1089/thy.2023.0350 -
Human Pathology Feb 2024Differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinomas (DHGTCs) are a new diagnostic entity most recently defined in the 2022 World Health Organization's (WHO) Classification of...
BACKGROUND
Differentiated high-grade thyroid carcinomas (DHGTCs) are a new diagnostic entity most recently defined in the 2022 World Health Organization's (WHO) Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors. This new entity has been minimally described in the literature, and additional cases classified as such are missing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cases of DHGTCs diagnosed at our institution from 2012 to 2022 were identified, and the following were reviewed: cytologic and histologic diagnoses, ancillary testing, immunohistochemical staining, treatments, and patient outcomes. Immunohistochemical staining for Ki67 was performed on selected cases lacking this immunostain. A systematic literature review of the English literature on DHGTCs from 2013 to 2023 was performed using PubMed and Embase.
RESULTS
Case cohort included 32 cases of DHGTCs, with an average age of 52.6 years (range 17-84 years) and a male:female ratio of 1.3:1. All cases underwent fine needle aspiration (FNA) and were categorized by The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) as follows: 14 cases as malignant (43.8 %), 10 as follicular neoplasm (31.3 %), 5 as atypia of undetermined significance (15.6 %), 2 as suspicious for malignancy (6.2 %), and 1 as non-diagnostic (3.1 %). The average tumor size was 5.15 cm, and most were papillary thyroid carcinoma (28, 87.5 %), with classic subtype being the most common. Twenty-one cases revealed tumor necrosis and the mitotic activity in lesions without necrosis averaged to 5.5 mitoses per 2 mm (range 0-7). The average Ki67 proliferative index was 5.6 %. Extrathyroidal extension was seen in 17, angioinvasion in 21, lymphatic invasion in 7, and perineural invasion in 1 case. Foci of solid or trabecular growth were identified in five cases. Lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis were noted in 10 cases and 7 demonstrated distant metastases or locoregional recurrence. To date, 25 patients are alive, and one has died from disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Our institutional experience demonstrates that DHGTC is a rare, but aggressive thyroid tumor subtype that requires consideration in the setting of a well-differentiated thyroid neoplasm to appropriately assess for possible disease recurrence and determination of patient prognosis.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ki-67 Antigen; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Necrosis; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 38244615
DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2024.01.002 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Apr 2023Chorangiocarcinoma is a very rare and misdiagnosed placental neoplasm. The unique morphologic features of the lesion distinguish it from other trophoblastic tumors and... (Review)
Review
Chorangiocarcinoma is a very rare and misdiagnosed placental neoplasm. The unique morphologic features of the lesion distinguish it from other trophoblastic tumors and vascular abnormalities. We present a systematic review of the literature to provide clarity on chorangiocarcinoma entity and biology. A literature search was carried out in December 2022 using the keywords "Placental chorangiocarcinoma", "Chorangioma", "Placenta", and "Throphoblast proliferation". Articles published from 1988 to 2022 were obtained from Scopus, Google Scholar, and PUBMED. In our review, we examined maternal age, gestational age at the time of delivery, parity, type of pregnancy, placental weight, ultrasound features of the placenta, macroscopic examination and tumor size, microscopic examination, immunostaining, maternal beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, fetal and maternal outcome. Eight manuscripts were detected. They are all case reports. The macroscopic characteristics of the lesions were represented by the presence of a grey-yellow-white color well-demarcated round nodule. Microscopically, all the authors described typical aspects of malignancy as a high rate of mitosis, nuclear atypia and necrotic areas. In some cases, the presence of AE1/AE3 cytoplasmic positivity, p63 nuclear staining, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (BHCG) were reported. A good fetal outcome was reported in all cases of newborns with normal birth weight, except one with fetal growth restriction. Maternal outcome was good in all cases except one with maternal lung metastasis three months after delivery. The clinical course has probably underestimated the real incidence of the pathology. Only greater knowledge of its histology and its clinical course will allow us to evaluate the real prevalence of the disease.
PubMed: 37176506
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12093065 -
Cancer Cell International 2020One of the most prominent features of tumor cells is uncontrolled cell proliferation caused by an abnormal cell cycle, and the abnormal expression of cell cycle-related... (Review)
Review
One of the most prominent features of tumor cells is uncontrolled cell proliferation caused by an abnormal cell cycle, and the abnormal expression of cell cycle-related proteins gives tumor cells their invasive, metastatic, drug-resistance, and anti-apoptotic abilities. Recently, an increasing number of cell cycle-associated proteins have become the candidate biomarkers for early diagnosis of malignant tumors and potential targets for cancer therapies. As an important cell cycle regulatory protein, Cell Division Cycle 25C (CDC25C) participates in regulating G2/M progression and in mediating DNA damage repair. CDC25C is a cyclin of the specific phosphatase family that activates the cyclin B1/CDK1 complex in cells for entering mitosis and regulates G2/M progression and plays an important role in checkpoint protein regulation in case of DNA damage, which can ensure accurate DNA information transmission to the daughter cells. The regulation of CDC25C in the cell cycle is affected by multiple signaling pathways, such as cyclin B1/CDK1, PLK1/Aurora A, ATR/CHK1, ATM/CHK2, CHK2/ERK, Wee1/Myt1, p53/Pin1, and ASK1/JNK-/38. Recently, it has evident that changes in the expression of CDC25C are closely related to tumorigenesis and tumor development and can be used as a potential target for cancer treatment. This review summarizes the role of CDC25C phosphatase in regulating cell cycle. Based on the role of CDC25 family proteins in the development of tumors, it will become a hot target for a new generation of cancer treatments.
PubMed: 32518522
DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01304-w -
Scientific Reports Sep 2015Many types of KIT mutations have been observed in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), but their prognostic and predictive significance are still unclear. A... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Many types of KIT mutations have been observed in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), but their prognostic and predictive significance are still unclear. A meta-analysis and literature review were conducted to estimate the contribution of KIT mutations in prognostic parameters and clinic-pathological significance of GISTs. A total of 18 relevant articles from PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were included in this study. The frequency of KIT mutation was significantly increased in the GIST patients with higher mitosis (≥5/50 high-power fields (HPFs) and larger size (≥5 cm) of tumors than in those with lower MI (≤5/50HPFs) and smaller size (≤5 cm) of GISTs respectively. The rate of KIT mutation was not significantly changed between GISTs in stomachs and in small intestines. KIT mutational status has prognostic significance for patients' outcome. GIST patients with KIT exon 9 mutations have higher risk of progression than those with exon 11 mutations. 5 year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate was significantly higher in patients with KIT exon 11 deletion than in those with other type of KIT exon 11 mutations. The deletion involving KIT exon 11, particularly codons 557-558, is a valuable predictor of prognosis for patients with GISTs.
Topics: Exons; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Mutation; Odds Ratio; Prognosis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; Risk
PubMed: 26349547
DOI: 10.1038/srep13718