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Respiratory Medicine Dec 2006Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world. It continues to have an enormous impact on health systems of all countries. The number of new cases is... (Review)
Review
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world. It continues to have an enormous impact on health systems of all countries. The number of new cases is increasing in a rate of about 3% annually. Despite the advances in the detection and treatment of lung cancer, the overall 5-year survival still remains grim. Cigarette smoking remains the major risk factor on the incidence of cancer, with 90% of all lung cancers occurring in smokers. The frequency of different types of lung cancer is changing. Adenocarcinoma has become the most frequent histologic type (approximately 50%) while squamous, previously the most common, accounts for approximately one third of lung cancers, and small cell cancer for 15%. Prognosis is influenced by the stage of the disease at diagnosis and by the treatment. Screening trials that have begun in the early 1950s based on chest X-ray and sputum cytology did not produce improvement in overall mortality. Refinements in the staging classification of lung cancer and advances in stage identification were introduced in the 1990s. Post surgical mortality has declined since the 1950s but the 5-year survival rates have improved only minimally. A gradual improvement is seen in locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer, mainly due to addition of advanced chemotherapy and radical radiotherapy. Chemotherapy offers small improvement for patients with NSCLC. The management of small cell lung cancer, which appeared so promising in the 1970s has hit a plateau with vary little advance in the last years. The biological active agents currently in phase III trails offer some hope in the advance of therapy of lung cancer. The most important and cost-effective management for lung cancer is smoking cessation, but for those with this disease novel methods of treatment are urgently needed.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Mass Screening; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Smoking
PubMed: 17056245
DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2006.09.002 -
European Journal of Pharmacology Oct 2022Cancer is a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality worldwide despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment. Lack of early detection and diagnosis of... (Review)
Review
Cancer is a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality worldwide despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment. Lack of early detection and diagnosis of different cancers and adverse effects and toxicity associated with conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, remains a problem. MicroRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumour suppressors in different types of cancers. Their distinct gene expression in various stages and types of cancerous cells make them attractive targets for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The growing research and clinical interests in gene therapy and nano-drug delivery systems have led to the development of potential miRNA-targeted treatments encompassing miRNA mimics, antagonists, and their use in cancer chemotherapy sensitization. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in understanding the role of miRNAs in cancer development and their potential use as biomarkers in clinical diagnostics and as targets in chemotherapy of cancer.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Therapy; Humans; MicroRNAs; Neoplasms; Oncogenes
PubMed: 35981607
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175210 -
Journal of Experimental & Clinical... Aug 2023Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and the survival rate remains low despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. The progression... (Review)
Review
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and the survival rate remains low despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. The progression of lung cancer is a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon that encompasses interplays among cancerous cells and their microenvironment, which incorporates immune cells. Exosomes, which are small membrane-bound vesicles, are released by numerous cell types in normal and stressful situations to allow communication between cells. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) possess diverse neo-antigens and cargoes such as proteins, RNA, and DNA and have a unique molecular makeup reflecting tumor genetic complexity. TEXs contain both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory factors and may play a role in immunomodulation by influencing innate and adaptive immune components. Moreover, they transmit signals that contribute to the progression of lung cancer by promoting metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. This makes them a valuable resource for investigating the immune environment of tumors, which could pave the way for the development of non-invasive biomarkers that could aid in the prognosis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy of lung cancer. While immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy has shown promising results in treating initial-stage cancers, most patients eventually develop adaptive resistance over time. Emerging evidence demonstrates that TEXs could serve as a prognostic biomarker for immunotherapeutic response and have a significant impact on both systemic immune suppression and tumor advancement. Therefore, understanding TEXs and their role in lung cancer tumorigenesis and their response to immunotherapies is an exciting research area and needs further investigation. This review highlights the role of TEXs as key contributors to the advancement of lung cancer and their clinical significance in lung immune-oncology, including their possible use as biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and prognosis, as well as emerging shreds of evidence regarding the possibility of using exosomes as targets to improve lung cancer therapy.
Topics: Humans; Exosomes; Lung Neoplasms; Biomarkers; Signal Transduction; Immunosuppressive Agents; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37641132
DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02753-7 -
Trends in Cancer Jan 2022Macropinocytosis, an evolutionarily conserved endocytic mechanism that mediates non-specific fluid-phase uptake, is potently upregulated by various oncogenic pathways.... (Review)
Review
Macropinocytosis, an evolutionarily conserved endocytic mechanism that mediates non-specific fluid-phase uptake, is potently upregulated by various oncogenic pathways. It is now well appreciated that high macropinocytic activity is a hallmark of many human tumors, which use this adaptation to scavenge extracellular nutrients for fueling cell growth. In the context of the nutrient-scarce tumor microenvironment, this process provides tumor cells with metabolic flexibility. However, dependence on this scavenging mechanism also illuminates a potential metabolic vulnerability. As such, there is a great deal of interest in understanding the molecular underpinnings of macropinocytosis. In this review, we will discuss the most recent advances in characterizing macropinocytosis: the pathways that regulate it, its contribution to the metabolic fitness of cancer cells, and its therapeutic potential.
Topics: Carcinogenesis; Humans; Neoplasms; Oncogenes; Pinocytosis; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 34649835
DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.09.004 -
Discovery Medicine May 2018Head and neck cancers consist of a heterogeneous group of cancers that are difficult to treat successfully. Limited screening options result in patients being diagnosed... (Review)
Review
Head and neck cancers consist of a heterogeneous group of cancers that are difficult to treat successfully. Limited screening options result in patients being diagnosed at advanced stages at presentation, and difficulty with treatment options and post-treatment surveillance can lead to poor outcomes. In this setting, tools for early and precise detection of disease will be highly valuable. Liquid biopsies, or use of analytes in blood, saliva, and other body fluid samples, provide new avenues for cancer screening with the potential for early detection, treatment modification, and surveillance of head and neck cancers. Early studies of liquid biopsies in specific head and neck cancers have had encouraging results. Nevertheless, various challenges remain before its routine adoption into clinical use is feasible. With continued advancement in the field of liquid biopsies, there is great promise for clinical implementation and significant improvement in head and neck cancer care.
Topics: Biopsy; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans
PubMed: 29906408
DOI: No ID Found -
Tumor Evolutionary Principles: How Intratumor Heterogeneity Influences Cancer Treatment and Outcome.American Society of Clinical Oncology... 2016Recent studies have shown that intratumor heterogeneity contributes to drug resistance in advanced disease. Intratumor heterogeneity may foster the selection of a... (Review)
Review
Recent studies have shown that intratumor heterogeneity contributes to drug resistance in advanced disease. Intratumor heterogeneity may foster the selection of a resistant subclone, sometimes detectable prior to treatment. Next-generation sequencing is enabling the phylogenetic reconstruction of a cancer's life history and has revealed different modes of cancer evolution. These studies have shown that cancer evolution is not always stochastic and has certain constraints. Consideration of cancer evolution may enable the better design of clinical trials and cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the different modes of cancer evolution and how this might impact clinical outcomes. Furthermore, we will discuss several therapeutic strategies for managing emergent intratumor heterogeneity.
Topics: Evolution, Molecular; Genetic Heterogeneity; Humans; Mutation; Neoplasms; Phylogeny
PubMed: 27249716
DOI: 10.1200/EDBK_158930 -
CA: a Cancer Journal For Clinicians 1999The leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the United States is epithelial ovarian cancer. The significant risk factor for development of ovarian cancer... (Review)
Review
The leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the United States is epithelial ovarian cancer. The significant risk factor for development of ovarian cancer is advancing age, although there is clearly a genetic predisposition--often associated with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes--in at least 5% to 10% of all epithelial ovarian cancers. Oral contraceptives are known to reduce the risk for development of ovarian cancer and should be considered as a method of birth control in women at increased risk. Currently, there is no acceptable method of screening for this disease, although measurement of CA-125 level and transvaginal ultrasound have been utilized. Ovarian cancer is a surgically staged disease. In apparent early-stage disease, complete surgical staging is critical for the selection of adjunctive therapy. In advanced-stage disease, the goal is primary cytoreduction. Standard postoperative therapy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer includes platinum-based chemotherapy with the substitution of paclitaxel for cyclophosphamide occurring in the last decade. Despite these advances in chemotherapy, ovarian cancer continues to be fatal in far too many cases.
Topics: Carcinoma; Female; Humans; Ovarian Neoplasms; Risk Factors
PubMed: 11198956
DOI: 10.3322/canjclin.49.5.297 -
Chinese Medical Journal Mar 2024Biliary tract cancers (BTC), a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis, including gallbladder cancer (GBC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and extrahepatic... (Review)
Review
Biliary tract cancers (BTC), a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis, including gallbladder cancer (GBC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Although surgery is currently the primary regimen to treat BTC, most BTC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and miss the opportunity of surgical eradication. As a result, non-surgical therapy serves as the main intervention for advanced BTC. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising therapies in a number of solid cancers, and it includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) monotherapy or combined therapy, tumor vaccines, oncolytic virus immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and cytokine therapy. However, these therapies have been practiced in limited clinical settings in patients with BTC. In this review, we focus on the discussion of latest advances of immunotherapy in BTC and update the progress of multiple current clinical trials with different immunotherapies.
Topics: Humans; Biliary Tract Neoplasms; Cholangiocarcinoma; Immunotherapy; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic
PubMed: 37646139
DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000002759 -
Cancer Discovery Dec 2023The discovery of chemical alterations to mRNA, work recognized by the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is helping to advance a new frontier of clinical-stage...
The discovery of chemical alterations to mRNA, work recognized by the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is helping to advance a new frontier of clinical-stage vaccines and therapeutic candidates for cancer.
Topics: Humans; Nobel Prize; RNA, Messenger; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37787498
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-NB2023-0073 -
Endocrine Jul 2019Thyroid cancers (TCs) are the most frequent endocrine malignancy with an unpredictable fast-growing incidence, especially in females all over the world. Fine-needle... (Review)
Review
Thyroid cancers (TCs) are the most frequent endocrine malignancy with an unpredictable fast-growing incidence, especially in females all over the world. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) analysis is an accurate diagnostic method for detecting thyroid nodules and classification of TC. Though simplicity, safety, and accuracy of FNAB, 15-30% of cases are indeterminate, and it is not possible to determine the exact cytology of the specimen. This demands the need for innovative methods capable to find crucial biomarkers with adequate sensitivity for diagnosis and prediction in TC researches. Cancer-based metabolomics is a vast emerging field focused on the detection of a large set of metabolites extracted from biofluids or tissues. Using analytical chemistry procedures allows for the potential recognition of cancer-based metabolites for the purposes of advancing the era of personalized medicine. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with separation techniques e.g., gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) are the main approaches for metabolic studies in cancers. The immense metabolite profiling has provided a chance to discover novel biomarkers for early detection of thyroid cancer and reduce unnecessary aggressive surgery. In this review, we recapitulate the recent advances and developed methods of diverse metabolomics tools and metabolic phenotypes of thyroid cancer, following a brief discussion of recent challenges in the thyroid cancer diagnosis.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Chromatography, Liquid; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroid Nodule
PubMed: 30937722
DOI: 10.1007/s12020-019-01904-1