Gdańsk Medical University

About: Gdańsk Medical University is a education organization based out in Gdańsk, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 4893 authors who have published 11216 publications receiving 260523 citations.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein contributes to the development and metastasis of breast cancer.

Abstract: Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a soluble pentameric protein expressed in cartilage and involved in collagen organization. Tissue microarrays derived from two cohorts of patients with breast cancer (n=122 and n=498) were immunostained, revealing varying expression of COMP, both in the tumor cells and surrounding stroma. High levels of COMP in tumor cells correlated, independently of other variables, with poor survival and decreased recurrence-free survival. Breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, stably expressing COMP were injected into the mammary fat pad of SCID (CB-17/Icr-Prkdcscid/Rj) mice. Tumors expressing COMP were significantly larger and were more prone to metastasize as compared with control, mock-transfected, tumors. In vitro experiments confirmed that COMP-expressing cells had a more invasive phenotype, which could in part be attributed to an upregulation of matrix metalloprotease-9. Furthermore, microarray analyses of gene expression in tumors formed in vivo showed that COMP expression induced higher expression of genes protecting against endoplasmic reticulum stress. This observation was confirmed in vitro as COMP-expressing cells showed better survival as well as a higher rate of protein synthesis when treated with brefeldin A, compared with control cells. Further, COMP-expressing cells appeared to undergo a metabolic switch, that is, a Warburg effect. Thus, in vitro measurement of cell respiration indicated decreased mitochondrial metabolism. In conclusion, COMP is a novel biomarker in breast cancer, which contributes to the severity of the disease by metabolic switching and increasing invasiveness and tumor cell viability, leading to reduced survival in animal models and human patients.

Tobacco smoking after diagnosis of cancer: clinical aspects.

Abstract: Tobacco smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths and nearly 90% of lung cancer deaths. Smoking cessation significantly reduces the risk of developing tobacco-related malignancies. Smoking after cancer diagnosis is also associated with multiple risks, including worse tolerance of treatment, higher risk of a failure and second primary tumors, and poorer quality of life. Apart from disease site and stage, continued smoking is considered the strongest adverse predictor of survival in cancer patients. However, the benefits of smoking cessation are undervalued: many patients are not aware of harms related to continued tobacco use after cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, health care professionals often do not encourage their patients to quit, and do not provide tobacco cessation assistance for continuing tobacco users. Despite the apparent impact of tobacco use on treatment outcomes, data on current smoking status is only rarely captured in clinical trials This article reviews the most important clinical aspects of smoking after the diagnosis of cancer.

Long-term effect of thermoablative fractional CO2 laser treatment as a novel approach to urinary incontinence management in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of thermoablative fractional CO2 laser (TACO2L) as an alternative treatment for early stages of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in postmenopausal women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause A total of 161 postmenopausal patients (age 5338 ± 51 years, range 45–65 years) with a clinical diagnosis of mild SUI were prospectively enrolled in the study Patients received one treatment with TACO2L every 30–45 days, each treatment comprising four sessions, followed in all patients by a yearly treatment session at 12, 24 and 36 months SUI was evaluated using the International Continence Society 1-h pad test and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) before and after TACO2L treatment TACO2L treatment was associated with a significant improvement in ICIQ-UI SF scores and 1-h pad weight test at 12 months (both p < 0001), 24 months (both p < 0001) and 36 months (both p < 0001) Improvements were maintained for up to 36 months without the need for any further intervention The results were confirmed by significant histological changes related to trophic restoration of the vagina, responsible for extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms involved in urinary continence Our results suggest that TACO2L is an efficient and safe novel treatment strategy in patients with mild SUI Further investigation to confirm the long-term results presented here is still warranted