Showing papers on "Cancer published in 1991"
TL;DR: The cell cycle is composed of a series of steps which can be negatively or postively regulated by various factors, chief among the negative regulators is the p53 protein, which can lead to cancer.
Abstract: The cell cycle is composed of a series of steps which can be negatively or positively regulated by various factors. Chief among the negative regulators is the p53 protein. Alteration or inactivation of p53 by mutation, or by its interactions with oncogene products of DNA tumour viruses, can lead to cancer. These mutations seem to be the most common genetic change in human cancers.
3,665 citations
TL;DR: Preliminary results suggest a new role for chemotherapy in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer and indicate that a treatment strategy involving induction chemotherapy and definitive radiation therapy can be effective in preserving the larynx in a high percentage of patients, without compromising overall survival.
Abstract: Background We performed a prospective, randomized study in patients with previously untreated advanced (Stage III or IV) laryngeal squamous carcinoma to compare the results of induction chemotherapy followed by definitive radiation therapy with those of conventional laryngectomy and postoperative radiation. Methods Three hundred thirty-two patients were randomly assigned to receive either three cycles of chemotherapy (cisplatin and fluorouracil) and radiation therapy or surgery and radiation therapy. The clinical tumor response was assessed after two cycles of chemotherapy, and patients with a response received a third cycle followed by definitive radiation therapy (6600 to 7600 cGy). Patients in whom ther was no tumor response or who had locally recurrent cancers after chemotherapy and radiation therapy underwent salvage laryngectomy. Results After two cycles of chemotherapy, the clinical tumor response was complete in 31 percent of the patients and partial in 54 percent. After a median follow-up of 33 months, the estimated 2-year survival was 68 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 60 to 76 percent) for both treatment groups (P = 0.9846). Patterns of recurrence differed significantly between the two groups, with more local recurrences (P = 0.0005) and fewer distant metastases (P = 0.016) in the chemotherapy group than in the surgery group. A total of 59 patients in the chemotherapy group (36 percent) required total laryngectomy. The larynx was preserved in 64 percent of the patients overall and 64 percent of the patients who were alive and free of disease. Conclusions These preliminary results suggest a new role for chemotherapy in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer and indicate that a treatment strategy involving induction chemotherapy and definitive radiation therapy can be effective in preserving the larynx in a high percentage of patients, without compromising overall survival.
2,408 citations
TL;DR: The combination of measurement of the serum PSA concentration and rectal examination, with ultrasonography performed in patients with abnormal findings, provides a better method of detecting prostate cancer thanrectal examination alone.
Abstract: Background. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is secreted exclusively by prostatic epithelial cells, and its serum concentration is increased in men with prostatic disease, including cancer. We evaluated its usefulness in the detection and staging of prostate cancer. Methods. We measured serum PSA concentrations in 1653 healthy men 50 or more years old. Those with PSA values ≥4.0 μg per liter then underwent rectal examination and prostatic ultrasonography. Ultrasound-directed prostatic needle biopsies were performed in the men with abnormal findings on rectal examination, ultrasonography, or both. The results were compared with those in 300 consecutively studied men 50 or more years old who underwent ultrasound-directed biopsy because of symptoms or abnormal findings on rectal examination. Results. Serum PSA levels ranged from 4.0 to 9.9 μ9 per liter in 6.5 percent of the 1653 men (107). Nineteen of the 85 men in this group (22 percent) who had prostatic biopsies had prostate cancer. Serum PSA leve...
2,232 citations
TL;DR: H pylori infection may be an important cause of gastric cancer; between 35% and 55% of all cases may be associated with such an infection.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE--To investigate the association between gastric cancer and prior infection with Helicobacter pylori. DESIGN--Case-control comparison of prevalence of IgG antibodies to H pylori in blood samples collected prospectively, before diagnosis of gastric cancer in the cases. Presence of H pylori antibody (greater than 10 micrograms IgG/ml) determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SUBJECTS--29 men with a subsequent diagnosis of gastric cancer and 116 aged matched controls selected from over 22,000 middle aged men participating in two ongoing cohort studies (the British United Provident Association study and the Caerphilly collaborative heart disease study), who had provided blood samples during 1975-1982. RESULTS--20 of the 29 cases (69%) and 54 of the 116 controls (47%) were positive for H pylori specific antibody. The median specific IgG concentration was significantly higher in the cases than controls (90 micrograms/ml v 3.6 micrograms/ml, p less than 0.01). The estimated odds ratio for the risk of gastric cancer in those with a history of infection with H pylori was 2.77 (95% confidence interval 1.04 to 7.97, 2p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS--H pylori infection may be an important cause of gastric cancer; between 35% and 55% of all cases may be associated with such an infection.
1,362 citations
TL;DR: The epidemiologic literature on the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption and human cancer at a variety of sites is reviewed systematically and it is concluded that consumption of higher levels of vegetables and fruit is associated consistently, although not universally, with a reduced risk of cancer at most sites.
Abstract: The epidemiologic literature on the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption and human cancer at a variety of sites is reviewed systematically. A total of 13 ecologic studies, nine cohort studies, and 115 case-control studies are included. Cancer of all sites, cancers of lung, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, stomach, pancreas, prostate, bladder, ovary, endometrium, cervix, and thyroid, as well as mesothelioma and gestational trophoblastic disease, are considered. Relevant data from clinical trials, animal, and in vitro studies are included. It is concluded that consumption of higher levels of vegetables and fruit is associated consistently, although not universally, with a reduced risk of cancer at most sites. The association is most marked for epithelial cancers--particularly those of the alimentary and respiratory tracts--and, currently, is weak to nonexistent for hormone-related cancers. The association exists for a wide variety of vegetables and fruit with some suggestion that raw forms are associated most consistently with lower risk. Possible mechanisms by which vegetable and fruit intake might alter risk of cancer and possible adverse effects of vegetable and fruit consumption will be considered in Part II of this review.
1,056 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The proportion of the PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complex was higher in patients with prostatic cancer than in those with benign hyperplasia, and assay of the complex had a higher sensitivity for cancer than assay of total PSA immunoreactivity.
Abstract: We have studied the forms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum of patients with prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Fractionation of serum by gel filtration and assay of the fractions for PSA showed that a considerable part of the PSA immunoreactivity in serum consisted of complexes that were larger than PSA. The complexes were assayed by time-resolved immunofluorometric assays based on an antibody against PSA on the solid phase and europium-labeled antibodies against various protease inhibitors as indicator antibodies. In addition to its monomeric form, PSA was found to occur in complex with alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. The proportion of the alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complex was a major form of PSA and it increased with increasing PSA concentrations, being over 85% at PSA levels exceeding 1000 micrograms/liter. A complex with alpha 1-protease inhibitor was also observed in serum of patients with prostatic cancer and very high levels of PSA. Complexes with alpha 2-macroglobulin and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor were detected, but their concentrations were low and similar in sera of cancer patients, normal men, and normal women, suggesting that they were not prostate derived. Commercial immunoradiometric assays for PSA were found to measure free PSA and its complexes with alpha 1-antichymotrypsin but not the complexes with alpha 2-macroglobulin and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor. The proportion of the PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complex was higher in patients with prostatic cancer than in those with benign hyperplasia. Therefore, assay of the complex had a higher sensitivity for cancer than assay of total PSA immunoreactivity.
1,013 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that taxol is an active agent in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and that it warrants continued study, and is conducting a phase I trial of taxol plus doxorubicin.
Abstract: Taxol, an antimicrotubule agent, has shown promise for efficacy in treatment of breast cancer, but severe hypersensitivity reactions led to cessation of many phase I clinical trials. Consequently, investigators and the National Cancer Institute recommended that phase I and II studies of this agent use 24-hour infusions and antiallergic medications. Using a premedication regimen effective in preventing hypersensitivity reactions, we have performed a phase II trial of taxol in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Taxol was administered to 25 patients at a dose of 250 mg/m2 by 24-hour infusion every 21 days. These patients had received only one prior chemotherapy regimen, either adjuvant to surgery or for metastatic disease; all but two had received doxorubicin. In 60% of the patients, the dominant site of disease was the viscera. All patients were assessable. In April 1991, at a median time on study of 9 months (range, 5-13+ months), the objective response rate was 56% (12% complete and 44% partial; 95% confidence interval, 35%-76%). Disease progressed in only 8% of the patients. The median number of courses of therapy was 11. Granulocytopenia was the dose-limiting toxic effect, but neutropenia with fever occurred in only 5% of 232 courses. A chronic glove-and-stocking neuropathy developed in most patients, but no allergic reactions occurred. We conclude that taxol is an active agent in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and that it warrants continued study. Currently, we are conducting a phase I trial of taxol plus doxorubicin. Future trials should address the optimal effective dose, the optimal sequencing of combinations, mechanisms of drug resistance in tumors, and dose-limiting toxic effects (particularly cardiac toxic effects of taxol given as a single agent or in drug combinations).
930 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Segregation analysis and goodness-of-fit tests of genetic models provide evidence for the existence of a rare autosomal dominant allele (q = .0033) leading to increased susceptibility to breast cancer.
Abstract: The familial risk of breast cancer is investigated in a large population-based, case-control study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. The data set is based on 4,730 histologically confirmed breast cancer cases aged 20 to 54 years and on 4,688 controls who were frequency matched to cases on the basis of both geographic region and 5-year categories of age, and it includes family histories, obtained through interviews of cases and controls, of breast cancer in mothers and sisters. Segregation analysis and goodness-of-fit tests of genetic models provide evidence for the existence of a rare autosomal dominant allele (q = .0033) leading to increased susceptibility to breast cancer. The effect of genotype on the risk of breast cancer is shown to be a function of a woman's age. Although, compared with noncarriers, carriers of the allele appear to be at greater risk at all ages, the ratio of age-specific risks is greatest at young ages and declines steadily thereafter. The proportion of cases predicted to carry the allele is highest (36%) among cases aged 20-29 years. This proportion gradually decreases to 1% among cases aged 80 years or older. The cumulative lifetime risk of breast cancer for women who carry the susceptibility allele is predicted to be high, approximately 92%, while the cumulative lifetime risk for noncarriers is estimated to be approximately 10%.
915 citations
TL;DR: Cancer rates were significantly higher in the group of blood relatives than in their spouses, specifically in the subgroup of 294 blood relatives who were known to be heterozygous for the ataxia-telangiectasia gene, which predisposes heterozygotes to cancer, particularly breast cancer in women.
Abstract: Background. Ataxia—telangiectasia is an autosomal recessive syndrome in which cancers develop in affected homozygotes at a rate approximately 100 times higher than in unaffected age—matched subjects. Retrospective studies have shown that persons heterozygous for the ataxia—telangiectasia gene, who make up about 1 percent of the general population, also have an excess risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer in women. Patients with ataxia—telangiectasia and cells derived from homozygotes and heterozygotes are unusually sensitive to ionizing radiation. Methods. Cancer incidence and mortality, mortality from ischemic heart disease, and mortality from all causes were compared prospectively for a mean of 6.4 years in 1599 adult blood relatives of patients with ataxia—telangiectasia and 821 of their spouses, who served as controls, in 161 families affected by ataxia—telangiectasia. In a case–control substudy, we compared documented occupational and fluoroscopic diagnostic exposures to radiation in th...
898 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that environmental factors in early life rather than in later life are important in the etiology of breast cancer and that later life events can substantially impact the likelihood of developing clinically detectable prostate cancer.
Abstract: Using age-adjusted incidence rates and proportional incidence ratios, the risks of prostate cancer and breast cancer in three racial/ethnic groups - Spanish-surnamed whites, other whites and Japanese - were studied in Los Angeles County native residents and compared with those in immigrants and representative 'homeland' populations. An algorithm based on social security numbers was developed and utilised to estimate age at immigration for non-US-born Los Angeles County cancer patients. For prostate cancer, the incidence rates in Los Angeles County were much higher than those in the homelands for each racial/ethnic group. However, prostate cancer rates of immigrants were similar to those of US-born patients in the Spanish-surnamed white and Japanese populations, regardless of age at immigration. For breast cancer, the incidence rates in Los Angeles County were also high compared with those in the homelands. However, the timing of immigration to the US was important in determining breast cancer risk. When social security numbers indicated that migration occurred later in life, rates for breast cancer were substantially lower than when migration occurred early, although they were still much higher than in the homeland populations. These findings suggest that environmental factors in early life rather than in later life are important in the etiology of breast cancer and that later life events can substantially impact the likelihood of developing clinically detectable prostate cancer.
883 citations
TL;DR: There is now compelling evidence that the other side of equation, the rate of cell death, must be considered, and the growing appreciation of the importance of apoptosis and its regulation should lead to fundamental advances in the understanding and potentially also the treatment of cancer.
TL;DR: Important questions remain about the cause and prevention of prostatic cancer, but new advances permit earlier diagnosis and more accurate staging, and curative therapy is possible for localized disease with much less morbidity than previously.
Abstract: IN the 12 years since the topic was last reviewed in the Journal,1 prostatic cancer has become the most common newly diagnosed cancer in men It is the cause of death in more than 28,000 men per year, accounting for 11 percent of cancer deaths, third in men after lung and colon cancer2 Important questions remain about the cause and prevention of prostatic cancer, but new advances permit earlier diagnosis and more accurate staging Curative therapy is possible for localized disease with much less morbidity than previously In advanced disease, androgen-deprivation therapy remains the mainstay of treatment Biology and
TL;DR: The question addressed here is why multiple events are needed for carcinogenesis and how the expression of oncogenes and the loss of growth suppressor cooperate in this process.
TL;DR: Established parental tumors could be cured by the systemic immune response generated by injection of the genetically engineered tumors by providing a rationale for the use of lymphokine gene-transfected tumor cells as a modality for cancer therapy.
Abstract: The generation of antigen-specific antitumor immunity is the ultimate goal in cancer immunotherapy. When cells from a spontaneously arising murine renal cell tumor were engineered to secrete large doses of interleukin-4 (IL-4) locally, they were rejected in a predominantly T cell-independent manner. However, animals that rejected the IL-4-transfected tumors developed T cell-dependent systemic immunity to the parental tumor. This systemic immunity was tumor-specific and primarily mediated by CD8+ T cells. Established parental tumors could be cured by the systemic immune response generated by injection of the genetically engineered tumors. These results provide a rationale for the use of lymphokine gene-transfected tumor cells as a modality for cancer therapy.
TL;DR: Viruses must be thought of as the second most important risk factor for cancer development in humans, exceeded only by tobacco consumption, because experimental and epidemiologic data imply a causative role for viruses.
Abstract: Viruses may contribute to the development of human tumors by different mechanisms: indirectly by inducing immunosuppression or by modifying the host cell genome without persistence of viral DNA; directly by inducing oncoproteins or by altering the expression of host cell proteins at the site of viral DNA integration. Human cancers associated with papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human T cell leukemia-lymphoma virus infections are responsible for approximately 15 percent of the worldwide cancer incidence. Cancer of the cervix and hepatocellular carcinoma account for about 80 percent of virus-linked cancers. Because experimental and epidemiologic data imply a causative role for viruses, particularly in cervical and liver cancer, viruses must be thought of as the second most important risk factor for cancer development in humans, exceeded only by tobacco consumption.
TL;DR: About half of natural chemicals tested in high-dose animal cancer tests are rodent carcinogens, a finding that is consistent with the view that high- dose tests frequently increase mitogenesis rates.
Abstract: A very large oxidative damage rate to DNA occurs as part of normal metabolism. In each rat cell the steady-state level is estimated to be about 106 oxidative adducts and about 105 new adducts are formed daily. It is argued that this endogenous DNA damage is a major contributor to aging and the degenerative diseases of aging, such as cancer. The oxidative damage rate in mammalian species with a high metabolic rate, short life span, and high age-specific cancer rate is much higher than the rate in humans, a long-lived creature with a lower metabolic rate and a lower age-specific cancer rate. It is argured that deficiency of micronutrients, such as dietary antioxidants or folate, is a major contributor to human cancer and degenerative diseases. Understanding the role of mitogenesis in mutagenesis is critical for clarifying the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and interpreting high-dose animal cancer tests. High-dose animal cancer tests have been done mainly on synthetic industrial chemicals, yet almost all of the chemicals humans are exposed to are natural. About half of natural chemicals tested in high-dose animal cancer tests are rodent carcinogens, a finding that is consistent with the view that high-dose tests frequently increase mitogenesis rates. Animals have numerous defenses against toxins that make them very well buffered against low doses of almost all toxins, whether synthetic or natural.
TL;DR: Support is provided for the use of the separate subscales of the HAD in studies of emotional disturbance in cancer patients by two distinct, but correlated, factors emerged which corresponded to the questionnaire's anxiety and depression subscales.
Abstract: An exploratory factor analysis of the HAD was carried out in 568 cancer patients. Two distinct, but correlated, factors emerged which corresponded to the questionnaire's anxiety and depression subscales. The factor structure proved stable when subsamples of the total sample were investigated. The internal consistency of the two subscales was also high. These results provide support for the use of the separate subscales of the HAD in studies of emotional disturbance in cancer patients.
TL;DR: The method was highly sensitive and could detect a single melanoma cell from a cell line in 2 ml normal blood, and could prove useful in the diagnosis of primary or metastatic cancers, in assessing prognosis, and in detecting residual disease after treatment.
TL;DR: Monoclonal antibodies have been applied clinically to the diagnosis and therapy of an array of human disorders and have been used for the modulation of immune responses, and the arming of such antibodies with toxins or radionuclides to enhance their effector function.
Abstract: Monoclonal antibodies have been applied clinically to the diagnosis and therapy of an array of human disorders, including cancer and infectious diseases, and have been used for the modulation of immune responses. Effective therapy using unmodified monoclonal antibodies has, however, been elusive. Recently, monoclonal antibody-mediated therapy has been revolutionized by advances such as the definition of cell-surface structures on abnormal cells as targets for effective monoclonal antibody action, genetic engineering to create less immunogenic and more effective monoclonal antibodies, and the arming of such antibodies with toxins or radionuclides to enhance their effector function.
TL;DR: The recent workshop on The Role of Soy Products in Cancer Prevention, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, had two objectives: to evaluate the role of soybean, food products derived from soybeans, and specific components of soybeans in the dietary prevention of cancer and to recommend research initiatives and approaches for further studies of the effect of soy intake on human cancer risk.
Abstract: Since the initial recognition that diet plays a role in the etiology of certain cancers, particularly cancers of the breast and colon, considerable progress has been made in identifying dietary patterns associated with cancer risk. There is general agreement that a high-fat, low-fiber diet, like that consumed by much of the industrialized world, increases cancer risk and that plant-based diets, rich in whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables, are protective. It has been, however, considerably more difficult to identify specific foods, types of food, or components of foods that influence cancer risk. The recent workshop on The Role of Soy Products in Cancer Prevention, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, had two objectives: I) to evaluate the role of soybeans, food products derived from soybeans, and specific components of soybeans in the dietary prevention of cancer and 2) to recommend research initiatives and approaches for further studies of the effect of soy intake on human cancer risk. The meeting was chaired by Stephen Barnes and organized by Mark Messina.
TL;DR: The association of consistent chromosome aberrations with particular types of cancer has led to the identification of some of these genes and the elucidation of their mechanisms of action.
Abstract: Cancer may be defined as a progressive series of genetic events that occur in a single clone of cells because of alterations in a limited number of specific genes: the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The association of consistent chromosome aberrations with particular types of cancer has led to the identification of some of these genes and the elucidation of their mechanisms of action. Consistent chromosome aberrations are observed not only in rare tumor types but also in the relatively common lung, colon, and breast cancers. Identification of additional mutated genes through other chromosomal abnormalities will lead to a more complete molecular description of oncogenesis.
TL;DR: There is a substantial excess of second neoplasms, especially of the central nervous system, among children treated for ALL, and children five years old or younger and those receiving radiation are at higher risk, especially for second tumors arising in thecentral nervous system.
Abstract: Background. Effective forms of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in childhood now result in survival rates above 70 percent at five years, but the treatments are potentially carcinogenic. To determine the magnitude of this risk and identify possible risk factors for the development of second neoplasms, we studied a large cohort of children treated for ALL. Methods and Results. We undertook a retrospective cohort study of 9720 children who had been given a diagnosis of ALL between June 1972 and August 1988 and had been treated according to the therapeutic protocols of the Children's Cancer Study Group. The median follow-up was 4.7 years (range, 2 months to 16 years). We found that 43 second neoplasms occurred among the children in the cohort, including 24 neoplasms of the central nervous system, 10 new leukemias and lymphomas, and 9 other neoplasms. This represented a 7-fold excess of all cancers and a 22-fold excess of neoplasms of the central nervous system. The estimated cumulati...
TL;DR: The present data suggest that the sustained use of NSAIDs reduces the incidence of human large-bowel cancer.
Abstract: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit prostaglandin synthesis and tumor growth in the rodent colon. We assessed NSAID use in relation to risk of human large-bowel cancer in a hospital-based, case-control study of 1326 patients with colorectal cancer and 4891 control patients. For regular NSAID use that continued into the year before interview, the multivariate relative risk estimate was 0.5 (95% confidence interval, 0.4 to 0.8); the estimate decreased as the duration of use increased, but the trend was not statistically significant. Similar results were obtained whether cancer or non-cancer controls were used, and the inverse association was apparent for both colon cancer and rectal cancer in men and women and in subjects younger and older than 60 years. Regular NSAID use that had been discontinued at least 1 year previously and non-regular use were not associated with risk. Almost all regular NSAID use was of aspirin-containing drugs. The present data suggest that the sustained use of NSAIDs reduces the incidence of human large-bowel cancer.
TL;DR: This study of mortality among workers with occupational exposure to TCDD does not confirm the high relative risks reported for many cancers in previous studies, and conclusions about an increase in the risk of soft-tissue sarcoma are limited by small numbers and misclassification on death certificates.
Abstract: Background. In both animal and epidemiologic studies, exposure to dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, or TCDD) has been associated with an increased risk of cancer. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of mortality among the 5172 workers at 12 plants in the United States that produced chemicals contaminated with TCDD. Occupational exposure was documented by reviewing job descriptions and by measuring TCDD in serum from a sample of 253 workers. Causes of death were taken from death certificates. Results. Mortality from several cancers previously associated with TCDD (stomach, liver, and nasal cancers, Hodgkin's disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) was not significantly elevated in this cohort. Mortality from soft-tissue sarcoma was increased, but not significantly (4 deaths; standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 338; 95 percent confidence interval, 92 to 865). In the subcohort of 1520 workers with ≥1 year of exposure and ≥20 years of latency, however, mortality was significant...
TL;DR: The author prospectively evaluated the value of periodic mammographic surveillance among 3,184 consecutive cases of nonpalpable, probably benign breast lesions detected with mammography, finding that decreasing the number of biopsies of benign lesions and thereby substantially reducing costs may help overcome a major barrier to widespread use of mammographic screening.
Abstract: The author prospectively evaluated the value of periodic mammographic surveillance among 3,184 consecutive cases of nonpalpable, probably benign breast lesions detected with mammography. Follow-up consisted of four mammographic examinations during a 3- or 3.5-year period. Clinical outcome was ascertained in each case after the study period, whether or not patients complied with the protocol. Probably benign lesions were subsequently found to be malignant in 17 cases (positive predictive value for cancer, 0.5%). Fifteen of the 17 cancers were identified by means of interval mammographic change prior to development of a palpable mass; all 17 were stage 0 or stage 1 tumors. All 17 women who had cancer currently show no evidence of tumor recurrence (median duration of follow-up, 5 years). These results should help establish the validity of managing mammographically detected, probably benign lesions with periodic mammographic surveillance. By decreasing the number of biopsies of benign lesions and thereby substantially reducing costs, this approach may help overcome a major barrier to widespread use of mammographic screening.
TL;DR: Findings suggest that the chromosomal region 17q12-q23, previously shown to contain a gene for early-onset breast cancer, is also associated with a proportion of hereditary ovarian cancers.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Monoclonal antibodies used in cancer treatment are designed in a lab to target certain antigens that live on the surface of cancer cells that can latch onto the cancer cells and act as a “call to arms” for other disease-fighting warriors in the immune system.
Abstract: Our body produces billions of different kinds of antibodies, which are part of the immune system. They have specific archnemeses in the immune system that they target, such as pathogens like diseased cells or viruses. Monoclonal antibodies used in cancer treatment are designed in a lab to target certain antigens — foreign substances in the body — that live on the surface of cancer cells. By targeting those antigens, the antibodies are able to latch onto the cancer cells and act as a “call to arms” for other disease-fighting warriors in the immune system.
TL;DR: Both prospective and retrospective studies suggest that vegetable and fruit intake may reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynX, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, bladder, and cervix, but the epidemiologic evidence is at present less persuasive than for lung cancer.
TL;DR: Age, ultrasound score, menopausal status, a clinical impression score and serum CA 125 level were assessed to see how they could best distinguish between patients with benign and malignant pelvic masses.