Search results for "digestive"
showing 10 items of 2631 documents
MGMT activity, promoter methylation and immunohistochemistry of pretreatment and recurrent malignant gliomas: a comparative study on astrocytoma and …
2010
The DNA repair protein O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a key player in tumor cell resistance. Promoter methylation, MGMT activity and immunohistochemistry are used for determining the MGMT status. However, it is unclear whether MGMT promoter methylation correlates with MGMT activity and whether MGMT promoter methylation of the pretreatment tumor predicts the MGMT status of recurrences. To address these questions, we determined MGMT activity promoter methylation and immunoreactivity in pretreatment and recurrent glioblastomas (GB, WHO Grade IV), and in astrocytomas (WHO Grade III). We show that GB that were promoter methylated display a range of 0-62 fmol/mg MGMT and tumor…
Prognostic assessment and treatment of primary gastric lymphomas: how endoscopic ultrasonography can help in tailoring patient management.
2013
Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has recently gained a pivotal role in the management of gastric lymphomas, especially in the diagnostic workup. Its accuracy and reliability have overcome those of other imaging techniques, such that it represents an invaluable tool for the management of gastric lymphomas. Although this technique is operator dependent, its application in large series has proved its reliability. Thus, it has generally been considered a useful tool for providing information crucial in deciding the treatment program, especially for mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas, for which EUS can provide an accurate evaluation of disease extension and treatment response pro…
Achalasia and carcinoma of the esophagus
1995
Different figures regarding the relationship between achalasia and carcinoma of the esophagus can be found in the literature. Often achalasia is considered as a risk factor. The author analyzing the data collected from the Shanghai Chest Hospital (S.C.H.) and the Pathophysiology Department of the University of Palermo, both referring centers for esophageal diseases conclude that carcinoma of the esophagus in achalasic patients is just a coincidence and no relationship can be found between the two diseases.
Endoscopic ultrasonography in gastric lymphomas: appraisal on reliability in long-term follow-up
2011
The reliability of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in follow-up management of gastric lymphomas has not been clearly validated. We conducted a retrospective analysis on 23 patients, 12 affected by mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, eight by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and three by high-grade lymphoma with low-grade component, all treated with a stomach-conservative approach. One hundred and twenty matched evaluations with both EUS and endoscopy with biopsy (E-Bx) were performed, according to validated guidelines and clinical judgment. At a median follow-up of 87 months ranged between 9.5 and 166 months, the analysis of progression-free survival and disease-free survival …
Does endoscopic follow-up improve the outcome of patients with benign gastric ulcers and gastric cancer?
1992
This study investigated whether an endoscopic surveillance program for patients with "benign" gastric ulcers and gastric cancer leads to early detection of neoplasms and improves survival. The clinical course of all patients diagnosed between 1977 and 1986 as having either gastric ulcers or gastric cancer was followed for a minimum of 3 years. Of 597 patients with initially benign gastric ulcers, 452 (76%) returned for the recommended endoscopic follow-up examinations. In eight patients (1.8%), repeated biopsies disclosed malignant neoplasms; four of these patients (0.9%) had become asymptomatic. Survival curves were nearly identical in patients who complied and those who did not. Of 241 pa…
Impact of Different Selection Approaches for Identifying Lynch Syndrome-Related Colorectal Cancer Patients: Unity Is Strength
2022
Lynch syndrome (LS) is an inherited genetic condition associated with increased predisposition to colorectal cancer (CRC) and other tumors and is caused by germline mutations in Mismatch Repair (MMR) or EPCAM genes. The identification of LS carriers is currently based on germline testing of subjects with MMR-deficient (dMMR) tumors or fulfilling clinical criteria, but the most efficient strategies to select patients who should be offered genetic testing are yet not well defined. In order to assess the most suitable selection mode to identify LS-related CRC patients, we retrospectively collected and analyzed all clinical and molecular information of 854 CRC patients, recruited from 2013 to 2…
Functional and Therapeutic Significance of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Colorectal Cancer
2022
The role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and its acquisition of resistance to treatment become the research hotspots. As an important component of TME, the tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) regulate multiple critical oncogenic processes, namely, occurrence, proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance in CRC. In this review, we have discussed the functional and therapeutic significance of TAMs in CRC. M1 macrophages act as the tumor suppressor while M2 macrophages promote CRC. The polarization of TAMs is mainly regulated by the pathways such as NFKB1 pathways, STAT3 pathways, WNT5A pathways, and PI3K pathways in CRC. Furthermore, the M2 …
KRAS-G12C Mutation in One Real-Life and Three Population-Based Nordic Cohorts of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
2022
Background: KRAS mutations, present in over 40% of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), are negative predictive factors for anti-EGFR therapy. Mutations in KRAS-G12C have a cysteine residue for which drugs have been developed. Published data on this specific mutation are conflicting; thus, we studied the frequency and clinical characteristics in a real-world and population-based setting. Methods: Patients from three Nordic population-based cohorts and the real-life RAXO-study were combined. RAS and BRAF tests were performed in routine healthcare, except for one cohort. The dataset consisted of 2,559 patients, of which 1,871 could be accurately classified as KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF-V600E. Demog…
GIST: Particular aspects related to cell cultures, xenografts, and cytogenetics
2006
In less than half a decade, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) have emerged from historical anonymity to become a model of kinase-targeted therapies. Approximately 80% to 85% of GISTs harbor activating mutations of the KIT or PDGFRA tyrosine kinase genes, and such mutations have predictive and prognostic value. In this regard, the in vitro and in vivo models have provided valuable tools for understanding the molecular pathology of this interesting neoplasm. This review charts particular aspects in the field of cell cultures and tumor xenografts in nude mice in GIST and their implication in the establishment of appropriate models for discovering and testing therapy. The cytogenetic featu…
Increased endocannabinoid levels reduce the development of precancerous lesions in the mouse colon
2007
Colorectal cancer is an increasingly important cause of death in Western countries. Endocannabinoids inhibit colorectal carcinoma cell proliferation in vitro. In this paper, we investigated the involvement of endocannabinoids on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF, earliest preneoplastic lesions) in the colon mouse in vivo. ACF were induced by azoxymethane (AOM); fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and cannabinoid receptor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels were analyzed by the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); endocannabinoid levels were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; caspase-3 and caspase-9 expressions were measured by W…