• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.2131-2135
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• 2013

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of distearoylphosphatidylcholine pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (DPLD) combined with carboplatin for the treatment of platinum resistant or refractory epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) or fallopian tube cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of women who received DPLD with carboplatin for recurrent EOC or fallopian tube cancer in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital Thailand from January 2006 to August 2011 was conducted. Patients were identified from the medical records and data on demographic factors, stage, histology, surgical findings, cytoreduction status, and prior chemotherapies were abstracted. The efficacy and toxicity of DPLD/carboplatin were evaluated. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 65 patients, 64 with platinum resistant or refractory epithelial ovarian cancer and 1 with fallopian tube cancer, were enrolled. DPLD and carboplatin were given for an average of 4.46 cycles per patient with a total of 273 cycles. Among the 65 evaluable patients, 0% achieved CR, 7.69% PR, 15.4% SD and 76.% PD. The overall response rate was 23.1%. With a median follow-up of 27.4 months, the median progression-free and median overall survival in the 36 patients was 4.46 months and 8.76 months respectively. In the aspect of side effects, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) occurred in 33.3% (Grade I 22.2%, Grade II 11.1%) and mucositis in 41.7% (Grade I 27.8%, Grade II 13.9%) of all treatment cycles, all Grade 1 or 2. Anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 58.3% (Grade I 41.7%, Grade II 16.7%), 66.7% (Grade I 47.2%, Grade II 19.4%), and 22.2% (Grade I 16.6%, Grade II 5.56%) of cycle respectively, and were mostly Grade 1 or 2. Conclusions: DPLD, the second-generation PLD drug combined with carboplatin every 4 weeks, is effective and has low toxicity for treatment of patients with recurrent platinum-resistant or refractory epithelial ovarian cancer.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.31-35
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• 2012

Background and Objectives: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents approximately 80% of all lung cancers. Unfortunately, at their time of diagnosis, most patients have advanced to unresectable disease with a very poor prognosis. The oriental herbal medicine HangAm-Plus (HAP) has been developed for antitumor purposes, and several previous studies have reported its therapeutic effects. In this study, the efficacy of HAP was evaluated as a third-line treatment for advanced-stage IIIb/IV NSCLC. Methods: The study involved six patients treated at the East- West Cancer Center (EWCC) from April 2010 to October 2011. Inoperable advanced-stage IIIb/IV NSCLC patients received 3,000 or 6,000 mg of HAP on a daily basis over a 12-week period. Computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained from the patients at the time of the initial administration and after 12 weeks of treatment. We observed and analyzed the patients overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Of the six patients, three expired during the study, and the three remaining patients were alive as of October 31, 2011. The OS ranged from 234 to 512 days, with a median survival of 397 days and a one-year survival rate of 66.7%. In the 12-week-interval chest CT assessment, three patients showed stable disease (SD), and the other three showed progressive disease (PD). The PFS of patients ranged from 88 to 512 days, the median PFS being 96 days. Longer OS and PFS were correlated with SD. Although not directly comparable, the OS and the PFS of this study were greater than those of the docetaxel or the best supportive care group in other studies. Conclusion: HAP may prolong the OS and the PFS of inoperable stage IIIb/IV NSCLC patients without significant adverse effects. In the future, more controlled clinical trials with larger samples from multi-centers should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of HAP.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3151-3156
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• 2014

Background: Sorafenib is a promising drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, treatment may be discontinued for multiple reasons, such as progressive disease, adverse events, or the cost of treatment. The consequences of sorafenib discontinuation and continuation are uncertain. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 88 HCC patients treated with sorafenib from July 2007 to January 2013. Overall survival (OS), post-disease progression overall survival (pOS), and time to disease progression (TTP) were compared for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess the effect of important factors on OS in the overall patient population and on pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Results: Sorafenib was discontinued and continued in 24 and 64 patients, respectively. The median OS (355 vs 517 days respectively; p=0.015) and median post-PD OS (260 vs 317 days, respectively; p=0.020) were statistically different between the discontinuation and continuation groups. Neither the median time to first PD nor the time to second PD were significantly different between the 2 groups. In the discontinuation group, 3 of the 24 patients (12.5%) suffered disease outbreaks. In Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after correction for confounding factors, BCLC stage (p=0.002) and PD site (p=0.024) were significantly correlated with pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Conclusions: Sorafenib discontinuation may cause HCC flares or outbreaks. It is advisable to continue sorafenib treatment after first PD, particularly in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B disease or only intrahepatic PD.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.559-567
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the impact of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) before confirmatory prostate biopsy in patients under active surveillance (AS). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 170 patients with Gleason grade 6 prostate cancer initially enrolled in an AS program between 2011 and 2019. Prostate mpMRI was performed using a 1.5 tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging system with a 16-channel phased-array body coil. The protocol included T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging sequences. Uroradiology reports generated by a specialist were based on prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) version 2. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed based on regression models. Results: The reclassification rate at confirmatory biopsy was higher in patients with suspicious lesions on mpMRI (PI-RADS score ≥ 3) (n = 47) than in patients with non-suspicious mpMRIs (n = 61) and who did not undergo mpMRIs (n = 62) (66%, 26.2%, and 24.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, presence of a suspicious mpMRI finding (PI-RADS score ≥ 3) was associated (adjusted odds ratio: 4.72) with the risk of reclassification at confirmatory biopsy after adjusting for the main variables (age, prostate-specific antigen density, number of positive cores, number of previous biopsies, and clinical stage). Presence of a suspicious mpMRI finding (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.62) was also associated with the risk of progression to active treatment during the follow-up. Conclusion: Inclusion of mpMRI before the confirmatory biopsy is useful to stratify the risk of reclassification during the biopsy as well as to evaluate the risk of progression to active treatment during follow-up.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.335-339
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• 2001

Cancer chemoprevention refers to the use of natural or synthetic substances to prevent initiational and promotional events that occur during the process of carcinogenesis. Thesium Chinese Turczaninow aqua-acupuncture solution (TCTAS) and Astragli Radix aqua-acupuncture solution (ARAS) were tested as the cancer chemopreventive agents using biochemical markers of carcinogenesis. The effects on the inhibition of phorbol 12- myristate 13-acetate(TPA)-induced free radical formation in HL-60 cells and the inhibition of polyamine metabolism were measured. There is significant inhibition of TAP-induced free radical formation in human leukemic cells with cells with ARAS. Proliferation of Acanthamoeba castellanii was inhibited by TCTAS and ARAS. TCTAS and ARAS positive in these assays may inhibit the carcinogenesis process and is considered promising cancer-preventing agents.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.185-193
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• 2014

Cancers are based upon an array of orchestrated genetic changes and the identification of changes causally related to the carcinogenic process. To elucidate the mechanism of cancer carcinogenesis, it is necessary to reconstruct these molecular events at each level. Microarray technologies have been extensively used to evaluate genetic alterations associated with cancer onset and progression in clinical oncology. The clinical impact of the genomic alterations identified by microarray technologies are growing rapidly and array analysis has been evolving into a diagnostic tool to better identify high-risk patients and predict patient outcomes from their genomic profiles. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-art microarray technologies and their applications in clinical oncology, and describe the potential benefits of these analysis in the clinical implications and biological insights of cancer biology.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.439-443
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• 2007

Tumor growth and metastasis are dependent on angiogenesis, and endothelial cell invasion and migration are apparent means of regulating tumor progression. We report here that saxatilin, a snake venom-derived disintegrin, suppresses the angiogenesis-inducing properties of NCI-H460 human lung cancer cells. Culture supernatants of NCI-H460 cells are able to induce human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) invasion and tube formation. However, treatment of the cancer cells with saxatilin resulted in reduced angiogenic activity of the culture supernatant. This suppressed angiogenic property was found to be associated with the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the culture supernatant. Further experimental evidence indicated that saxatilin inhibits VEGF production in NCI-H460 cells by affecting hypoxia induced factor-1$\alpha$ (HIF-1$\alpha$) expression via the Akt pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7431-7434
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• 2015

As an important component of innate immune system, neutrophil has been involved in many other physiological processes, including tumor-related diseases. In 2004, the phenomenon of NETs was reported for the first time. Extracellular decondensed chromatin, released from activated neutrophils, forms a network structure, which is NETs. This review focuses on the function of NETs in tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and tumor-associated thrombosis; it also explores the application of NETs specific markers in the diagnosis of pre-thrombotic state and tumor associated diseases; it also explores NETs inhibitor for the treatment of tumor-related diseases. In view of the rapid development of NETs, it may provide new therapeutic targets for tumor-associated thrombosis, and even tumor itself.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3539-3548
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• 2012

The Nm23 gene is a metastatic suppressor identified in a melanoma cell line and expressed in different tumors where their levels of expression are associated with reduced or increased metastatic potential. Nm23 is one of the over 20 metastasis suppressor genes (MSGs) confirmed in vivo. It is highly conserved from yeast to human, implying a critical developmental function. Tumors with alteration of the p53 gene and reduced expression of the Nm23 gene are more prone to metastasis. Nm23-H1 has 3'-5' exonuclease activity. This review focuses on the role of Nm23 in cancer progression and also a potential novel target for cancer therapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2006

In the past decade, the median duration of survival among patients with advanced colorectal cancer has increased from 12 months to about 18 months, primarily as a results of the introduction of irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of cancer have resulted in the discovery of new therapeutic interventions that target specific molecular abnormalities. Their specificity, and therefore their potential to bind preferentially and modify tumor-specific targets, sparing normal tissues and causing fewer side-effects compared to conventional cytotoxic agents, makes them an attractive therapeutic option. The future of this approach for the treatment of solid tumors is promising.