• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.4101-4105
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• 2016

Background: Mortality among Iranian patients with colorectal cancer has not been fully examined and the factors associated with their survival are still controversial. This study aimed to determine the mortality rate and its related factors among the patients with colorectal cancer in southwestern regions in Iran. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on 220 patients with colorectal cancer referred to Fahighi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran from 2009 to 2014. Data were collected from the patients' medical records and were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Results: Over a median follow-up of 29.3 months, 56 out of the 220 patients (25.5%) died, 32 (14.5%) aged below 40 years, and 45.5% were female. Based on the results of multiple Cox regression analysis, family history of gastrointestinal cancer, stage III, former smoking, type of lesion (fungative and polypoid), and opium use were associated with a greater risk of colorectal cancer mortality (all P<0.05). Conclusions: This cohort study found that the mortality rate of colorectal cancer in Iran is lower than that in European countries. In addition, behavioral and clinical factors were significantly associated with the survival rate. Addressing the related factors would help healthcare providers and physicians provide the best care and improve the survival rate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8391-8394
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• 2014

Purpose: This systematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based salvage chemotherapy for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based regimens on response and safety for patients with colorectal cancer were identified using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rates (RRs) were calculated. Results: For pemetrexed based regimens, 4 clinical studies including 201 patients with advanced colorectal cancer were considered eligible for inclusion. The analysis suggested that, in all patients, pooled RR was 20.4% (41/201). Major adverse effects were neutropenia, anorexia, fatigue, and anemia. No treatment related death occurred with pemetrexed based treatment. Conclusion: This systematic analysis suggests that pemetrexed based regimens are associated with mild activity with good tolerability in treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8951-8955
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• 2014

Background: Studies have shown the existence of gender- and age-related differences in the incidence and anatomic distribution of colorectal cancers. The purposes of this study were to analyze the distribution characteristics of colorectal cancer patients regarding gender, age, location and tumor size in the course of colonoscopy. Materials and Methods: All colorectal cancer patients who underwent colonoscopy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from 2003 to 2012 were included in our retrospective study. Demographic information (age and gender) and colonoscopy report information (tumor size and location) were collected and analyzed. To compare the gender differences in tumor location and tumor size, as well as the size differences in tumor location, the chi-square test was used. Results: A total of 3, 369 colorectal cancer patients (2, 007 men vs 1, 362 women) were included in our study. Statistical analysis showed there was no gender difference in the anatomic distribution of the tumors (p>0.05). However, there was a gender difference in tumor size (p<0.05). In addition, our study found there was a significant difference in tumor size between rectal and colon tumors (p<0.001). Conclusions: There was no gender difference in the anatomic distribution of colorectal tumors. In addition, tumors observed in men were larger than in women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6685-6689
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• 2014

Background: Alterations in gene expression levels or mutations of tyrosine kinases are detected in some human cancers. In this study, we examined whether serine threonine tyrosine kinase 1 (STYK1)/novel oncogene with kinase domain (NOK) is overexpressed in patients with colorectal cancer. We also examined the clinical relevance of STYK1/NOK expression in cancer tissues. Materials and Methods: In tumor samples of patients with colorectal cancer and their matched non-cancerous samples, STYK1/NOK messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Associations between the expression levels of STYK1/NOK and clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer were also assessed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Upregulation of STYK1/NOK was found in cancer tissues even at early stage of colorectal cancer compared to normal adjacent tissues. The optimal cutoff point of 0.198 the STYK1/NOK expression showed 0.78 sensitivity and 0.75 specificity for diagnosis. Overexpressed STYK1/NOK was correlated with tumor size but had no association with other clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer. Conclusions: These results indicate that STYK1/NOK mRNA is widely expressed in the patients with colorectal cancer and suggest that inhibition of this molecule could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic target.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.108-108
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• 2018

In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect of extracts of leaves (ST-L) and branches (ST-B) from Sageretia theezans in human colorectal cancer cells. ST-L and ST-B significantly inhibited the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells, SW480. ST-L and ST-B decreased cyclin D1 protein level through the induction of cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation via $GSK3{\beta}$-dependent threonine-286 phosphorylation of cyclin D1. In addition, ST-L and ST-B increased HO-1 protein through p38, ROS and $GSK3{\beta}$-dependent Nrf2 activation. These findings suggest that ST-L and ST-B may have great potential for the development of anti-cancer drug to treat human colorectal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4025-4032
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• 2013

Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for all US populations including Asian Americans. CRC screening has considerable benefits to prevent CRC and reduce mortality. The purpose of this article was to review the published literature on rates of colorectal cancer screening and factors associated with colorectal cancer screening practice among Asian Americans. Methods: Through searching electronic reference databases from 2000 to 2013, 30 articles were found on Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans. Findings: Asian Americans had significantly low ratesfor CRC screening; Korean Americans reported the lowest rates, while higher screening rates were found among Japanese Americans. Older age, longer length of stay in the US, and having a physician's recommendation were the most common facilitators to receiving screening. The common inhibiting factors were financial issues, employment status, and worries/fears about the procedure. Conclusions: Despite a number of Asian Americans being vulnerable to CRC, individual Asian subgroups were underserved with CRC screening and intervention. Further studies should focus on each individual Asian subgroup and culturally proficient CRC screening intervention programs should be developed for each.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.281-288
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• 2016

Apoptosis has been regarded as a therapeutic target because apoptosis is typically disturbed in human cancer. Silymarin found in the seeds of the milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been reported to exert anti-cancer properties through apoptosis. This study was performed to investigate the molecular target for silymarin-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. Silymarin reduced the cell viability and induced an apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. ATF3 overexpression increased PARP cleavage by silymarin. Increased ATF3 expression in both protein and mRNA was observed in silymarin-treated cells. In addition, silymarin increased the luciferase activity of ATF3 promoter. Inhibition of JNK and IκK-α blocked silymarin-mediated ATF3 expression. The results suggest that silymarin induces apoptosis through JNK and IκKα-dependent ATF3 expression in human colorectal cancer cells.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2015

With advances in the understanding of the biology and genetics of colorectal cancer (CRC), diagnostic biomarkers that may predict the existence or future presence of cancer or a hereditary condition, and prognostic and treatment biomarkers that may direct the approach to therapy have been developed. Biomarkers can be ascertained and assayed from any tissue that may demonstrate the diagnostic or prognostic value, including from blood cells, epithelial cells via buccal swab, fresh or archival cancer tissue, as well as from cells shed into fecal material. For CRC, current examples of biomarkers for screening and surveillance include germline testing for suspected hereditary CRC syndromes, and stool DNA tests for screening average at-risk patients. Molecular biomarkers for CRC that may alter patient care and treatment include the presence or absence of microsatellite instability, the presence or absence of mutant KRAS, BRAF or PIK3CA, and the level of expression of 15-PGDH in the colorectal mucosa. Molecularly targeted therapies and some general therapeutic approaches rely on biomarker information. Additional novel biomarkers are on the horizon that will undoubtedly further the approach to precision or individualized medicine.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2011

Objectives: This study aims to identify the factors associated with colorectal cancer screening behaviors. Methods: The nation-wide representative samples of 2,928 adults aged ${\geq}50$ years for colorectal cancer screening were derived from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV). This study investigated socio-demographic, health behavioral and contextual factors associated with colorectal cancer screening using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: In terms of socio-demographic factors, gender, age, marital status, occupation, monthly income, and resident region were significantly different between screening group and non-screening group. Among health behavioral and contextual factors, regular physical checkup, weight control, physical activity, smoking, drinking and having other cancers were significantly different. From the multivariate logistic regression analysis, marital status, education level, regular physical checkup and weight control were associated with colorectal cancer screening behavior. Conclusions: It is necessary to understand the importance of early detection and cancer screening. Appropriate health education and active promotion about the cancer screening should be developed based on the study findings in order to motivate people to have cancer screening. Also, these findings should be reflected in the health policy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1851-1855
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• 2015

Background: There are increasing data about microRNAs (miRNA) in the literature, providing abundant evidence that they play important roles in pathogenesis and development of colorectal cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the miRNA expression profiles in surgically resected specimens of patients with recurrent and non-recurrent colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: The study population included 40 patients with stage II colorectal cancer (20 patients with recurrent tumors, and 20 sex and age matched patients without recurrence), who underwent curative colectomy between 2004 and 2011 without adjuvant therapy. Expression of 16 miRNAs (miRNA-9, 21, 30d, 31, 106a, 127, 133a, 133b, 135b, 143, 145, 155, 182, 200a, 200c, 362) was verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in all resected colon cancer tissue samples and in corresponding normal colonic tissues. Data analyses were carried out using SPSS 15 software. Values were statistically significantly changed in 40 cancer tissues when compared to the corresponding 40 normal colonic tissues (p<0.001). MiR-30d, miR-133a, miR-143, miR-145 and miR-362 expression was statistically significantly downregulated in 40 resected colorectal cancer tissue samples (p<0.001). When we compared subgroups, miRNA expression profiles of 20 recurrent cancer tissues were similar to all 40 cancer tissues. However in 20 non-recurrent cancer tissues, miR-133a expression was not significantly downregulated, moreover miR-133b expression was significantly upregulated (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our study revealed dysregulation of expression of ten miRNAs in Turkish colon cancer patients. These miRNAs may be used as potential biomarkers for early detection, screening and surveillance of colorectal cancer, with functional effects on tumor cell behavior.