Search results for: ion-beam cancer therapy
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3578

Search results for: ion-beam cancer therapy

2648 Tumor Size and Lymph Node Metastasis Detection in Colon Cancer Patients Using MR Images

Authors: Mohammadreza Hedyehzadeh, Mahdi Yousefi

Abstract:

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancer, which predicted to increase its prevalence due to the bad eating habits of peoples. Nowadays, due to the busyness of people, the use of fast foods is increasing, and therefore, diagnosis of this disease and its treatment are of particular importance. To determine the best treatment approach for each specific colon cancer patients, the oncologist should be known the stage of the tumor. The most common method to determine the tumor stage is TNM staging system. In this system, M indicates the presence of metastasis, N indicates the extent of spread to the lymph nodes, and T indicates the size of the tumor. It is clear that in order to determine all three of these parameters, an imaging method must be used, and the gold standard imaging protocols for this purpose are CT and PET/CT. In CT imaging, due to the use of X-rays, the risk of cancer and the absorbed dose of the patient is high, while in the PET/CT method, there is a lack of access to the device due to its high cost. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to estimate the tumor size and the extent of its spread to the lymph nodes using MR images. More than 1300 MR images collected from the TCIA portal, and in the first step (pre-processing), histogram equalization to improve image qualities and resizing to get the same image size was done. Two expert radiologists, which work more than 21 years on colon cancer cases, segmented the images and extracted the tumor region from the images. The next step is feature extraction from segmented images and then classify the data into three classes: T0N0، T3N1 و T3N2. In this article, the VGG-16 convolutional neural network has been used to perform both of the above-mentioned tasks, i.e., feature extraction and classification. This network has 13 convolution layers for feature extraction and three fully connected layers with the softmax activation function for classification. In order to validate the proposed method, the 10-fold cross validation method used in such a way that the data was randomly divided into three parts: training (70% of data), validation (10% of data) and the rest for testing. It is repeated 10 times, each time, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the model are calculated and the average of ten repetitions is reported as the result. The accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the proposed method for testing dataset was 89/09%, 95/8% and 96/4%. Compared to previous studies, using a safe imaging technique (MRI) and non-use of predefined hand-crafted imaging features to determine the stage of colon cancer patients are some of the study advantages.

Keywords: colon cancer, VGG-16, magnetic resonance imaging, tumor size, lymph node metastasis

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2647 An Insight into Early Stage Detection of Malignant Tumor by Microwave Imaging

Authors: Muhammad Hassan Khalil, Xu Jiadong

Abstract:

Detection of malignant tumor inside the breast of women is a challenging field for the researchers. MWI (Microwave imaging) for breast cancer diagnosis has been of interest for last two decades, newly it suggested for finding cancerous tissues of women breast. A simple and basic idea of the mathematical modeling is used throughout this paper for imaging of malignant tumor. In this paper, the authors explained inverse scattering method in the microwave imaging and also present some simulation results.

Keywords: breast cancer detection, microwave imaging, tomography, tumor

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2646 Preparation of Gramine Nanosuspension and Protective Effect of Gramine on Human Oral Cell Lines by Induction of Apoptosis

Authors: K. Suresh, R. Arunkumar

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to investigate the preparation of gramine nano suspension and protective effect of Gramine on the apoptosis of laryngeal cancer cells cell line (HEp-2 and KB). The growth inhibition rate of Hep-2 and KB cells in vitro were measured by MTT assay and apoptosis by, levels of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, morphological changes and flowcytometry. Based on the results, we determined the effective doses of gramine as 127.23µm/ml for 24 hr and 119.81 µm/ml for 48hr in hep-2 cell line and 147.58 µm ml for 24 hr and 123.74µm µm/ml for 48hr in KB cell line. cytotoxicity effects of gramine were confirmed by treatment of HEp-2 cell and KB cell with IC50 concentration of gramine resulted in sequences of events marked by the enhance the apoptosis accompanied by loss of cell viability, modulation of reactive oxygen species and cell cycle arrest through the induction of G0/G1 phase arrest on HEp-2 cells. Our study suggests that the nanosuspension of gramine possesses the more cytotoxic effect of cancer cells and a novel candidate for cancer chemoprevention.

Keywords: apoptosis, HEp-2 cell line, KB cell line mitochondria, gramine, nanosuspension

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2645 Effectiveness of Office-Based Occupational Therapy for Office Workers with Low Back Pain: A Public Health Approach

Authors: Dina Jalalvand, Joshua A. Cleland

Abstract:

This double-blind, randomized control trial with parallel groups aimed to examine the effectiveness of office-based occupational therapy for office workers with low back pain on the intensity of pain and range of motion. Seventy-two male office workers (age: 20-50 years) with chronic low back pain (more than three months with at least two symptoms of chronic low back pain) satisfied eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in this study. The absence of joint burst following magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) was considered as an important inclusion criterion as well. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. The experimental group received the modified package of exercise-based occupational therapy, which included 11 simple exercise movements (derived from Williams and McKenzie), and the control group just received the conventional therapy, which included their routine physiotherapy sessions. The subjects completed the exercises three times a week for a duration of six weeks. Each exercise session was 10-15 minutes. Pain intensity and range of motion were the primary outcomes and were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after the end of the intervention using the numerical rating scale (NRS) and goniometer accordingly. Repeated measure ANOVA was used for analyzing data. The results of this study showed that significant decreases in pain intensity (p ≤ 0.05) and an increase in range of motion (p ≤ 0.001) in the experimental group in comparison with the control group after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention (between-group comparisons). In addition, there was a significant decrease in intensity of the pain (p ≤ 0.05) and an increase (p ≤ 0.001) in range of motion in the intervention group in comparison with baseline after 6 and 12 weeks (within-group comparison). This showed a positive effect of exercise-based occupational therapy that could potentially be used with low cost among office workers who suffer from low back pain. In addition, it should be noted that the introduced package of exercise training is easy to do, and there is not a need for a specific introduction.

Keywords: public health, office workers, low back pain, occupational therapy

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2644 Towards a Biologically Relevant Tumor-on-a-Chip: Multiplex Microfluidic Platform to Study Breast Cancer Drug Response

Authors: Soroosh Torabi, Brad Berron, Ren Xu, Christine Trinkle

Abstract:

Microfluidics integrated with 3D cell culture is a powerful technology to mimic cellular environment, and can be used to study cell activities such as proliferation, migration and response to drugs. This technology has gained more attention in cancer studies over the past years, and many organ-on-a-chip systems have been developed to study cancer cell behaviors in an ex-vivo tumor microenvironment. However, there are still some barriers to adoption which include low throughput, complexity in 3D cell culture integration and limitations on non-optical analysis of cells. In this study, a user-friendly microfluidic multi-well plate was developed to mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment. The microfluidic platform feeds multiple 3D cell culture sites at the same time which enhances the throughput of the system. The platform uses hydrophobic Cassie-Baxter surfaces created by microchannels to enable convenient loading of hydrogel/cell suspensions into the device, while providing barrier free placement of the hydrogel and cells adjacent to the fluidic path. The microchannels support convective flow and diffusion of nutrients to the cells and a removable lid is used to enable further chemical and physiological analysis on the cells. Different breast cancer cell lines were cultured in the device and then monitored to characterize nutrient delivery to the cells as well as cell invasion and proliferation. In addition, the drug response of breast cancer cell lines cultured in the device was compared to the response in xenograft models to the same drugs to analyze relevance of this platform for use in future drug-response studies.

Keywords: microfluidics, multi-well 3d cell culture, tumor microenvironment, tumor-on-a-chip

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2643 The Comparison of the Effects of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivery by Systemic and Intra-Tracheal Injection on Elastase-Induced Emphysema Model

Authors: Maryam Radan, Fereshteh Nejad Dehbashi, Vahid Bayati, Mahin Dianat, Seyyed Ali Mard, Zahra Mansouri

Abstract:

Pulmonary emphysema is a pathological respiratory condition identified by alveolar destruction which leads to limitation of airflow and diminished lung function. A substantial body of evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to induce tissue repair primarily through a paracrine effect. In this study, we aimed to determine the efficacy of Intratracheal adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) therapy in comparison to this approach with that of Intravenous (Systemic) therapy. Fifty adult male Sprague–Dawley rats weighing between 180 and 200 g were used in this experiment. The animals were randomized to Control groups (Intratracheal or Intravenous vehicle), Elastase group (intratracheal administration of porcine pancreatic elastase; 25 U/kg on day 0 and day 10th), Elastase+Intratracheal ADSCs therapy (1x107 Cells, on day 28) and Elastase+Systemic ADSCs therapy (1x107 Cells, on day 28). The rats which not subjected to any treatment, considered as the control. All rats were sacrificed 3 weeks later. Morphometric findings in lung tissues (Mean linear intercept) confirmed the establishment of the emphysema model via alveolar disruption. Contrarily, ADSCs administration partially restored alveolar architecture. These results were associated with improving arterial oxygenation, reducing lung edema, and decreasing lung inflammation with higher significant effects in the Intratracheal therapy route. These results documented that the efficacy of intratracheal ADSCs was comparable with intravenous ADSCs therapy. Accordingly, the obtained data suggested that intratracheal delivery of ADSCs would enhance lung repair in pulmonary emphysema. Moreover, this method provides benefits over a systemic administration, such as the reduction of cell number and the low risk to engraft other organs.

Keywords: mesenchymal stem cell, emphysema, Intratracheal, systemic

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2642 Mechanical Simulation with Electrical and Dimensional Tests for AISHa Containment Chamber

Authors: F. Noto, G. Costa, L. Celona, F. Chines, G. Ciavola, G. Cuttone, S. Gammino, O. Leonardi, S. Marletta, G. Torrisi

Abstract:

At Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Laboratorio Nazionale del Sud (INFN-LNS), a broad experience in the design, construction and commissioning of ECR and microwave ion sources is available. The AISHa ion source has been designed by taking into account the typical requirements of hospital-based facilities, where the minimization of the mean time between failures (MTBF) is a key point together with the maintenance operations, which should be fast and easy. It is intended to be a multipurpose device, operating at 18 GHz, in order to achieve higher plasma densities. It should provide enough versatility for future needs of the hadron therapy, including the ability to run at larger microwave power to produce different species and highly charged ion beams. The source is potentially interesting for any hadron therapy facility using heavy ions. In this paper, we analyzed the dimensional test and electrical test about an innovative solution for the containment chamber that allows us to solve our isolation and structural problems.

Keywords: FEM analysis, electron cyclotron resonance ion source, dielectrical measurement, hadron therapy

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2641 Screening of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Traditional Fermented Products: Potential Probiotic Bacteria with Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Authors: Genesis Julyus T. Agcaoili, Esperanza C. Cabrera

Abstract:

Thirty (30) isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditionally-prepared fermented products specifically fermented soy-bean paste, fermented mustard and fermented rice-fish mixture were studied for their in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Seventeen (17) isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, while 13 isolates were identified as Enterococcus spp using 16s rDNA sequences. Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of LAB against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), while the modified agar overlay method was used to determine the antifungal activity of LAB isolates on the yeast Candida albicans, and the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. The filter-sterilized LAB supernatants were evaluated for their cytotoxicity to mammalian colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT116) and normal human dermal fibrolasts (HDFn) using resazurin assay (PrestoBlueTM). Colchicine was the positive control. No antimicrobial activity was observed against the bacterial test organisms and the yeast Candida albicans. On the other hand, all of the tested LAB strains were fungicidal for all the test dermatophytes. Cytotoxicity index profiles of the supernatants of the 15 randomly picked LABs and negative control (brain heart infussion broth) suggest nontoxicity to the cells when compared to colchicine, whereas all LAB supernatants were found to be cytotoxic to HT-29 and HCT116 colon cancer cell lines. Results provide strong support for the role of the lactic acid bacteria studied in antimicrobial treatment and anticancer therapy.

Keywords: antimicrobial, fermented products, fungicidal activity, lactic acid bacteria, probiotics

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2640 Enhancement of Radiosensitization by Aptamer 5TR1-Functionalized AgNCs for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Authors: Xuechun Kan, Dongdong Li, Fan Li, Peidang Liu

Abstract:

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis, and radiotherapy is one of the main treatment methods. However, due to the obvious resistance of tumor cells to radiotherapy, high dose of ionizing radiation is required during radiotherapy, which causes serious damage to normal tissues near the tumor. Therefore, how to improve radiotherapy resistance and enhance the specific killing of tumor cells by radiation is a hot issue that needs to be solved in clinic. Recent studies have shown that silver-based nanoparticles have strong radiosensitization, and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) also provide a broad prospect for tumor targeted radiosensitization therapy due to their ultra-small size, low toxicity or non-toxicity, self-fluorescence and strong photostability. Aptamer 5TR1 is a 25-base oligonucleotide aptamer that can specifically bind to mucin-1 highly expressed on the membrane surface of TNBC 4T1 cells, and can be used as a highly efficient tumor targeting molecule. In this study, AgNCs were synthesized by DNA template based on 5TR1 aptamer (NC-T5-5TR1), and its role as a targeted radiosensitizer in TNBC radiotherapy was investigated. The optimal DNA template was first screened by fluorescence emission spectroscopy, and NC-T5-5TR1 was prepared. NC-T5-5TR1 was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. The inhibitory effect of NC-T5-5TR1 on cell activity was evaluated using the MTT method. Laser confocal microscopy was employed to observe NC-T5-5TR1 targeting 4T1 cells and verify its self-fluorescence characteristics. The uptake of NC-T5-5TR1 by 4T1 cells was observed by dark-field imaging, and the uptake peak was evaluated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The radiation sensitization effect of NC-T5-5TR1 was evaluated through cell cloning and in vivo anti-tumor experiments. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry was utilized to detect the impact of nanomaterials combined with radiotherapy on apoptosis. The results demonstrated that the particle size of NC-T5-5TR1 is about 2 nm, and the UV-visible absorption spectrum detection verifies the successful construction of NC-T5-5TR1, and it shows good dispersion. NC-T5-5TR1 significantly inhibited the activity of 4T1 cells and effectively targeted and fluoresced within 4T1 cells. The uptake of NC-T5-5TR1 reached its peak at 3 h in the tumor area. Compared with AgNCs without aptamer modification, NC-T5-5TR1 exhibited superior radiation sensitization, and combined radiotherapy significantly inhibited the activity of 4T1 cells and tumor growth in 4T1-bearing mice. The apoptosis level of NC-T5-5TR1 combined with radiation was significantly increased. These findings provide important theoretical and experimental support for NC-T5-5TR1 as a radiation sensitizer for TNBC.

Keywords: 5TR1 aptamer, silver nanoclusters, radio sensitization, triple-negative breast cancer

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2639 The Role Of Diallyl Trisulfide As A Suppressor In Activated-Platelets Induced Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-435s Cells Hematogenous Metastasis

Authors: Yuping Liu, Li Tao, Yin Lu

Abstract:

Accumulating evidence has been shown that diallyl trisulfide (DATS) from garlic may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer. In view of the dynamic crosstalk interplayed by tumor cells and platelets in hematogenous metastasis, we demonstrate the effectiveness of DATS on the metastatic behaviors of MDA-MB-435s human breast cancer cell line co-incubated with activated platelets. Indeed, our data identified that DATS significantly blocked platelets fouction induced by PAF, followed by the decreased production of TXB2. DATS was found to dose-dependently suppressed MDA-MB-435s cell migration and invasion in presence of activated platelets by PAF in vitro. Furthermore, the expression, secretion and enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9, as well as the luciferase activity of upstream regulator NF-κB in MDA-MB-435s, were obviously diminished by DATS. In parallel, DATS blocked upstream NF-κB activation signaling complexes composed of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) as assessed by measuring the levels of the phosphorylated forms.

Keywords: DATS, ERK, metastasis, MMPs, NF-κB, platelet

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2638 Breast Cancer Survivability Prediction via Classifier Ensemble

Authors: Mohamed Al-Badrashiny, Abdelghani Bellaachia

Abstract:

This paper presents a classifier ensemble approach for predicting the survivability of the breast cancer patients using the latest database version of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute. The system consists of two main components; features selection and classifier ensemble components. The features selection component divides the features in SEER database into four groups. After that it tries to find the most important features among the four groups that maximizes the weighted average F-score of a certain classification algorithm. The ensemble component uses three different classifiers, each of which models different set of features from SEER through the features selection module. On top of them, another classifier is used to give the final decision based on the output decisions and confidence scores from each of the underlying classifiers. Different classification algorithms have been examined; the best setup found is by using the decision tree, Bayesian network, and Na¨ıve Bayes algorithms for the underlying classifiers and Na¨ıve Bayes for the classifier ensemble step. The system outperforms all published systems to date when evaluated against the exact same data of SEER (period of 1973-2002). It gives 87.39% weighted average F-score compared to 85.82% and 81.34% of the other published systems. By increasing the data size to cover the whole database (period of 1973-2014), the overall weighted average F-score jumps to 92.4% on the held out unseen test set.

Keywords: classifier ensemble, breast cancer survivability, data mining, SEER

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2637 Concordance between Biparametric MRI and Radical Prostatectomy Specimen in the Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer and Staging

Authors: Rammah Abdlbagi, Egmen Tazcan, Kiriti Tripathi, Vinayagam Sudhakar, Thomas Swallow, Aakash Pai

Abstract:

Introduction and Objectives: MRI has an increasing role in the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. Multiparametric MRI includes multiple sequences, including T2 weighting, diffusion weighting, and dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE). Administration of DCE is expensive, time-consuming, and requires medical supervision due to the risk of anaphylaxis. Biparametric MRI (bpMRI), without DCE, overcomes many of these issues; however, there is conflicting data on its accuracy. Furthermore, data on the concordance between bpMRI lesion and pathology specimen, as well as the rates of cancer stage upgrading after surgery, is limited within the available literature. This study aims to examine the diagnostic test accuracy of bpMRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and radiological assessment of prostate cancer staging. Specifically, we aimed to evaluate the ability of bpMRI to accurately localise malignant lesions to better understand its accuracy and application in MRI-targeted biopsies. Materials and Methods: One hundred and forty patients who underwent bpMRI prior to radical prostatectomy (RP) were retrospectively reviewed from a single institution. Histological grade from the prostate biopsy was compared with surgical specimens from RP. Clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) was defined as Gleason grade group ≥2. bpMRI staging was compared with RP histology. Results: Overall sensitivity of bpMRI in diagnosing csPCa independent of location and staging was 98.87%. Of the 140 patients, 29 (20.71%) had their prostate biopsy histology upgraded at RP. 61 (43.57%) patients had csPca noted on RP specimens in areas that were not identified on the bpMRI. 55 (39.29%) had upstaging after RP from the original staging with bpMRI. Conclusions: Whilst the overall sensitivity of bpMRI in predicting any clinically significant cancer was good, there was notably poor concordance in the location of the tumour between bpMRI and eventual RP specimen. The results suggest that caution should be exercised when using bpMRI for targeted prostate biopsies and validates the continued role of systemic biopsies. Furthermore, a significant number of patients were upstaged at RP from their original staging with bpMRI. Based on these findings, bpMRI results should be interpreted with caution and can underestimate TNM stage, requiring careful consideration of treatment strategy.

Keywords: biparametric MRI, Ca prostate, staging, post prostatectomy histology

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2636 The Use of Urine Cytology in an Australian Regional Hospital Compared to International Guidelines

Authors: Jake Tempo, Stephen Brough

Abstract:

Introduction and Objectives: Urine cytology has a role in the diagnosis of urothelial cancer when used alongside cystoscopy and imaging, according to the European Association of Urology guidelines. It also has a role in the surveillance post-treatment of urothelial carcinoma. Collecting and analysing urine cytology is costly and time-consuming. We investigated the use of urine cytology in an Australian regional hospital to determine whether clinicians are following international guidelines. Materials and Methods: We analysed all urine cytology requests performed in an Australian regional hospital between 1st January 2017 and 31st December 2018. We reviewed the indication for urine cytology and the patients’ case notes to determine whether urine cytology changed management. Results: During the two-year study period, 153 patients had urine cytology analysed for a variety of indications. In no cases did cytology change the outcome of patient management significantly. In total, 69 of 153 (41%) urine cytology requests were not supported by urological society guidelines. Fifty requests were for haematuria, and twenty requests were for urothelial cancer surveillance. Seven were analysed for follow-up from previous urological investigations. Nine samples were sent for ureteric obstruction of unknown origin. Conclusion: Urine cytology, even when positive, did not significantly change management for the investigation of potential urothelial cancer, and therefore, its use as a diagnostic tool for this purpose should be reconsidered. Many cytology tests are expensive, unnecessary, and not supported by urological society guidelines.

Keywords: cytology, bladder cancer, urine, urothelial carcinoma

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2635 Determination of Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) Based on Combination of Nanocomposite Fe3O4@Ag@JB303 and Magnetically Assisted Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (MA-SERS)

Authors: Zuzana Chaloupková, Zdeňka Marková, Václav Ranc, Radek Zbořil

Abstract:

Prostate cancer is now one of the most serious oncological diseases in men with an incidence higher than that of all other solid tumors combined. Diagnosis of prostate cancer usually involves detection of related genes or detection of marker proteins, such as PSA. One of the new potential markers is PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen). PSMA is a unique membrane bound glycoprotein, which is considerably overexpressed on prostate cancer as well as neovasculature of most of the solid tumors. Commonly applied methods for a detection of proteins include techniques based on immunochemical approaches, including ELISA and RIA. Magnetically assisted surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MA-SERS) can be considered as an interesting alternative to generally accepted approaches. This work describes a utilization of MA-SERS in a detection of PSMA in human blood. This analytical platform is based on magnetic nanocomposites Fe3O4@Ag, functionalized by a low-molecular selector labeled as JB303. The system allows isolating the marker from the complex sample using application of magnetic force. Detection of PSMA is than performed by SERS effect given by a presence of silver nanoparticles. This system allowed us to analyze PSMA in clinical samples with limits of detection lower than 1 ng/mL.

Keywords: diagnosis, cancer, PSMA, MA-SERS, Ag nanoparticles

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2634 A Systematic Review on Communication and Relations between Health Care Professionals and Patients with Cancer in Outpatient Settings Matter

Authors: Anne Prip, Kirsten Alling Møller, Dorte Lisbet Nielsen, Mary Jarden, Marie-Helene Olsen, Anne Kjaergaard Danielsen

Abstract:

Background: The development in cancer care has shifted towards shorter hospital stays and more outpatient treatment. Today, cancer care and treatment predominantly takes place in outpatient settings where encounters between patients and health care professionals are often brief. This development will probably continue internationally as the global cancer burden seems to be growing significantly. Furthermore, the number of patients who require ambulatory treatments such as chemotherapy is increasing. Focusing on the encounters between health care professionals and patients during oncology treatment has thus become increasingly important due to a growing trend in outpatient cancer management. Objective: The aim of the systematic review was to summarize the literature from the perspective of the patient, on experiences of and the need for communication and relationships with the health care professional during chemotherapy treatment in an outpatient setting. Method: The review was designed and carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines and PICO framework. The systematic search was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Practice Database. Results: In all, 1174 studies were identified by literature search. After duplicates were removed, the remaining studies (n = 1053) were screened for inclusion. Nine studies were included; qualitative (n = 5) and quantitative (n = 4) as they met the inclusions criteria. The review identified that communication and relationships between health care professionals and patients were important for the patients’ ability to cope with cancer and also had an impact on patients’ satisfaction with care in the outpatient clinic. Furthermore, the review showed that hope and positivity was a need and strategy for patients with cancer and was facilitated by health care professionals. Finally, it revealed that outpatient clinic visits framed and influenced communication and relationships. Conclusions: This review identified the significance of communication and the relationships between patients and health care professionals in the outpatient setting as it supports patients’ ability to cope with cancer. The review showed the need for health care professionals to pay attention to the relational aspects of communication in an outpatient clinic as encounters are often brief. Furthermore, the review helps to specify which elements of the communication are central in the patient-health care professional interaction from the patients' perspective. Finally, it shows a need for more research to investigate which type of interaction and intervention would be the most effective in supporting patients’ coping during chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic.

Keywords: ambulatory chemotherapy, communication, health care professional-patient relation, nurse-patient relation, outpatient care, systematic review

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2633 Timely Screening for Palliative Needs in Ambulatory Oncology

Authors: Jaci Mastrandrea

Abstract:

Background: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends that healthcare institutions have established processes for integrating palliative care (PC) into cancer treatment and that all cancer patients be screened for PC needs upon initial diagnosis as well as throughout the entire continuum of care (National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2021). Early PC screening is directly correlated with improved patient outcomes. The Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center (SLCTC) is an institution that has access to PC services yet does not have protocols in place for identifying patients with palliative needs or a standardized referral process. The aim of this quality improvement project is to improve early access to PC services by establishing a standardized screening and referral process for outpatient oncology patients. Method: The sample population included all adult patients with an oncology diagnosis who presented to the SLCTC for treatment during the project timeline from March 15th, 2022, to April 29th, 2022. The “Palliative and Supportive Needs Assessment'' (PSNA) screening tool was developed from validated and evidence-based PC referral criteria. The tool was initially implemented using paper forms and later was integrated into the Epic-Beacon EHR system. Patients were screened by registered nurses on the SLCTC treatment team. Nurses responsible for screening patients received an educational inservice prior to implementation. Patients with a PSNA score of three or higher were considered to be a positive screen. Scores of five or higher triggered a PC referral order in the patient’s EHR for the oncologist to review and approve. All patients with a positive screen received an educational handout on the topic of PC, and the EHR was flagged for follow-up. Results: Prior to implementation of the PSCNA screening tool, the SLCTC had zero referrals to PC in the past year, excluding referrals to hospice. Data was collected from the first 100 patient screenings completed within the eight-week data collection period. Seventy-three percent of patients met criteria for PC referral with a score greater than or equal to three. Of those patients who met referral criteria, 53.4% (39 patients) were referred for a palliative and supportive care consultation. Patients that were not referred to PC upon meeting the criteria were flagged in the EHR for re-screening within one to three months. Patients with lung cancer, chronic hematologic malignancies, breast cancer, and gastrointestinal malignancy most frequently met criteria for PC referral and scored highest overall on the scale of 0-12. Conclusion: The implementation of a standardized PC screening tool at the SLCTC significantly increased awareness of PC needs among cancer patients in the outpatient setting. Additionally, data derived from this quality improvement project supports the national recommendation for PC to be an integral component of cancer treatment across the entire continuum of care.

Keywords: oncology, palliative care, symptom management, symptom screening, ambulatory oncology, cancer, supportive care

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2632 Effects of Intensive Rehabilitation Therapy on Sleep in Children with Developmental Disorders

Authors: Sung Hyun Kim

Abstract:

Introduction: Sleep disturbance is common in children with developmental disorders (D.D.). Sleep disturbance has a variety of negative effects, such as behavior problems, medical problems, and even developmental problems in children with D.D. However, to our best knowledge, there has been no proper treatment for sleep disorders in children with D.D. Therefore, we conduct this study to know the positive effects of intensive rehabilitation therapy in children with D.D. on the degree of sleep disturbance. Method: We prospectively recruited 22 patients with a diagnosis of D.D. during the period of January 2022 through May 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) a patient who would participate in the intensive rehabilitation therapy of our institution; 2) the age participant under 18 years at the time of assessment; 3) a child who has consented to participate in the study by signing the consent form by the legal guardian. We investigated the clinical characteristics of participants by the medical record, including sex, age, underlying diagnosis of D.D., and Gross Motor Function Measures (GMFM). Before starting the intensive rehabilitation therapy, we conducted a Sleep disturbance scale for children (SDSC). It contains 26 questions about children’s sleep, and those questions are grouped into six subscales, such as Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), Sleep Breathing Disorders(SBD), Disorders of arousal(DOA), Sleep-Wake Transition Disorders(SWTD), Disorders of excessive somnolence(DOES) and Sleep Hyperhydrosis(SHY). We used the t-score, which was calculated by comparing the scores of normal children. Twenty two patients received 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation, including daily physical and occupational therapy. After that, we did follow up with SDSC. The comparison between SDSC before and after intensive rehabilitation was calculated using the paired t-test, and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Demographic data and clinical characteristics of 22 patients are enrolled. Patients were 4.03 ± 2.91 years old, and of the total 22 patients, 14 (64%) were male, and 8 (36%) were female. Twelve patients(45%) were diagnosed with Cerebral palsy(C.P.), and the mean value of participants’ GMFM was 47.82 ± 20.60. Each mean value of SDSC’s subscales was also calculated. DIMS was 62.36 ± 13.72, SBD was 54.18 ± 8.39, DOA was 49.59 ± 7.01, SWTD was 58.95 ± 9.20, DOES was 53.09 ± 15.15, SHY was 52.14 ± 8.82, and the total was 59.86 ± 13.18. These values suggest that children with D.D. have sleep disorders. After 8 weeks of intensive rehabilitation treatment, the score of DIMS showed improvement(p=0.016), but not the other subscale and total score of SDSC. Conclusion: This result showed that intensive rehabilitation could be helpful to patients of D.D. with sleep disorders. Especially intensive rehabilitation therapy itself can be a meaningful treatment in inducing and maintaining sleep.

Keywords: sleep disorder, developmental delay, intensive rehabilitation therapy, cerebral palsy

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2631 Forecasting Cancers Cases in Algeria Using Double Exponential Smoothing Method

Authors: Messis A., Adjebli A., Ayeche R., Talbi M., Tighilet K., Louardiane M.

Abstract:

Cancers are the second cause of death worldwide. Prevalence and incidence of cancers is getting increased by aging and population growth. This study aims to predict and modeling the evolution of breast, Colorectal, Lung, Bladder and Prostate cancers over the period of 2014-2019. In this study, data were analyzed using time series analysis with double exponential smoothing method to forecast the future pattern. To describe and fit the appropriate models, Minitab statistical software version 17 was used. Between 2014 and 2019, the overall trend in the raw number of new cancer cases registered has been increasing over time; the change in observations over time has been increasing. Our forecast model is validated since we have good prediction for the period 2020 and data not available for 2021 and 2022. Time series analysis showed that the double exponential smoothing is an efficient tool to model the future data on the raw number of new cancer cases.

Keywords: cancer, time series, prediction, double exponential smoothing

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2630 Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Chitosan-Gold Nanoparticles, Carbon Nanotubes for Detection of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker

Authors: Parvin Samadi Pakchin, Reza Saber, Hossein Ghanbari, Yadollah Omidi

Abstract:

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading cause of mortality among the gynecological malignancies, and it remains the one of the most prevalent cancer in females worldwide. Tumor markers are biochemical molecules in blood or tissues which can indicates cancers occurrence in the human body. So, the sensitive and specific detection of cancer markers typically recruited for diagnosing and evaluating cancers. Recently extensive research efforts are underway to achieve a simple, inexpensive and accurate device for detection of cancer biomarkers. Compared with conventional immunoassay techniques, electrochemical immunosensors are of great interest, because they are specific, simple, inexpensive, easy to handling and miniaturization. Moreover, in the past decade nanotechnology has played a crucial role in the development of biosensors. In this study, a signal-off electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of CA125 antigen has been developed using chitosan-gold nanoparticles (CS-AuNP) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) composites. Toluidine blue (TB) is used as redox probe which is immobilized on the electrode surface. CS-AuNP is synthesized by a simple one step method that HAuCl4 is reduced by NH2 groups of chitosan. The CS-AuNP-MWCNT modified electrode has shown excellent electrochemical performance compared with bare Au electrode. MWCNTs and AuNPs increased electrochemical conductivity and accelerate electrons transfer between solution and electrode surface while excessive amine groups on chitosan lead to the effective loading of the biological material (CA125 antibody) and TB on the electrode surface. The electrochemical, immobilization and sensing properties CS-AuNP-MWCNT-TB modified electrodes are characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, differential pulse voltammetry and square wave voltammetry with Fe(CN)63−/4−as an electrochemical redox indicator.

Keywords: signal-off electrochemical biosensor, CA125, ovarian cancer, chitosan-gold nanoparticles

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2629 Thermalytix: An Advanced Artificial Intelligence Based Solution for Non-Contact Breast Screening

Authors: S. Sudhakar, Geetha Manjunath, Siva Teja Kakileti, Himanshu Madhu

Abstract:

Diagnosis of breast cancer at early stages has seen better clinical and survival outcomes. Survival rates in developing countries like India are very low due to accessibility and affordability issues of screening tests such as Mammography. In addition, Mammography is not much effective in younger women with dense breasts. This leaves a gap in current screening methods. Thermalytix is a new technique for detecting breast abnormality in a non-contact, non-invasive way. It is an AI-enabled computer-aided diagnosis solution that automates interpretation of high resolution thermal images and identifies potential malignant lesions. The solution is low cost, easy to use, portable and is effective in all age groups. This paper presents the results of a retrospective comparative analysis of Thermalytix over Mammography and Clinical Breast Examination for breast cancer screening. Thermalytix was found to have better sensitivity than both the tests, with good specificity as well. In addition, Thermalytix identified all malignant patients without palpable lumps.

Keywords: breast cancer screening, radiology, thermalytix, artificial intelligence, thermography

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2628 Hemodynamic Effects of Magnesium Sulphate Therapy in Critically Ill Infants and Children with Wheezy Chest

Authors: Yasmin Sayed, Hala Hamdy, Hafez Bazaraa, Hanaa Rady, Sherif Elanwary

Abstract:

Intravenous and inhaled magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) had been recently used as an adjuvant therapy in cases suffering from the wheezy chest. Objective: We aimed to determine the possible change in the hemodynamic state in cases received intravenous or inhaled MgSO₄ in comparison to cases received standard treatment in critically ill infants and children with the wheezy chest. Methods: A randomized controlled trial comprised 81 patients suffering from wheezy chest divided into 3 groups. In addition to bronchodilators and systemic steroids, MgSO₄ was given by inhalation in group A, intravenously in group B, and group C didn't receive MgSO₄. The hemodynamic state was determined by assessment of blood pressure, heart rate, capillary refill time and the need for shock therapy or inotropic support just before and 24 hours after receiving treatment in 3 groups. Results: There was no significant difference in the hemodynamic state of the studied groups before and after treatment. Means of blood pressure were 102.2/63.2, 105.1/64.8 before and after inhaled MgSO₄; respectively. Means of blood pressure were 105.5/64.2, 104.1/64.9 before and after intravenous MgSO₄; respectively. Means of blood pressure were 107.4/62.8, 104.4/62.1 before and after standard treatment, respectively. There was a statistically insignificant reduction of the means of the heart rate in group A and group B after treatment rather than group C. There was no associated prolongation in capillary refill time and/or the need for inotropic support or shock therapy after treatment in the studied groups. Conclusion: MgSO₄ is a safe adjuvant therapy and not associated with significant alteration in the hemodynamic state in critically ill infants and children with the wheezy chest.

Keywords: critically ill infants and children, inhaled MgSO₄, intravenous MgSO₄, wheezy chest

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2627 Comparing Trastuzumab-Related Cardiotoxicity between Elderly and Younger Patients with Breast Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

Authors: Afrah Aladwani, Alexander Mullen, Mohammad AlRashidi, Omamah Alfarisi, Faisal Alterkit, Abdulwahab Aladwani, Asit Kumar, Emad Eldosouky

Abstract:

Introduction: Trastuzumab is a HER-2 targeted humanized monoclonal antibody that significantly improves the therapeutic outcomes of metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer. However, it is associated with increased risk of cardiotoxicity that ranges from mild decline in the cardiac ejection fraction to permanent cardiomyopathy. Concerns have been raised in treating eligible older patients. This study compares trastuzumab outcomes between two age cohorts in the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre (KCCC). Methods: In a prospective comparative observational study, 93 HER-2 positive breast cancer patients undergoing different chemotherapy protocols + trastuzumab were included and divided into two cohorts based on their age (˂60 and ≥60 years old). The baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed and monitored every three months during trastuzumab treatment. Event of cardiotoxicity was defined as ≥10% decline in the LVEF from the baseline. The lower accepted normal limit of the LVEF was 50%. Results: The median baseline LVEF was 65% in both age cohorts (IQR 8% and 9% for older and younger patients respectively). Whereas, the median LVEF post-trastuzumab treatment was 51% and 55% in older and younger patients respectively (IQR 8%; p-value = 0.22), despite the fact that older patients had significantly lower exposure to anthracyclines compared to younger patients (60% and 84.1% respectively; p-value ˂0.001). 86.7% and 55.6% of older and younger patients, respectively, developed ≥10% decline in their LVEF from the baseline. Among those, only 29% of older and 27% of younger patients reached a LVEF value below 50% (p-value = 0.88). Statistically, age was the only factor that significantly correlated with trastuzumab induced cardiotoxicity (OR 4; p-value ˂0.012), but it did not increase the requirement for permanent discontinuation of treatment. A baseline LVEF value below 60% contributed to developing a post-treatment value below normal ranges (50%). Conclusion: Breast cancer patients aged 60 years and above in Kuwait were at 4-fold higher risk of developing ≥10% decline in their LVEF from the baseline than younger patients during trastuzumab treatment. Surprisingly, previous exposure to anthracyclines and multiple comorbidities were not associated with significant increased risk of cardiotoxicity.

Keywords: breast cancer, elderly, Trastuzumab, cardiotoxicity

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2626 A Case Study of Response to Dual Genotype Chronic Hepatitis C/HIV Co-Infection to Fixed Dose Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir

Authors: Tabassum Yasmin, Hamid Pahlevan

Abstract:

HIV/Hepatitis C co-infection treatments have evolved substantially and they have similar sustained virologic response rates as those of Hepatitis C monoinfected population. There are a few studies on therapy of patients with dual genotypes, especially in HIV/Hepatic C coinfected group. Most studies portrayed case reports of dual genotype chronic Hepatitis C coinfection treatment with Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir and Ribavirin. A 79-year-old male with a history of HIV on Truvada and Isentress had chronic Hepatitis C with 1a and 2 genotypes. The patient has a history of alcohol intake for 40 years but recently stopped drinking alcohol. He has a history of intravenous drug use in the past and currently is not using any recreational drugs. Patient has Fibro score of 0.7 with Metavir score F2 to F4. AFP is 3.2. The HCV RNA is 493,034 IU/ML. The HBV viral DNA is < 1.30 (not detected). The CD4 is 687CU/MM. The FIB 4 is 3.34 with APRI index 0.717. The HIV viral load is 101 copies/ML. MRI abdomen did not show any liver abnormality. Fixed dose Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir was used for therapy without Ribavirin. He tolerated medication except for some minor gastrointestinal side effects like abdominal bloating. He demonstrated 100% adherence rate. Patient completed 12 weeks of therapy. HCV RNA was undetectable at 4 and 12 weeks. He achieved SVR at week 12 and subsequently had undetectable RNA for 2 years. Dual genotype prevalence in chronic hepatitis C population is rare, especially in HIV/hepatic coinfection. Our case demonstrates that dual genotypic cases can still be successfully treated with Direct Acting Antiviral agents. The newer agents for therapy for pan genotypes were not available at the time the patient was being treated. We demonstrated that dual agent therapy was still able to maintain SVR in our patient.

Keywords: HIV/Hepatitis C, SVR (sustained virologic response), DAA (direct active antiviral agents, dual genotype

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2625 Marker-Controlled Level-Set for Segmenting Breast Tumor from Thermal Images

Authors: Swathi Gopakumar, Sruthi Krishna, Shivasubramani Krishnamoorthy

Abstract:

Contactless, painless and radiation-free thermal imaging technology is one of the preferred screening modalities for detection of breast cancer. However, poor signal to noise ratio and the inexorable need to preserve edges defining cancer cells and normal cells, make the segmentation process difficult and hence unsuitable for computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer. This paper presents key findings from a research conducted on the appraisal of two promising techniques, for the detection of breast cancer: (I) marker-controlled, Level-set segmentation of anisotropic diffusion filtered preprocessed image versus (II) Segmentation using marker-controlled level-set on a Gaussian-filtered image. Gaussian-filtering processes the image uniformly, whereas anisotropic filtering processes only in specific areas of a thermographic image. The pre-processed (Gaussian-filtered and anisotropic-filtered) images of breast samples were then applied for segmentation. The segmentation of breast starts with initial level-set function. In this study, marker refers to the position of the image to which initial level-set function is applied. The markers are generally placed on the left and right side of the breast, which may vary with the breast size. The proposed method was carried out on images from an online database with samples collected from women of varying breast characteristics. It was observed that the breast was able to be segmented out from the background by adjustment of the markers. From the results, it was observed that as a pre-processing technique, anisotropic filtering with level-set segmentation, preserved the edges more effectively than Gaussian filtering. Segmented image, by application of anisotropic filtering was found to be more suitable for feature extraction, enabling automated computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer.

Keywords: anisotropic diffusion, breast, Gaussian, level-set, thermograms

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2624 Malnutrition of the Cancer Patients under Chemotherapy and Influence of Learned Food Aversions

Authors: Hafsa Chergui

Abstract:

Malnutrition is a very common problem for hospitalized patients in general but it happens most to those who have a chronic disease such as cancer. Learned food aversions are defined as aversions which form toward foods after their ingestion has been temporally paired with illness (nausea or emesis). Learned food aversion may exert a negative impact on nutritional status and quality of life. The present review evaluates the literature derived both from laboratory animals and humans. Also, a questionnaire has been filled by patients under chemotherapy to assess the level of food aversions. This study evaluated the current research for avoiding the formation of aversions to dietary items in 200 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. A scapegoat food or beverage can be used just before treatment to reduce the incidence of treatment-related aversions to foods in the individual s usual diet. The goal of this work is to inform the nurses and dieticians because they play a vital role in the daily assessment of the patients' nutritional status. Being aware of all the causes of malnutrition may help to suggest solutions to improve the health condition of the patient and avoid severe malnutrition.

Keywords: chemotherapy, oncology, food aversion, taste aversion

Procedia PDF Downloads 283
2623 Poly(N-Vinylcaprolactam) Based Degradable Microgels for Controlled Drug Delivery

Authors: G. Agrawal, R. Agrawal, A. Pich

Abstract:

The pH and temperature responsive biodegradable poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) based microgels functionalized with itaconic acid (IA) units are prepared via precipitation polymerization for drug delivery applications. Volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the obtained microgels is influenced by both IA content and pH of the surrounding medium. The developed microgels can be degraded under acidic conditions due to the presence of hydrazone based crosslinking points inside the microgel network. The microgel particles are able to effectively encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) drug and exhibit low drug leakage under physiological conditions. At low pH, rapid DOX release is observed due to the changes in electrostatic interactions along with the degradation of particles. The results of the cytotoxicity assay further display that the DOX-loaded microgel exhibit effective antitumor activity against HeLa cells demonstrating their great potential as drug delivery carriers for cancer therapy.

Keywords: degradable, drug delivery, hydrazone linkages, microgels, responsive

Procedia PDF Downloads 294
2622 Investigating the Effect of High Intensity Laser and Dry Needling in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain

Authors: Marzieh Yassin, Azizeh Parandnia, Javad Sarrafzadeh, Reza Salehi

Abstract:

Background: Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are one of the main causes of musculoskeletal pain syndromes and are associated with pain, tenderness, and limited range of motion (ROM). This study compared the effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) and dry needling (DN) on pain intensity, pain pressure threshold, cervical range of motion and disability in people with chronic neck pain. Method and Material: 30 patients with chronic neck pain were randomly divided into two groups: a HILT group (n=15) and a DN group (n=15). Treatment sessions were performed for three weeks, and all participants received related intervention twice a week (5 sessions). The pain level was measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS); the pain pressure threshold (PPT) was measured using a digital algometer; perceived disability was measured using the neck disability index (NDI); and cervical range of movements (CROMs) were measured using an iPhone app (lateral flexion) and a goniometer (Rotation). Results: In both the dry needling and high-intensity laser therapy groups, the pain and neck disability were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Also, the pain pressure threshold and cervical range of motions were significantly increased in both groups. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Both high-intensity laser therapy and dry needling can be used to treat chronic neck pain.

Keywords: chronic neck pain, dry needling, high intensity laser therapy (HILT), pain, pain pressure threshold

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2621 High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer: The Effect of Total Reference Air Kerma on the Results of Single-Channel and Tri-Channel Applicators

Authors: Hossain A., Miah S., Ray P. K.

Abstract:

Introduction: Single channel and tri-channel applicators are used in the traditional treatment of cervical cancer. Total reference air kerma (TRAK) and treatment outcomes in high-dose-rate brachytherapy for cervical cancer using single-channel and tri-channel applicators were the main objectives of this retrospective study. Material and Methods: Patients in the radiotherapy division who received brachytherapy, chemotherapy, and external radiotherapy (EBRT) using single and tri-channel applicators were the subjects of a retrospective cohort study from 2016 to 2020. All brachytherapy parameters, including TRAK, were calculated in accordance with the international protocol. The Kaplan Meier method was used to analyze survival rates using a log-rank test. Results and Discussions: Based on treatment times of 15.34 (10-20) days and 21.35 (6.5-28) days, the TRAK for the tri-channel applicator was 0.52 cGy.m² and for the single-channel applicator was 0.34 cGy.m². Based on TRAK, the rectum, bladder, and tumor had respective Pearson correlations of 0.082, 0.009, and 0.032. The 1-specificity and sensitivity were 0.70 and 0.30, respectively. At that time, AUC was 0.71. The log-rank test showed that tri-channel applicators had a survival rate of 95% and single-channel applicators had a survival rate of 85% (p=0.565). Conclusions: The relationship between TRAK and treatment duration and Pearson correlation for the tumor, rectum, and bladder suggests that TRAK should be taken into account for the proper operation of single channel and tri-channel applicators.

Keywords: single-channel, tri-channel, high dose rate brachytherapy, cervical cancer

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2620 Methylation Analysis of PHF20L1 and DACT2 Gene Promoters in Women with Breast Cancer

Authors: Marta E. Hernandez-Caballero, Veronica Borgonio-Cuadra, Antonio Miranda-Duarte, Xochitl Rojas-Toledo, Normand Garcia-Hernandez, Maura Cardenas-Garcia, Teresa Abad-Camacho

Abstract:

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumor in women over the world. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification critical in CpG sites, aberrant methylation of CpG islands in promoters is a hallmark of cancer. So, gene expression can be regulated by alterations in DNA methylation. In cell lines DACT2 gene reduces the growth and migration of tumor cells by its participation in the suppression of TGFb/SMAD2/3. PHF20L1 is involved in histone acetylation therefore, it regulates transcription. Our aim was to analyze the methylation status of the DACT2 and PHF20L1 promoter regions in tumoral and healthy mammary tissue from women with BC in different progression states. The study included 77 patients from Centro Medico Nacional La Raza in Mexico City. After identifying a CpG island in DACT2 and PHF20L1 promoters, DNA methylation status was analyzed through sodium bisulfite with subsequent amplification using methylation-specific PCR. Results revealed no changes in methylation status of PHF20L1 and cancer stages (II y III) or in comparison to healthy tissues, it was demethylated. DACT2 promoter methylation was no significant between tumoral stages (II, P = 0.37; III, P = 0.17) or with healthy tissue. Previous data reported DACT2 methylated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma but in this study promoter methylation was not observed. PHF20L1 protein contains N-terminal Tudor and C-terminal plant homeodomain domains, it has been suggested that can stabilize DNMT1 regulating DNA methylation, therefore, was associated with poor prognostic in BC. We found no evidence of methylation in patients and controls in PHF20L1 promoter, so its association with BC may have no direct relation with promoter methylation. More studies including other methylation sites in these genes in BC are necessary.

Keywords: bisulfite conversion, breast cancer, DACT2, DNA methylation, PHF20L1, tumoral status

Procedia PDF Downloads 284
2619 Synthesis of Multi-Functional Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer Treatment

Authors: Masome Moeni, Roya Abedizadeh, Elham Aram, Hamid Sadeghi-Abandansari, Davood Sabour, Robert Menzel, Ali Hassanpour

Abstract:

Significant number of studies and preclinical research in formulation of cancer nano-pharmaceutics have led to an improvement in cancer care. Nonetheless, the antineoplastic agents have ‘failed to live up to its promise’ since their clinical performance is moderately low. For almost ninety years, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPS) have managed to keep its reputation in clinical application due to their low toxicity, versatility and multi-modal capabilities. Drug Administration approved utilization of IONPs for diagnosis of cancer as contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging, as heat mediator in magnetic hyperthermia and for the treatment of iron deficiency. Furthermore, IONPs have high drug-loading capacity, which makes them good candidates as therapeutic agent transporters. There are yet challenges to overcome for successful clinical application of IONPs, including stability of drug and poor delivery, which might lead to (i) drug resistance, (ii) shorter blood circulation time, and (iii) rapid elimination and adverse side effects from the system. In this study, highly stable and super paramagnetic IONPs were prepared for efficient and targeted drug delivery in cancer treatment. The synthesis procedure was briefly involved the production of IONPs via co-precipitation followed by coating with tetraethyl orthosilicate and 3-aminopropylethoxysilane and grafting with folic acid for stability targeted purposes and controlled drug release. Physiochemical and morphological properties of modified IONPs were characterised using different analytical techniques. The resultant IONPs exhibited clusters of 10 nm spherical shape crystals with less than 100 nm size suitable for drug delivery. The functionalized IONP showed mesoporous features, high stability, dispersibility and crystallinity. Subsequently, the functionalized IONPs were successfully loaded with oxaliplatin, a chemotherapeutic agent, for a controlled drug release in an actively targeting cancer cells. FT-IR observations confirmed presence of oxaliplatin functional groups, while ICP-MS results verified the drug loading was ~ 1.3%.

Keywords: cancer treatment, chemotherapeutic agent, drug delivery, iron oxide, multi-functional nanoparticle

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