Cancer Medicine & Surgery Bulletin: Healthcare Library of Northern Ireland

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study evaluates the associations between dietary intakes and circulating blood levels of methionine, choline or betaine and breast cancer risk, which remains currently unclear. METHODS: Systematic searches for observational epidemiological studies were performed of the MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases through July, 2022. Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts against the eligibility criteria at a first stage, and screened full texts of potentially eligible records at a second stage, followed by data extraction from qualified studies...

BACKGROUND: Concomitant disease is associated with poor breast cancer survival in women and is more prevalent in racial/ethnic minority groups than individuals who are non-Hispanic White. The purpose of this study was to determine if race/ethnicity is associated with survival among men with breast cancer when stratifying analyses by level of comorbidity. METHODS: We used the California Cancer Registry to identify 1730 cases of men and 259,828 cases of women with breast cancer and documented Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)...

BACKGROUND: The authors used the French breast cancer Cancer and Toxicities (CANTO) cohort to study the associations between baseline quality of life and chemotherapy dose-reductions (CDRs) or postchemotherapy-toxicities (PCTs). METHODS: In total, 3079 patients with breast cancer who received chemotherapy were included in this analysis. The associations between baseline physical functioning (PF) and fatigue measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30, and two endpoints-CDRs during adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy; and selected PCTs were estimated with odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression models...

Although similar phenotypically, there is evidence that male and female breast cancer differ in their molecular landscapes. In this systematic review, we consolidated all existing prognostic biomarker data in male breast cancer spanning genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenetics, and phenotypic features of prognostic value from articles published over a 29-year period (March 16, 1992, to May 1, 2021). We identified knowledge gaps in the existing literature, discussed limitations of the included studies, and outlined potential approaches for translational biomarker discovery and validation in male breast cancer...

BACKGROUND: Comparison of the estimated effect of atomic bomb radiation exposure on solid cancer incidence and solid cancer mortality in the RERF Life Span Study (LSS) reveals a difference in the magnitude and shape of the excess relative risk dose response. A possible contributing factor to this difference is pre-diagnosis radiation effect on post-diagnosis survival. Pre-diagnosis radiation exposure theoretically could influence post-diagnosis survival by affecting the genetic makeup and possibly aggressiveness of cancer, or by compromising tolerance for aggressive treatment for cancer...

BACKGROUND: This study compares the safety and efficacy of first-line treatments for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Abstracts related to lung cancer presented at important international conferences were also reviewed. Randomized clinical trials that qualified the inclusion criteria were subjected to Bayesian network meta-analysis and systematically reviewed...

Global cancer surgery is an essential and complex component of oncologic care. This study aims to describe global cancer surgery literature since the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and Cancer Surgery and perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. A systematic search was performed in PubMed of global cancer surgery articles. Themes were extracted from the included studies based on the following criteria: (1) performed in low- or low-middle-income countries, (2) published during or after 2015, (3) published in peer-reviewed journals, (4) written in the English language, and (5) accessible to the authors...

BACKGROUND: Interventions that target cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors are needed. In this study, the potential of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce CRCI in breast cancer survivors, compared with physical training and a wait list control group, was investigated. METHODS: Breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints (N = 117) were randomly allocated to a mindfulness (n = 43), physical training (n = 36), or wait list control condition (n = 38)...

Although much attention has been devoted to a detailed genomic exposition of cutaneous melanoma, other nonmelanoma skin cancers have also recently been subjected to similar analytical scrutiny. Chief among these are the most common malignancies worldwide: basal cell carcinomas and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. In this review, the authors summarize their latest knowledge about the molecular pathways and therapeutic opportunities attendant to these keratinocytic skin cancers. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: The most common cancers in the United States arise from skin cells called keratinocytes...

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with metastatic cancer, especially when characterised by a low tumour burden (ie, oligometastatic disease), receiving targeted therapy or immunotherapy has become a frequently practised and guideline-supported treatment strategy. Despite the increasing use in routine clinical practice, there is little information on the safety of combining SBRT with modern targeted therapy or immunotherapy and a paucity of high-level evidence to guide clinical management. A systematic literature review was performed to identify the toxicity profiles of combined metastases-directed SBRT and targeted therapy or immunotherapy...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a prognostic model for survival in older/unfit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who were treated with lower-intensity chemotherapy regimens. METHODS: The authors reviewed all older/unfit patients with newly diagnosed AML who received lower-intensity chemotherapy from 2000 until 2020 at their institution. A total of 1462 patients were included. They were divided (3:1 basis) into a training (n = 1088) and a validation group (n = 374)...

BACKGROUND: Treatment delays affect breast cancer survival and constitute poor-quality care. Black patients experience more treatment delay, but the relationship of geography to these disparities is poorly understood. METHODS: We studied a population-based, retrospective, observational cohort of patients with breast cancer in North Carolina between 2004 and 2017 from the Cancer Information and Population Health Resource, which links cancer registry and sociodemographic data to multipayer insurance claims...

Research focusing on timely diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer is necessary to improve outcomes for people with cancer. Previous attempts to consolidate research on time to diagnosis and treatment have noted varied methodological approaches and quality, limiting the comparability of findings. This systematic review was conducted to comprehensively assess the scope of methodological issues in this field and provide recommendations for future research. Eligible articles had to assess the role of any interval up to treatment, on any outcome in colorectal cancer, in English, with no limits on publication time...

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Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a rare group of malignancies arising from the thymus. Surgery remains the foundation of treatment for patients with early-stage disease. Limited treatment options are available for the treatment of unresectable, metastatic, or recurrent TETs and are associated with modest clinical efficacy. The emergence of immunotherapies in the treatment of solid tumors has generated significant interest in understanding their role in TET treatment. However, the high rates of comorbid paraneoplastic autoimmune disorders, particularly in thymoma, have tempered expectations regarding the role of immune-based therapies...