OBJECTIVENan'ao County in Guandong Province is a high-risk area of esophageal cancer in Southern China. Of the suspected etiological factors in the environment, N-nitrosamines and their precursors have received the greatest attention.

METHODSSixty samples of the diet ingested by the inhabitants were collected and detected for volatile N-nitrosamines and their precursors. Five N-nitrosamines detected by Gas Chromatography-Thermal Energy Analyzer were N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosopiperidine and N-nitrosomethyl-benzylamine.

RESULTSThe average content of 5 volatile N-nitrosamines in the diet was 312.0 micrograms/kg (median). The daily intake of the nitrosamines was 286.5 micrograms/head/day. Only the ability to exogenously synthesize N-nitrosopiperidine was powerful among 5 volatile N-nitrosamines. By a computerized stepwise regression analysis and curve fitting, we studied the correlation among the nitrosamines, the precursors and the major food items in the samples.

CONCLUSIONIt demonstrated that a relatively high content of volatile N-nitrosamines was present in the diet collected in the area.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Diet ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitrosamines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors ; Volatilization

OBJECTIVE: Neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma is a rare subtype of cervical cancer. These tumors exhibit an aggressive behavior with early regional lymph node and distant metastases. The purpose of our study was to describe five cases of neuroendocrine cervical-vaginal carcinoma and to discuss the potential of the 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scan for the detection of this rare malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five cases of cervical-vaginal neuroendocrine tumor were retrospectively collected, during a two year (from September 2009 to August 2011) period in our hospital. The clinical staging distributions were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB2 (1 of 5), stage IIA (3 of 5) and stage IVA (1 of 5). RESULTS: Two cases (cases 1 and 4) were restaged after 18F-FDG PET/CT scan in the initial staging process. Post-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT scans, in three patients, revealed positive findings for tumor recurrence or lymph node metastases. Two patients (cases 2 and 3) died of tumor within two years. CONCLUSION: 18F-FDG PET/CT scan is a useful tool in cervical-vaginal neuroendocrine tumor. In its initial staging, the 18F-FDG PET/CT scan may help assess the possible nodal involvement or early hematogeneous spreading. We can also use the 18F-FDG PET/CT to detect local recurrence and to evaluate the treatment response after clinical manipulation.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/pathology/*radionuclide imaging/therapy ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/*diagnostic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Radiopharmaceuticals/*diagnostic use ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/pathology/*radionuclide imaging/therapy ; Vaginal Neoplasms/pathology/*radionuclide imaging/therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between the lack of estrogen receptor (ER) gene expression and hypermethylation of ER gene, and detect whether re-expressed ER protein is activated.

METHODSThe methylation status of ER gene promoter in the ER-negative breast cancer cells was evaluated by methylation specific PCR (MSP) and genomic sequencing. The expression of ER and progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA as well as the production of ER protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot method, respectively. MTI assay was used to examine the function of re-expressed ER protein.

RESULTSThe ER gene promoter was highly methylated, while ER mRNA and ER protein were not expressed in the ER-negative breast cell line MDA-MB-231. The ER-negative breast cells treated with demethylating agent 5 -aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-2'-deoxyC) restored the expression of ER mRNA and ER protein. Expression of the endogenous ER-responsive PR gene was activated and the methylation of ER gene was simultaneously decreased. After MDA-MB-231 was treated with 5-AZA-2'-deoxyC, the protein of ER was re-expressed and the growth of cells treated with tamoxifen were inhibited significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONinactivation of ER gene has a close relationship with the abnormal methylation of ER gene promoter. 5-AZA-2'-deoxyC may effectively cause demethylation and restore functional expression of ER silenced by aberrant hypermethylation. The result may offer a new measure and theory for breast cancer patients with ER-negative expression to receive endocrine therapies.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal ; pharmacology ; Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Methylation ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; genetics ; Humans ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Progesterone ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators ; pharmacology ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology

Purpose: Active surveillance (AS) is one of the management options for patients with low-risk and select intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PC). However, factors predicting disease reclassification and conversion to active treatment from a large population of pure Asian cohorts regarding AS are less evaluated. This study investigated the intermediate-term outcomes of patients with localized PC undergoing AS. Materials and Methods: This cohort study enrolled consecutive men with localized non-high-risk PC diagnosed in Taiwan between June 2012 and Jan 2023. The study endpoints were disease reclassification (either pathological or radiographic progression) and conversion to active treatment. The factors predicting endpoints were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 405 patients (median age: 67.2 years) were consecutively enrolled and followed up with a median of 64.6 months. Based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk grouping, 70 (17.3%), 164 (40.5%), 140 (34.6%), and 31 (7.7%) patients were classified as very low-risk, low-risk, favorable-intermediate risk, and unfavorable intermediate-risk PC, respectively. The 5-year reclassification rates were 24.8%, 27.0%, 18.6%, and 25.3%, respectively. The 5-year conversion rates were 20.4%, 28.8%, 43.6%, and 37.8%, respectively. A prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) of ≥0.15 ng/mL2 predicted reclassification (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–2.88) and conversion (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.05–2.31). A maximal percentage of cancer in positive cores (MPCPC) of ≥15% predicted conversion (15% to <50%: HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.91–2.18; ≥50%: HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.1453–3.40) compared with that of <15%. A Gleason grade group (GGG) of 3 tumor also predicted conversion (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.06–6.79; GGG 3 vs 1). One patient developed metastasis, but none died of PC during the study period (2,141 person-years). Conclusions AS is a viable option for Taiwanese men with non-high-risk PC, in terms of reclassification and conversion. High PSAD predicted reclassification, whereas high PSAD, MPCPC, and GGG predicted conversion.