International Journal of Cancer Management
Volume:1 Issue: 3, Summer 2008

Tamoxifen, a synthetic anti-estrogen agent, is administered as an adjuvant treatment in breast cancer. Since various studies have indicated that Tamoxifen can change some hormones and bound globolines, controversial results have been achieved using this medicine on Thyroid Functional Tests (TFT). The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Tamoxifen on TFT in women with breast cancer referred to oncology clinic in Imam Hossein hospital between 2001 and 2002. A quasi-experimental clinical trial study was performed on 23 women with breast cancer in a single blind basis (with no control group). Patients were under Tamoxifen 20 mg P.O. daily and their serum TSH, free T4 and three Iodothyronine (T3) were assessed before treatment with Tamoxifen and after 3 months. Paired T test was used for statistical analysis. There was a significant difference in T3 before and after the treatment with Tamoxifen (p=0.02), whereas no significant differences were seen in TSH (p=0.095) and FT4 (p=0.13). This study showed that treatment with Tamoxifen in women suffering from breast cancer results in an increase in serum T3 but has no effect on serum TSH and FT4, therefore women under treatment with Tamoxifen remain euthyroid.

Mercury compounds are widely used in several industries. Such compounds can find their way to the environment causing its pollution. Mercury is considered as a powerful carcinogenic agent. On the other side, the garlic extract is characterized by having compounds of specific anticarcinogenic action. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate both the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of mercuric chloride and to evaluate the therapeutic and/or prophylactic role of diallyl disulphide (DADS) on mercuric chloride-intoxicated rats. Experimental animals were divided into three main groups, keeping the 1st group as a healthy control. The 2nd group was a DADS post-treated one; receiving HgCl2 orally three times/week at a dose of 20 mg/kg bw for three weeks, then DADS three times/week at an oral dose of 80 mg/kg bw for three weeks. The 3rd group was a pre-treated one, which received DADS then HgCl2 at the same doses and the same periods mentioned in the 2nd group. The results showed that mercuric chloride has a mutagenic activity reflected in its highly significant effects on cell-cycle kinetics and frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Also, AST and ALT enzyme activities were highly significantly increased whereas ALP and AChE activities were highly significantly decreased in the serum of HgCl2-intoxicated rats. Moreover, while glucose and total cholesterol were increased after HgCl2 intoxication, total protein was decreased. These effects were much more inhibited in rats firstly treated with DADS then HgCl2 than in those treated with HgCl2 then DADS. The results reflected that DADS has a potential prophylactic activity against HgCl2 toxicity. This could be probably related to its strong antioxidant nature and Hg-binding activity.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in Iran. Hypomethylation and/or hypermethylation of DNA have been described in Gastric cancer and is presumed to be an early event in this process. We hypothesized that Single nucleotide polymorphisms of DNMT1 gene may be associated with the genetic susceptibility to Gastric cancer. 200 patients and 200 controls, both with Iranian origin were studied. Three polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Allele frequencies and genotypes were compared between the cases and controls. Odds ratios were calculated and the interaction between polymorphisms, age and sex were examined. There was no significant association between DNMT1 polymorphisms and Gastric cancer. We could not show any association between DNMT1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer. Larger sets of polymorphisms and sample sizes are required to test the possibility of association between polymorphisms of this gene and gastric cancer.

The chemotherapeutic agents used for treatment of breast cancer are all shown to increase free oxygen radicals and generation of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of chemotherapy on plasma selenium (Se) concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in breast cancer patients. Seventeen women in stage II and III breast cancer were randomly selected from their population. Plasma Se was measured with Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy and GPX activity in erythrocyte by using spectrophotometric at baseline (before chemotherapy) and after chemotherapy. normally distributed data was expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Statistical analysis was performed using Paired T-Test. plasma Se concentration before and after chemotherapy was in normal range and no statistically difference was observed (156.23±25 µg/L vs. 145.23±23 µg/L respectively). After chemotherapy, there was a significant (p<0.05) higher erythrocyte GPX activity, as compared to initial activity at baseline. (22.28±4 U/grHb vs. 26.39± 4 U/grHb respectively). This study indicates that sufficient Se could increase GPX activity with have a protective effect against oxidative damages.

Metastatic breast cancer has remained as an incurable disease. The main objectives of treatments include alleviating of symptoms, delaying disease progression and increasing survival without any adverse effect on the quality of life. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of some clinocopathological factors on the survival of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma in our institute.Patients and In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the files of patients who were metastatic at presentation or became metastatic during follow-up and were referred to oncology department of Omid Hospital affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from 1997 to 2007.The information regarding clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. The first line chemotherapy regimen was as follows: 79 CAF (cyclophosphamide, doxurobicine, 5FU), 25 CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5FU) and 11 Taxene based; AT (doxorubicin, paclitaxol) or TAC (taxene, doxurobicine, cyclophosphamide). 115 patients with a median age of 45 (range, 25-78) were investigated. The median follow-up time for all patients from diagnosis was 21 months (range, 5-74 months) and from metastatic manifestation was 12 months (5-36 months). The sites of recurrence or metastasis were as follows: 18 (15.7%) local recurrence, 23(20%) bone and 74 (64.3%) visceral metastases. The median and 2- year overall survival for all patients with metastatic disease were 15 months and 44.6% ± 6% respectively. Patients with bone metastasis had a significantly better overall survival compared to those with visceral metastasis. (74.2%vs.36.1%, P= 0.04) Among those patients who were non-metastatic at the time of referral, the time left to metastasis had a significant effect on the overall survival from metastasis manifestation. In comparison with premenopausal patients, the overall survival was relatively better in postmenopausal cases. (59.4% vs. 38.5%, P=0.1) In our study, disease free survival (DFS) was the most important factor for overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The patients with longer DFS (>18month) had better overall survival. Overall the patients with bone metastasis had better survival than visceral metastasis.

The C-reactive protein (CRP) is a product synthesized in hepatocytes and has been reported to be up-regulated by such proinflammatory cytokines as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The significance of a preoperative serum elevation in CRP as a predictive indicator for the malignant potential and prognosis in colorectal cancer has not been elucidated. Forty consecutive patients with colorectal cancer, whose local lesions were resected in our department, plus forty volunteer healthy persons, were selected. Any patient with inflammatory diseases such as infection or collagen disease was excluded from the current study. Then preoperative serum CRP level were measured, and also from the control group. The relationships between the serum elevation of CRP and both the clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of the patients was investigated. The rate of patients with elevated serum CRP level was significantly higher in colorectal cancer patients in comparison with the control group (55% versus 2. 5%). Furthermore the incidence of liver metastasis, peritoneal carcinomatosis, histopathologic lymph nodes metastasis, and tumor invasion in colorectal cancer patients with a preoperatively elevated serum CRP level were significantly more frequent than in those with a negative serum CRP level. The survival rates of colorectal cancer patients without a preoperative elevation of serum CRP proved to be significantly more favourable than what in colorectal cancer patients with such an elevation (94. 4% versus 59. 1%; P<0. 001). A preoperative serum elevation of CRP was thus found to be an indicator of malignant potential of the tumor as well as a predictor for the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme regulating folate metabolism, which affects DNA methylation and synthesis. One of the most important polymorphisms identified in the MTHFR gene is C677T. MTHFR activity is lowered in individuals with 677TT genotype.Using pyrosequencing, we analyzed the MTHFR genotypes in 118 colorectal cancer patients and 189 normal matched controls. Whereas the CC, CT and TT genotypes of MTHFR among the colorectal cancer patients were 51.7%, 28.0 % and 20.3% respectively, we were able to find 47.1% of 677CC, 27.0% of 677CT and 25.9% of 677TT in normal controls. An inverse association was observed between the risk of colorectal cancer and TT genotype with the odds ratios (OR) of 1, 0.94 and 0.71 for CC, CT, and TT genotypes, respectively. This association was similar in both sexes, but in patients with high levels of folate intake. Our study corroborates previous findings of an inverse association between MTHFR 677TT genotype and colorectal cancer, especially at high levels of folate.