Basic and Clinical Cancer Research
Volume:9 Issue: 2, Spring 2017

I would like to report that National Cancer Research Network of Iran (NCRC) organized its first international congress in 28-30 January 2017. The congress focused on “Cancer Prevention and Early Detection , integration of Research and Action” and tried to bring the cancer researcher, specialists as well as the local and international stakeholders and policy makers on board to discuss different aspect of the cancer prevention and early detection in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The NCRN in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), and over 40 cancer organisations, NGOs and foundations. The objectives of congress included 1- To promote networking of the cancer stakeholders and researchers to integrate researches to policy and action, 2) To review the recent national policies and actions on prevention and early detection of cancer in Iran, 3 To review the most important international scientific advices and recommendations about cancer prevention and early detection. In particular we discussed the following topics:•Cancer Registry and Surveillance System
•Obesity, Life Style and Physical Activity and Risk of Cancer
•Food, Nutrition and Risk of Cancer
•Tobacco Control and Cancer Prevention
•Opium and Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Cancer
•Environmental Exposures and Occupational Cancer
•Detection and Screening of colorectal cancer
•Detection and Screening of Breast cancer
•Detection and Screening of Upper GI cancer
•Detection and Screening of Cervical Cancer
•Detection and Screening of Prostate Cancer
•Early Detection and Cancer (Selected abstracts)
•Role of NGOs and Cancer Charities in Cancer Research
•Ionizing Radiation and Carcinogenesis (Risk, Prevention, and Methods)
•Cancer Genetics
•Personalized Medicine
•Cancer Biomarkers
In addition, we took advantage of attending several international scientists in the congress and run a few workshops on cancer research methods to train students and researchers. International delegates from World Health Organization (WHO/EMRO), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Union International Union for Cancer Control (UICC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as scientists form universities and research organizations from the USE, Canada, Europe, and Asia actively participated in the congress and provided latest research results and international recommendation about the congress topics. Congress managed to cover the important aspect of cancer prevention and early detection based on the international and local priorities. In addition, we considered discussion on prevention biomarkers in order to attract the attention of basic scientists into this congress. Four tracks of the congress included cancer registration and surveillance, primary prevention, early detection, and biomarkers discovery. Several researchers from different public health, clinical and basic sciences disciplines participated in this congress by presenting their research as oral or poster presentations. The abstracts from this congress was published as special issue by the Archive of Medical Sciences. In addition, the interaction of researchers and policy makers from local and international recommendation lead to several new idea in the research or policy making. I am sure that these discussions will end up to the new collaboration and research in cancer, and hopefully networking between researchers and policy makers and putting the research results into practice which was the main objective of such a congress.
In addition to the scientific and policy making aspect, we organized the congress close to the international World Cancer Day and tried to convey the scientific results and policy making outputs to the public and participate in the public awareness campaigns. This happened thought several interviews by media and public journals with the scientists and stakeholders who attended in this workshop and disseminated the specific evidences to the public.
The results of the congress was promising and it nicely met the objectives. However, we missed two aspects of cancer control in this congress, including cancer treatment and palliative care. The organizers has decided to extend the area of this important event and the next congress will cover all aspect of cancer control program, including cancer registry and surveillance, prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and palliative care. Our second international congress will be in 23-25 April, 2019 and I would like to welcome all the stakeholders, researchers, and policy makers and invite them to join us and bring their new findings from research results and updates on policy options in the local and international level. I am sure that that the next congress will be more inspiring and will lead to new insights in the cancer control program in Iran and other countries in this region. We are looking forward seeing you all in Tehran and hope that this biannual metting play important role in the promotion of cancer control program in I.R. Iran

Cancer is a growing challenge worldwide. Although it affects both sexes, women tend to be more vulnerable to it than men. This study aims to elucidate the perceptions of women afflicted with cancer regarding health-related behaviors.
This is a qualitative study with content analysis. Participants included 22 women with cancer in Tehran. The participants were recruited by purposive sampling and were administered semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. The interviews were transcribed and reviewed to yield the findings. Initially, semantic resemblances and differences were reviewed and subcategories were defined. Subsequently, after repeated review, the related subcategories were placed in one category.
The participants in this study were aged 27 to 65 years, most were married (14 women) and homemakers (20 women). Moreover, their education ranged from elementary school to a bachelor’s degree. Regarding cancer type, most were diagnosed with breast cancer (12 women) and the duration of the disease ranged 2-5 years. Data analysis yielded 2 categories and 4 subcategories. The category “physical health-related behaviors” consisted of two subcategories: “health-related behaviors pertaining to physical activities after cancer” and “physical activities after treatment”. The category “psychosocial health-related behaviors” consisted of two subcategories: “mental health-related behaviors” and “socio-cultural health-related behaviors”.
Our findings highlight the fact in order to improve the health of women with cancer, aspects of health other than physical health (e.g. psychosocial health) need to be addressed. Since, according to our findings, health-related behaviors of women with cancer are deeply affected by culture, it appears that countering the cultural taboos pertaining to cancer will improve these women’s health. Achieving this outcome requires extensive cultural interventions in the healthcare system. We propose community-based educational interventions to correct cultural beliefs of the community to improve health for this vulnerable group.

Anti-cancer potential of silymarin have been shown in cell culture. However, regarding this matter no prospective clinical study has been done. In a randomized double blind pilot study, we compared effects of addition of standard chemotherapy along with silymarin (420mg/day) versus placebo on clinical response of advanced tumors after three cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. There was no significant difference in tumor size after three consecutive chemotherapy courses but a trend toward lower metastasis rate in chemotherapy silymarin group. Concomitant use of silymarin along with chemotherapy was very well tolerated but didn’t significantly increase clinical response. Due to trend toward significant lower metastasis in silymarin group, further study with larger sample size is needed to better clarify probable role of adjunctive therapy with silymarin in patients with solid tumors.

The present research aims to describe the status of a health-oriented lifestyle among people afflicted with different types of cancer. The data of the present research were collected using questionnaire and the research sample size was 200 patients. The stratified random sampling method was used to select cancer patients in several private clinics and the two government hospitals. The findings showed that the patients were quite far from a health-oriented lifestyle and none of the health-oriented lifestyle indicators (physical activity, environment health, stress management, etc.) was at a reasonable level among them. According to Chi-square test, all aspects of health (health status, narcotic drug use, physical awareness, stress management, accountability for one’s health and physical activity), except the environment health significantly correlated with health-oriented lifestyle among the cancer patients. Generally, among these components, a healthy nutrition was more associated with the health-oriented lifestyle.

Healthcare horizon scanning systems, have become one of the main components of health technology assessment. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise to identify new oncology drugs that may have a high impact on cancer patients and the health system in Iran.
We reviewed existing health technology horizon scanning systems, and selected and weighted criteria for prioritizing oncology drugs, including 1) clinical efficiency and effectiveness, 2) incidence and prevalence of cancer types, 3) potential costs, 4) availability of alternative treatment, 5) having variable indications, 6) quality of evidence, and 7) being a first, second or third line drug. We reviewed horizon scanning reports in other countries and prepared a list of new oncology drugs to be ranked. We summarized clinical and epidemiological information about the drugs and presented them to a member of our expert panel who ranked them based on a structured checklist. Eventually, the drugs were categorized into four groups from low to high impact, based on their effect on patients and the health system of Iran in the future
We identified 158 new oncology drugs, most of which were in their phase III clinical trials, and had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Finally, we selected 18 medicines as having the highest impact on patients and the health system of Iran.
The results of this study can be used for several purposes, including research and drug development. These results suggest the need for periodical horizon scanning in Iran and other low and middle-income countries.

Perturbation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis leads to a stress condition described as “ER stress” which can induce the well-regulated program termed as unfolded protein response (UPR). The principal purpose of UPR is to reestablish the ER homeostasis. Some of the physiological and pathological situations that disrupt the homeostasis including hypoxia, glucose limitations, nutrient deprivation, low pH, genomic instability, and some cytotoxic compounds are frequently observed during the core formation and progression of tumors. These stressful microenvironments around the tumors affect the innate and adaptive immune responses. In Addition, different immunoregulatory myeloid populations, like dendritic cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and macrophages, accumulate in the tumor milieu and are barrier to cancer immunotherapy. In these stressful situations, ER stress is usually induced to activate the UPR. Although the UPR mechanism is primarily a pro-survival process, preserved and/or prolonged excessive stress may induce cell apoptosis. Cancer and sustained ER stress may have modifications in ER stress mediated cell apoptosis and facilitate chronic inflammation and immune suppression within tumors. In this mini review, at first, we discuss the role of UPR and its mediators in cancerous cells fate and their potential opportunities in cancer therapy.