Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

From 1960 to 1987, 1209 patients with colorectal liver metastases were recorded, and followed until 1 January 1990. In 242 cases the diagnosis was based on external imaging, whereas 967 patients had operative confirmation and staging of their liver disease. Three groups of patients were analysed: group 1 involved 921 cases, of whom 902 were deemed non-resectable whereas 19 could not be unequivocally classified. Only 21 patients lived for longer than 3 years, seven survived for 4 years, but there were no 5-year survivors. Group 2 comprised 62 highly selected patients who at laparotomy demonstrated resectable metastatic spread confined to the liver, but this was not treated mainly because of a formerly different therapeutic approach. These patients had a significantly longer median survival time (14.2 versus 6.9 months), but also failed to achieve 5-year survival. The 226 patients forming group 3 underwent hepatic resection with intent to cure. Nine of them had minimal macroscopic disease left, and 34 with all gross tumour removed had positive margins. Survival of patients with these 43 eventually non-radical resections followed an identical course as in group 2 (median survival 13.3 months, maximum 42 months). Of the 183 patients with potentially curative resection ten died after surgery (5.5 per cent). Actuarial 5 and 10-year survival rates in the remaining 173 patients were 40 and 27 per cent with 25 and seven patients alive at respective periods of time. Until 1 January 1990, 64 patients remained free from recurrent disease for up to 24 years. In three patients the tumour status at death was unclear. The other 106 patients developed definite cancer relapse. Nevertheless they demonstrated a prolongation of survival time by a median of 1 year when compared with the 43 non-radically resected patients or the 62 untreated patients with resectable liver-only metastases, and accomplished a maximum survival time of 8 years. Radical excision of colorectal secondaries to the liver therefore offers effective palliation, and in a small number the chance of a cure.
 ...
PMID:Hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma: impact of surgical resection on the natural history. 225 3

The predictive value of the route of venous drainage on prognosis was investigated in a consecutive series of 44 patients who underwent curative resection of pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma. The primary tumor was located in the colon in 14 patients and in the upper third of the rectum in 11 patients, thus indicating blood drainage directed toward the portal vein (Group I). In 10 and 9 cases, respectively, the initial growth was in the middle and lower thirds of the rectum with the venous outflow at least partially directed into the vena cava (Group II). There was no obvious difference between the two groups regarding the initial site of cancer relapse. The liver was involved in 4 of 15 patients failing in Group I as opposed to 4 of 13 patients with hematogenous relapse in Group II. Median survival and tumor-free survival times were significantly longer in patients in Group I (58.4 and 50.2 months) than in patients in Group II (30.9 and 16.8 months), and, even more pronounced, in colon cancer patients (75.4 and 60.2 months) when compared with rectal cancer patients (31.0 and 17.9 months). In contrast, survival curves did not differ significantly if either the two groups with different routes of drainage (5-year survival 53 percent vs. 38 percent, 5-year tumor-free survival 43 percent vs. 37 percent), or tumors of the colon and rectum (5-year survival 67 percent vs. 38 percent, 5-year tumor-free survival 60 percent vs. 32 percent) were compared using the log-rank test. Similar trends were obtained for the subgroup of 34 patients without previous or simultaneous extrapulmonary recurrent disease at the time of lung resection. The primary tumor site does therefore not become a major criterion in selecting patients for surgical resection.
 ...
PMID:Pulmonary resection for metastatic colon and upper rectum cancer. Is it useful? 239 Sep 9

The sera of 71 patients with colorectal cancer were examined for lactosylsphingosine-reactive antibody and CEA. Fifteen of those patients were studied repeatedly over extensive periods of time. The antibody was determined by the semiquantitative radioimmunoabsorption technique using lactosylsphingosine-polyacrylamide conjugate and [125I]-labelled anti-human IgG. Excessive antibody levels were invariably found In serum samples of all 39-patients who were examined before or within 2 months after surgery. Serum samples of certain patients became negative for the presence of high antibody levels usually between 3 and 6 months after surgery. This occurred in 13 out of 41 operated patients. The follow-up study revealed that 11 such patients have been free of any signs of cancer relapse up until the time of the follow-Up examination, i.e. for 12-28 months, mean 19 months. In contrast, only 4 out of 28 patients who remained positive for the excessive antibody longer than 2 months after surgery are at present free of the disease. The high antibody levels which persist more than 6 months after surgery are almost always associated with cancer recurrences or metastases. This was true for 21 out of 22 such patients. The high levels of the antibody preceded other signs of cancer relapse, including increased concentrations of CEA in about 40% of the operated patients.
 ...
PMID:Lactosylsphingosine-reactive antibody and CEA in patients with colorectal cancer. 688 63

Cancer relapse after surgery is a common occurrence, most frequently resulting from the outgrowth of minimal residual disease in the form of metastases. We examined the effectiveness of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) blockade as an adjunctive immunotherapy to reduce metastatic relapse after primary prostate tumor resection. For these studies, we developed a murine model in which overt metastatic outgrowth of TRAMP-C2 (C2) prostate cancer ensues after complete primary tumor resection. Metastatic relapse in this model occurs reliably and principally within the draining lymph nodes in close proximity to the primary tumor, arising from established metastases present at the time of surgery. Using this model, we demonstrate that adjunctive CTLA-4 blockade administered immediately after primary tumor resection reduces metastatic relapse from 97.4 to 44%. Consistent with this, lymph nodes obtained 2 weeks after treatment reveal marked destruction or complete elimination of C2 metastases in 60% of mice receiving adjunctive anti-CTLA-4 whereas 100% of control antibody-treated mice demonstrate progressive C2 lymph node replacement. Our study demonstrates the potential of adjunctive CTLA-4 blockade immunotherapy to reduce cancer relapse emanating from minimal residual metastatic disease and may have broader implications for improving the capability of immunotherapy by combining such forms of therapy with other cytoreductive measures including surgery.
 ...
PMID:Elimination of residual metastatic prostate cancer after surgery and adjunctive cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) blockade immunotherapy. 1061 40

Primary treatment of advanced ovarian cancer is well established. The combination of tumor debulking and platinum/taxane polychemotherapy has led to improved treatment results in recent years. However, most patients with ovarian cancer will relapse, rendering treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer of great clinical interest. Relapse therapy should depend on the treatment-free interval. Patients with progressive disease during primary treatment or cancer relapse within 6 months after the completion of primary treatment are platinum refractory, and, therefore, prognostically unfavorable. For these patients with poor outcome, quality of life should be predominantly considered before initiation of treatment. Cancer relapse after an interval of more than 6 months after the completion of primary treatment cannot be cured; however, platinum-based chemotherapy, in individual cases combined with secondary tumor debulking, can lead to persisting remissions.
 ...
PMID:Therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer. 1252 48

Consensus has not been reached on the exact definition of biochemical relapse after prostatectomy; individual institution definitions of relapse after prostatectomy range from consecutively rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values of > 0.2 to > 0.6 ng/mL. PSA measurements after radiation are even less predictable. PSA level is a sensitive marker of occult prostate-cancer relapse and provides early notification of recurrence, but a PSA relapse does not equal a clinical relapse or death from prostate cancer. Data are reviewed from retrospective, single-institution trials that have clarified features of PSA relapse after both prostatectomy and radiation, such as the PSA doubling time and the time to the first PSA elevation, which are associated with clinical progression. Various options for treatment of biochemical relapse are also reviewed; these include hormone therapy, combined chemohormonal therapy, alternative medicine and dietary tactics, new agents, and future strategies, such as vaccination. Currently, there is no standard treatment for biochemical failure with proven benefit in terms of quality of life, time to metastases, or survival. Current options include observation for patients with long PSA doubling times or comorbid medical issues and standard or nontraditional hormone therapy or a clinical trial for men who desire early therapy or who have rapid PSA doubling times (< 10-12 months). Trials combining the early use of chemotherapy with hormone therapy are promising. Patients should be encouraged to enroll in clinical trials to help establish standards of care.
 ...
PMID:Biochemical (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Relapse: An Oncologist's Perspective. 1698 48

Consensus has not been reached on the exact definition of biochemical relapse after prostatectomy; individual institution definitions of relapse after prostatectomy range from consecutively rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values of > 0.2 to > 0.6 ng/mL. PSA measurements after radiation are even less predictable. PSA level is a sensitive marker of occult prostate-cancer relapse and provides early notification of recurrence, but a PSA relapse does not equal a clinical relapse or death from prostate cancer. Data are reviewed from retrospective, single-institution trials that have clarified features of PSA relapse after both prostatectomy and radiation, such as the PSA doubling time and the time to the first PSA elevation, which are associated with clinical progression. Various options for treatment of biochemical relapse are also reviewed; these include hormone therapy, combined chemohormonal therapy, alternative medicine and dietary tactics, new agents, and future strategies, such as vaccination. Currently, there is no standard treatment for biochemical failure with proven benefit in terms of quality of life, time to metastases, or survival. Current options include observation for patients with long PSA doubling times or comorbid medical issues and standard or nontraditional hormone therapy or a clinical trial for men who desire early therapy or who have rapid PSA doubling times (< 10-12 months). Trials combining the early use of chemotherapy with hormone therapy are promising. Patients should be encouraged to enroll in clinical trials to help establish standards of care.
 ...
PMID:Biochemical (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Relapse: An Oncologist's Perspective. 1698 44

The amplification of thyroglobulin (TG) mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with thyroid cancer has been studied for almost one decade, but its real contribution for diagnosis of cancer relapse has not yet been established. In the present paper we report the case of a patient with papillary thyroid cancer with undetectable stimulated serum thyrogobulin levels after thyroid ablation. Follow-up showed the presence of high titers of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and the presence of TG mRNA in a peripheral blood sample, while cervical ultrasound and thorax and cervical computerized tomography were negative. Reinvestigation confirmed lymph node metastases. Anti-TG antibodies progressively decreased after surgery for metastatic lymph nodes resection followed by radioiodine therapy. Although our recent findings show that patients with positive TG mRNA do not have increased risk of cancer recurrence after 24 months of follow-up, the presence of TG mRNA along with high anti-TG antibodies were important indicators that determined further extensive investigation of tumour relapse in this patient, since positron emission tomography scan was not available at our Institution. A methodological standardization that can distinguish specific from non-specific TG mRNA amplification might be of great interest for the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer, especially in patients with high levels of anti-TG antibodies.
 ...
PMID:Recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer suspected by high anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels and detection of peripheral blood thyroglobulin mRNA. 1916 88

We previously described frequent overexpression of Sam-pointed domain containing Ets transcription factor (SPDEF), also known as PDEF, in human breast cancer, and suggested a role for this transcription factor in breast tumor progression. To seek evidence in support of this hypothesis, the MCF-12A breast epithelial cell line was transfected with an SPDEF expression plasmid or with control vector plasmid and the transfected cells tested for their tumorigenic growth in vivo. The data showed that SPDEF expression in MCF-12A cells induced accelerated tumor growth in severe combined immune deficient mice compared with vector-transfected MCF-12A cells. Furthermore, Gene Expression Omnibus and Oncomine databases were mined to determine any correlation between SPDEF expression levels and clinical outcome. High SPDEF expression correlated with poor overall survival of patients with estrogen receptor+ breast cancer, in three independent data sets. In contrast, little correlation was observed between SPDEF expression and cancer relapse or remote metastases. SPDEF expression was further found to be restricted to tumors arising in the luminal epithelial lineage including estrogen receptor+ luminal subtype breast tumors, Her2/neu-positive tumors, and apocrine carcinomas. In contrast, little SPDEF expression was found in the basal subtype of breast tumors. Based on these results, we hypothesize that SPDEF has a function in the specification of the progenitor cells of the luminal epithelial lineage that become targets of oncogenesis in luminal breast cancer.
 ...
PMID:Sam-pointed domain containing Ets transcription factor in luminal breast cancer pathogenesis. 1950 23

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy of the urogenital tract. Although controversial, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is widely used for screening and follow-up of prostate cancer, but because of its limited specificity and sensitivity, PSA is not an ideal test. We currently lack the necessary tools to differentiate between latent disease with little likelihood of clinical manifestation and aggressive tumours that are likely to metastasize and lead to potentially lethal disease. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism of gene regulation and plays essential roles in tumour initiation and progression. Currently, aberrant promoter hypermethylation has been investigated in specific genes from the following groups: tumour-suppressor genes, proto-oncogenes, genes involved in cell adhesion, and genes involved in cell-cycle regulation. Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) has been shown to be a biomarker for prostate cancer. Other genes, e.g. CD44, PTGS2, E-cadherin, CDH13, and cyclin D2 have been found to be prognostic markers for prostate cancer. In cell samples derived from the urine, the presence of the hypermethylation of either GSTP1 or RASS1a has been shown to be both sensitive and specific for detecting prostate cancer. Several studies have found that analysis of hypermethylation using a panel of tumour-suppressor genes yielded better results for detecting prostate cancer than the analysis of single-gene methylation. Hence, these different panels (e.g. GSTP1, APC, PTGS2, T1G1 and EDNRB) are of interest for detecting prostate cancer. Also, the methylation profile of multiple regulatory genes might be altered at the time of cancer relapse. Thus, preliminary results on the use of the methylation status of specific genes as potential tumour biomarkers for the early diagnosis and the risk stratification of patients with prostate cancer are promising.
 ...
PMID:Methylated genes as potential biomarkers in prostate cancer. 2006 51


1 2 3 Next >>