Role of somatostatin receptor SSRT5-AS1 in predicting biomarkers of primary androgen deprivation therapy on prostate cancer in Indonesian population.

INTRODUCTION: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the pivotal strategy for treating advanced prostate cancers. Despite the high efficacy of ADT in prohibiting tumor growth, >50% cases of prostate cancer will develop into an aggressive variant known as castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). This study aimed to evaluate the potential role SSRT5-AS1 expression as a biomarker for response to ADT in prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 36 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia were enrolled from 2015 and 2019. The expression of SSRT5-AS1 in primary tumors was quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The mean age of patients enrolled in this study was 69.07 ± 8.7 years, and the mean of prostate-specific antigen in patients was 141.22 ±112.28 ng/ml. Compared with the median, a higher expression of SSTR5-AS1 had more significant prognostic value than the variable shorter time to CRPC (p= 0.043). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that high expression of SSRT5-AS1 is a promising biomarker to predict response to ADT in patients with prostate cancer.

Multiple pathways towards achieving a living income for different types of smallholder tree-crop commodity farmers.

Many sources indicate that smallholder tree-crop commodity farmers are poor, but there is a paucity of data on how many of them are poor and the depth of poverty. The living income concept establishes the net annual income required for a household in a place to afford a decent standard of living. Based on datasets on smallholder cocoa and tea farmers in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Kenya and literature, we conclude that a large proportion of such farmers do not have the potential to earn a living income based on their current situation. Because these farmers typically cultivate small farm sizes and have low capacity to invest and to diversify, there are no silver bullets to move them out of poverty. We present an assessment approach that results in insights into which interventions can be effective in improving the livelihoods of different types of farmers. While it is morally imperative that all households living in poverty are supported to earn a living income, the assessment approach and literature indicate that focussing on short- to medium-term interventions for households with a low likelihood of generating a living income could be: improving food security and health, finding off-farm and alternative employment, and social assistance programmes. In the long term, land governance policies could address land fragmentation and secure rights. Achieving living incomes based on smallholder commodity production requires more discussion and engagement with farmers and their household members and within their communities, coordination between all involved stakeholders, sharing lessons learnt and data.