Are Thyroid Hormone and Tumor Cell Proliferation in Human Breast Cancers Positive for HER2 Associated?

Objective. This study investigated whether thyroid hormone (TH) levels are correlated to cell proliferation (Ki67), in euthyroid breast cancer patients. Design and Methods. 86 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive tumors, who referred for surgery, were included in the study. Results. FT3, FT4, and TSH were within normal range. No correlation was seen between Ki67 and FT3 (r = -0.17, P = 0.15), FT4 (r = -0.13, P = 0.25), or TSH (r = -0.10, P = 0.39) in all patients studied. However, subgroup analysis showed that, in HER2(+) patients, a negative correlation existed between FT3 levels and Ki67 (r = -0.60 and P = 0.004) but not between Ki67 and FT4 (r = 0.04 and P = 0.85) or TSH (r = -0.23 and P = 0.30). In HER2(-) patients, there was no significant correlation between Ki67 and FT3 (r = -0.06, P = 0.67), FT4 (r = -0.15, P = 0.26), or TSH (r = -0.09, P = 0.49). Phospho-p44/total p44 ERK levels were found to be increased by 2-fold in HER2(+) versus HER2(-) tumors. No difference was detected in phospho-p42/total p42 ERK levels. Conclusions. TH profile is not altered in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. However, FT3 levels, even within normal range, are negatively correlated with cell proliferation in HER2(+) breast cancer tumors. This response may be due to the interaction between ERK and TH signaling.

Real life cancer comorbidity in Greek patients with diabetes mellitus followed up at a single diabetes center: an unappreciated new diabetes complication.

We determined cancer comorbidity in patients with diabetes followed up at a single Greek academic clinic and investigated the potential related factors. Cancer comorbidity was prospectively recorded for all patients with type 2 (T2DM, n = 759) or type 1 (T1DM, n = 134) diabetes of at least 10-year duration examined during one year. Patient characteristics, diabetes age of onset, duration, treatment, control, and complication rates were compared between subjects with and without cancer. Moreover, a retrospective collection of data from similar patients examined for the first time during the last 25 years, but lost to follow-up, after at least one-year's regular visits, was performed. In regularly followed-up T2DM patients cancer comorbidity was 12.6%. Patients with cancer were older and more frequently smokers. Prostate cancer was the most frequent (24.0%) type. In T1DM cancer comorbidity was 3.0%. Similar rates of comorbidity and types of cancer were observed in lost to follow-up patients. In conclusion, our patients with T2DM of at least 10-year' duration show high cancer comorbidity. No specific characteristics discriminate patients with cancer. Therefore presymptomatic cancer detection and prevention strategies may have to be incorporated into the annual systematic evaluation of our patients.

Evaluation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM (GA733-2), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels in colorectal cancer patients and correlation with clinicopathological characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The aim of our study was: a) to determine the CEA, CA 19-9, EGFR, and EpCAM (GA733-2) levels both in healthy volunteers and in colorectal cancer patients, b) to evaluate the ELISA method for EGFR and EpCAM (GA733-2) measurement, and c) to correlate the tumor marker levels with clinicopathological findings in the CRC patients group. METHODS: Our study was conducted on 50 blood samples obtained from CRC patients and 40 blood samples from healthy individuals. CEA and CA 19-9 measurements were performed using electrochemiluminescence immune-assay technology, while EGFR and EpCAM (GA733-2) measurements were performed by an in-house enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: CEA, CA 19-9, and EpCAM (GA733-2) levels were higher in the CRC patients group than in the control group. EGFR levels were lower in the patients group than in the control group. The mean levels of CA 19-9 and EpCAM (GA733-2) vary at different colon cancer stages. CEA, CA19-9, and EpCAM (GA733-2) vary according to performance status. CONCLUSIONS: CEA, CA 19-9, and EpCAM (GA733-2) showed similar specificity (80%, 80% and 84%, respectively). EGFR showed the lowest sensitivity and specificity. CA 19-9 was the marker with the highest sensitivity. The need for convenient tumour marker tests with high sensitivity is of great importance for early diagnosis and monitoring of CRC.

Personality factors associated with psychological distress in testicular cancer survivors.

The aim of this study was to investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in testicular cancer survivors (TCSs) and to identify personality traits associated with psychological distress in these patients by means of the MMPI (Hathaway & McKinley, 1943). A total of 50 TCSs and 50 age-adjusted healthy men participated in the study, and we used the following self-report instruments: Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgomery & Asberg, 1979), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1959, 1969), Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1970, 2005), and the MMPI. TCSs displayed higher rates on all psychopathology scales studied compared to controls, but the majority of the patients' scores were within the "normal range," indicating rather mild psychological distress. TCSs' MMPI profiles showed higher rates on Scales 1, 3, 6, and 9 compared to controls; and within the TCSs sample, symptoms of depression were most closely associated with Scales 3 and 5. Similarly, anxiety symptoms were mainly associated with Scale 3. These findings indicate that TCSs present mild symptoms of psychological distress, mainly anxiety and depressive symptoms, suggesting that careful assessment and consultation in TC patients is essential to help them deal with distress after treatment and to minimize possible risk factors.