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Topic Review
Diagnosis, Staging, and Grading of Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells which is rising in incidence in the developed world. Plasma cells are mature antibody-producing B cells which reside in the bone marrow and are essential for maintaining humoral immunity. Multiple myeloma is characterized by a monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells resulting in the production of monoclonal antibody and end-organ damage.
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia
Chemotherapy causes substantial thinning or loss of hair, termed chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), in approximately 65% of patients. CIA is ranked as one of the most distressing adverse effects of chemotherapy, but interventional options have been limited. Here we discuss scalp cooling, the only FDA-cleared method, and other options being tested, to prevent CIA.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Metformin in Breast Cancer
Metformin is a widely prescribed oral antidiabetic medication. This biguanide is considered a first-line drug for the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Type 2 diabetes–associated metabolic traits such as hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, and obesity are well-known risk factors for breast cancer.
  • 1.1K
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Inflammatory Response in Cancer Cachexia
Cancer cachexia (CC) is a multifactorial clinical complication in numerous human malignancies. Its incidence in Europe is highest in patients with lung (83/36% inpatients/outpatients, respectively) and gastrointestinal cancers (62/42%). There are currently no therapeutic agents used for treatment of this paraneoplastic syndrome, caused by impaired/reduced nutritional intake, or metabolic disorders with increased catabolism and chronic inflammation. In the mechanisms of CC pathogenesis, in addition to inflammation, the role of insulin resistance, damage to mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, as well as the activation of lipolysis and proteolysis through the ubiquitin-proteasome system and macro-autophagy are emphasized. The main target in CC is skeletal and cardiac muscle, as well as the adipose tissue (AT).  The most important role in CRC-associated cachexia is played by pro-inflammatory cytokines, including the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), originally known as cachectin, Interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and certain chemokines (e.g., IL-8). Heterogeneous CRC cells themselves also produce numerous cytokines (including chemokines), as well as novel factors called “cachexokines”. The tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to systemic inflammation and increased oxidative stress and fibrosis. 
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common type of neoplasia, representing a terrible burden on patients’ life and clinical management. Although it seldom metastasizes, and most cases can be effectively treated with surgical intervention, once metastatic, cSCC displays considerable aggressiveness leading to the death of affected individuals. No consensus has been reached as to which features better characterize the aggressive behavior of cSCC, an achievement hindered by the high mutational burden caused by chronic ultraviolet light exposure. Even though some subtypes have been recognized as high risk variants, depending on certain tumor features, cSCC that are normally thought of as low risk could pose increased danger to the patients. In light of this, specific genetic and epigenetic markers for cutaneous SCC, which could serve as reliable diagnostic markers and possible targets for novel treatment development, are currently searched for. 
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Treatment of Cisplatin/Platinum-Ineligible Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
Metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been the standard of care in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC). However, many patients with comorbidities cannot receive cisplatin or its alternative, carboplatin. ‘Cisplatin-ineligible’ and ‘platinum-ineligible’ patients lacked effective therapy options. However, the combination of enfortumab vedotin (EV), an antibody–drug conjugate targeting Nectin-4, with pembrolizumab (P), an antibody targeting the programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint, is changing the status quo of frontline mUC treatment, with potential synergy seen in the EV-103 and EV-302 clinical trials.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Mar 2024
Topic Review
NETs in Cancer
Neutrophils constitute the first line of defense against foreign invaders using major effector mechanisms: phagocytosis, degranulation, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation. NETs are composed from decondensed nuclear or mitochondrial DNA decorated with proteases and various inflammatory mediators. Cancer cells recruit neutrophils (tumor-associated neutrophils, TANs), releasing NETs to the tumor microenvironment. NETs were found in various samples of human and animal tumors. The role of the NETs in tumor development increasingly includes cancer immunoediting and interactions between the immune system and cancer cells. According to the accumulated evidence, NETs awake dormant cancer cells, causing tumor relapse, as well as its unconstrained growth and spread. NETs play a key regulatory role in the tumor microenvironment, such as the development of distant metastases through the secretion of proteases, i.e., matrix metalloproteinases and proinflammatory cytokines. NETs, furthermore, directly exacerbate tumor aggressiveness by enhancing cancer migration and invasion capacity.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Apigenin Increases SHIP-1 Expression
The bioflavonoid apigenin (API) is used to reduce inflammation in different PC models. Wild type mice harboring heterotopic or orthotopic PC were treated with API, which induced SHIP-1 expression, reduced inflammatory tumor-derived factors (TDF), increased the proportion of tumoricidal macrophages and enhanced anti-tumor immune responses, resulting in a reduction in tumor burden compared to vehicle-treated PC mice. In contrast, SHIP-1-deficient mice exhibited an increased tumor burden and displayed augmented proportions of pro-tumor macrophages. These results provide further support for the importance of SHIP-1 expression in promoting pro-tumor macrophage development in the pancreatic TME. 
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Immunotherapeutic Treatments in Multiple Myeloma
Immunosuppression is a common feature of multiple myeloma (MM) patients and has been associated with disease evolution from its precursor stages. MM cells promote immunosuppressive effects due to both the secretion of soluble factors, which inhibit the function of immune effector cells, and the recruitment of immunosuppressive populations. Alterations in the expression of surface molecules are also responsible for immunosuppression.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer is an enigmatic malignancy that has recently been shown to be increasing in incidence globally. There has been recent progress in emerging technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Improvements in non-invasive diagnostic techniques with serological tests and biomarkers have led to decreased use of invasive procedures such as endoscopy.
  • 1.1K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Heme Oxygenase-1 in Central Nervous System Malignancies
Central nervous system tumors are the most common pediatric solid tumors and account for 20–25% of all childhood malignancies. Several lines of evidence suggest that brain tumors show altered redox homeostasis that triggers the activation of various survival pathways, leading to disease progression and chemoresistance. Among these pathways, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays an important role. HO-1 catalyzes the enzymatic degradation of heme with the simultaneous release of carbon monoxide (CO), ferrous iron (Fe2+), and biliverdin. The biological effects of HO-1 in tumor cells have been shown to be cell-specific since, in some tumors, its upregulation promotes cell cycle arrest and cellular death, whereas, in other neoplasms, it is associated with tumor survival and progression. Since HO-1 overexpression is involved in the development and resistance of brain tumors to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, further researchers are needed to evaluate the possible use of HO -1 as strategy to improve the outcome of well-established therapeutic regimens.
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Oral mucositis
Oral mucositis (OM) is a common side effect of cancer therapies. It causes ulcerative, painful lesions in the oral cavity that can provoke malnutrition, increased risk of infection, longer hospital stays, and seriously affect the quality of life. Cooling the mucosa with oral cryotherapy (OC) during and/or after chemotherapy is the most accessible and tolerable intervention available. The aim of this study is to define the efficacy of OC for preventing OM induced by chemotherapy/radiotherapy in adult patients with cancer. Secondary endpoints include associated problems as pain
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Propolis and Its Polyphenolic Compounds against Cancer
Propolis (bee glue) is a resinous mixture collected by honeybees from leaf buds and tree sap. It is used by honeybees for sealing holes in honeycombs, and to smooth out the inside walls, reinforcing the structural stability of the hive and protecting the hive entrance from intruders. 
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Metformin for Lung Cancer
Metformin is an oral biguanide which has been first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes for several years, however, research has showed that patients undergoing treatment with metformin have a decreased risk for cancer. Interestingly, the compund exhibits a considerable number of antitumor effects which could potentially improve lung cancer treatment. Nonetheless, data regarding the use of metformin as part of the therapeutic scheme for patients with lung cancer has been inconsistent to date. One of the points that the current literature fails to address is the differential effects of metformin in lean vs. obese subjects, which is well established in its use for diabetes, as well as its newly described mechanism of action which depends on redox status of the tumor cell.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Airway Microbiota for Lung Cancer
Recent research on cancer-associated microbial communities has elucidated the interplay between bacteria, immune cells, and tumor cells; the bacterial pathways involved in the induction of carcinogenesis; and their clinical significance. Although accumulating evidence shows that a dysbiotic condition is associated with lung carcinogenesis, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Microorganisms possibly trigger tumor initiation and progression, presumably via the production of bacterial toxins and other pro-inflammatory factors. The purpose of this review is to discuss the basic role of the airway microbiome in carcinogenesis and the underlying molecular mechanisms, with the aim of developing anticancer strategies involving the airway microbiota. In addition, the mechanisms via which the microbiome acts as a modulator of immunotherapies in lung cancer are summarized.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Lipogenesis and Breast Cancer
In recent years, lipid metabolism has gained greater attention in several diseases including cancer. Dysregulation of fatty acid metabolism is a key component in breast cancer malignant transformation. In particular, de novo lipogenesis provides the substrate required by the proliferating tumor cells to maintain their membrane composition and energetic functions during enhanced growth. However, it appears that not all breast cancer subtypes depend on de novo lipogenesis for fatty acid replenishment. Indeed, while breast cancer luminal subtypes rely on de novo lipogenesis, the basal-like receptor-negative subtype overexpresses genes involved in the utilization of exogenous-derived fatty acids, in the synthesis of triacylglycerols and lipid droplets, and fatty acid oxidation. These metabolic differences are specifically associated with genomic and proteomic changes that can perturb lipogenic enzymes and related pathways. This behavior is further supported by the observation that breast cancer patients can be stratified according to their molecular profiles. Moreover, the discovery that extracellular vesicles act as a vehicle of metabolic enzymes and oncometabolites may provide the opportunity to noninvasively define tumor metabolic signature. 
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Metabolic Heterogeneity of Cancer Cells
It has been long recognized that cancer cells reprogram their metabolism under hypoxia conditions due to a shift from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis in order to meet elevated requirements in energy and nutrients for proliferation, migration, and survival. However, data accumulated over recent years has increasingly provided evidence that cancer cells can revert from glycolysis to OXPHOS and maintain both reprogrammed and oxidative metabolism, even in the same tumor. This phenomenon, denoted as cancer cell metabolic plasticity or hybrid metabolism, depends on a tumor micro-environment that is highly heterogeneous and influenced by an intensity of vasculature and blood flow, oxygen concentration, and nutrient and energy supply, and requires regulatory interplay between multiple oncogenes, transcription factors, growth factors, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), among others. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are key modulators of the switch between reprogrammed and oxidative metabolism. Our review focuses on cross-talks between HIF-1, glucose transporters (GLUTs), and AMPK, and other regulatory proteins including oncogenes such as c-Myc, p53, and KRAS along with growth factor-initiated protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, phosphatidyl-3-kinase (PI3K), and mTOR signaling pathways in controlling cancer cell metabolism.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
TRP channels in hematological malignancies
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are improving their importance in different cancers, becoming suitable as promising candidates for precision medicine. In particular, this section will be focused on TRP importance in hematological malignancies.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Interstitial Brachytherapy for Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer represents the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the female population, despite continuing advances in treatment options that have significantly accelerated in recent years. Conservative treatments have radically changed the concept of healing, also focusing on the psychological aspect of oncological treatments. In this scenario, radiotherapy plays a key role. Brachytherapy is an extremely versatile radiation technique that can be used in various settings for breast cancer treatment. Although it is invasive, technically complex, and requires a long learning curve, the dosimetric advantages and sparing of organs at risk are unequivocal. Literature data support muticatheter interstitial brachytherapy as the only method with strong scientific evidence to perform partial breast irradiation and reirradiation after previous conservative surgery and external beam radiotherapy, with longer follow-up than new, emerging radiation techniques, whose effectiveness is proven by over 20 years of experience.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Jun 2022
Topic Review
RANKL/RANK Axis
Receptor activator of nuclear factor -κΒ (RANK) and the RANK ligand (RANKL) was first reported in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation/activation and bone homeostasis. Additionally, the RANKL/RANK system is a significant mediator of progesterone-driven mammary epithelial cell proliferation, potentially contributing to breast cancer initiation and progression. Moreover , several studies supported a synergistic effect of RANK and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and described the RANK's involvement in epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2) positive carcinogenesis. Consequently, anti-RANKL treatment has been proposed as a new approach to preventing and treating breast cancer and metastases.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2020
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