Cancer Detection and Prevention Volume 24 / Issue 4 (Jul-Aug 2000)

Table of Contents and Editor's Notes

The peer review process occasionally results in approval of controversial publications that do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the editors. Readers of the journal are encouraged to critically review and comment on presented data by submitting a "Letter to the Editor" that may be reprinted in a subsequent issue.

A Case-Control Study of Toenail Selenium and Cancer of the Breast, Colon, and Prostate

Parviz Ghadirian, PhD, Patrick Maisonneuve, PhD, Chantal Perret, DEA, Greg Kennedy PhD, Peter Boyle, PhD, Daniel Krewski, PhD, and André Lacroix, MD

A statistically significant inverse association was recorded between toenail selenium levels and the risk of colon cancer suggesting the protective role of selenium against colon cancer. >>>

Production of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Interferon-γ from Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes by MGN-3, a Modified Arabinoxylan from Rice Bran, and Its Synergy with Interleukin-2 In Vitro

M. Ghoneum, PhD, and A. Jewett, PhD

Addition of MGN-3 to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) significantly increased the cytotoxic function of human natural killer (NK) cells. Treatment of PBLs with a combination of IL-2 and MGN-3 resulted in a higher augmentation of NK cell cytotoxicity. >>>

Inhibition of Cytochrome P-450 Modulates AII-Trans-Retinoic Acid-Induced Differentiation and Apoptosis of HL-60 Cells

Jirina Hofmanová, PhD, Karel Soucek, Ladislav Dusek, PhD, Jaromíra Netíková, and Alois Kozubík, PhD

Proadifen (SKF525A) significantly potentiated the anti-proliferative and differentiating effects of DMSO (dimehtyl sulfoxide) and changed the proportion of cells in G0/G1 and S phases similar to the anti-proliferative effects of ATRA (all-trans-retinoic acid) on myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells. >>>

Altered Expression of p53 and p27 Proteins, Alone or Combined, as a Predictor of Metastatic Potential in Early Invasive Carcinoma of Colon and Rectum: A Comparative Clinicopathologic and Molecular Analysis

Kouichi Hirano, MD, and Toshinari Minamoto, MD, PhD

In 70% of patients with early invasive colorectal cancer, combined overexpression of p53 and decreased expression of p27 correlated significantly with metastases. >>>

Cytochrome P450 lsoenzyme mRNA Expression Pattern in Human Urinary Bladder Malignancies and Normal Urothelium

Andreas Brauers, MD, Edith Mane gold, MD, Reinhard Buettner, MD, Jens M. Baron, MD, Hans F Merk, MD, and Gerhard Jakse, MD

Cytochrome p4501B1 was expressed in the primary tumor and in biopsies of adjacent histologically normal eurothelium in 75% of patients with urinary bladder malignancies and in 50% of patients with normal urinary bladder that did not harbor a neoplasm. >>>

Clinical Application of NMP22 in the Management of Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder

Ihor S. Sawczuk, Emilia Bagiella, Alexandra L Sawczuk, and Edward J. Yun

Nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) detected 54.6% of low grade transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder, whereas urinary cytology revealed 7.1% of the lesions. With combined use of NMP22 and cytology, 61.7% were detected. Among high grade lesions, NMP22 and cytology each detected 75% whereas the combination of NMP22 and cytology permitted detection of 100% of the tumors. >>>

Ocular Effects of Fenretinide, a Vitamin A Analog, in a Chemoprevention Trial of Bladder Cancer

Laura Baglietto, MSC, Rosalba Torrisi, MD, Giuseppe Arena, BSc, Francesca Tosetti, PhD, Allana Guerrieri Gonzaga, MSC, Wanda Pasquetti, MD, Chris Robertson, PhD, and Andrea Decensi, MD

Chemoprevention of urinary bladder carcinoma with fenretinide for one year was associated with a decline in dark adaptation and approximately 70% lower plasma retinol levels than in individuals of the untreated group. >>>

Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Patients with Cancer: A Review of Techniques, Clinical Implications, and Emerging Therapeutic Consequences

Wolfgang J. Köstler, Thomas Brodowicz, Michael Hejna, Christoph Wiltschke. MD, and Christoph C. Zielinski, MD

This detailed overview offers information on the role of minimal residual disease (MRD) and its use and limitations in molecular characterization of disseminated tumor cells. The prevalence and prognostic significance of MRD detection in patients with cancer of the breast, colon and rectum, lung, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, and melanoma is extensively presented. The authors conclude that identification of MRD is important for prognosis, disease monitoring, and optimization of treatment for selected patients who may benefit from aggressive surgery and adjuvent therapy. >>>

Herbert E. Nieburgs, MD
Worcester, MA
2000