Cancer Detection and Prevention Volume 27 / Issue 5 (Sep-Oct 2003)

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.

Androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism in prostate cancer from a Brazilian population

Mariana L. dos Santos, MSc, Álvaro S. Sarkis, MD, PhD, Inês N. Nishimoto, MSc, Maria A. Nagai, PhD

Examination of genomic DNA from 133 prostate cancer patients and 279 controls revealed no association between androgen receptor (AR) polyglutamine (CAG) polymorphism and the relative risk of prostate cancer. Asian-descendents had the highest, the white an intermediate and the black a tendency to the lowest CAG repeats rates. >>>

Effects of 0.2 T static magnetic field on human skin fibroblasts

Stefania Pacini, MD, Massimo Gulisano, MD, Benedetta Peruzzi, PhD, Eleonora Sgambati, PhD, Gherardo Gheri, PhD, Silvia Gheri Bryk, PhD, Simonetta Vannucchi, MD, Gianni Polli, MD, Marco Ruggiero, MD

Cells that were exposed to a static magnetic field, generated by sectorial magnetic tomography, had a spindle-like shape with long, straight and stiff protrusions and were smaller than sham exposed cells. There was no significant change in the number of formed colonies between exposed and control cells. >>>

Annual screening for oral cancer detection

Toru Nagao, DDS, PhD, Saman Warnakulasuriya, FDSRCS, PhD

During three years (1996-1998) of oral cancer screening 66.5% of 9,536 participating subjects attended two or more annual examinations. Newly detected oral mucosal lesions included 18 leukoplakias, 24 lichen planus and 343 other benign lesions and 1 oral cancer. >>>

The association between counseling, sun protection, and early detection of skin cancer in middle-aged Israelis

Orna Baron-Epel, PhD, MPH, Esther Azizi, MD

Association between counseling on skin cancer prevention and early detection was determined by a random national telephone survey of 793 Israeli residents ages 45-75 years. Sun protection counseling was not significantly associated with the corresponding behavior whereas early detection counseling was strongly associated with early detection behaviors. >>>

Information needs about hereditary breast cancer among women with early-onset breast cancer

Wendy F. Cohn, PhD, Mary E. Ropka, PhD, Susan M. Jones, MS, Susan Miesfeldt, MD

A family history questionnaire and a knowledge, attitudes and beliefs questionnaire were mailed to women with early breast cancer to identify those with suspected hereditary breast cancer (HBC) and to women with presumed sporadic breast cancer (SBC). Based upon responses to the family history questionnaire, 137 women met the study's criteria for suspected HBC. The remaining 126 women were presumed to have HBC. >>>

Health beliefs, salience of breast cancer family history, and involvement with breast cancer issues: adherence to annual mammography screening recommendations

Lila J. Finney, Ph.D., MPH, Ronald J. Iannotti, Ph.D.

A health-belief questionnaire was given to 888 women attending annual mammography screenings. Questions among others included family history (FH) of breast cancer (BC), susceptibility to developing BC, severity of BC, perception of barrier and benefits of mammography and adherence to annual mammography screening. A positive FH was reported by 42% of the women who presumed that they were significantly more susceptible to develop BC than those with a negative FH. Women who attended annual mammography and who had a positive FH of BC reported greater benefits of mammography than women with a negative FH. >>>

Service screening with mammography of women aged 70­74 years in Sweden Effects on breast cancer mortality

Håkan Jonsson, PhD, Sven Törnberg, MD, PhD, Lennarth Nyström, PhD, Per Lenner, MD, PhD

A non-significant reduction in breast cancer (BC) mortality was found in Swedish counties with mammography screening programs that included women within the age groups of 70-74 years. For women aged 70-74 years, screened by mammography at the mean interval of 22.8 months and with a mean follow-up period of 10.1 years the BC excess mortality was estimated to be 18% compared to the control group. >>>

Prevention of chemical carcinogen DNA binding and inhibition of nuclear RNA polymerase activity by organosulfur compounds as the possible mechanisms for their anticancer initiation and proliferation effects

Fu-Li Yu, PhD, Wanda Bender, BS, Qingming Fang, PhD, Anna Ludeke, Brianna Welch

The organosulfur compounds (OSCs) from garlic diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) but not diallyl sulfide (DAS) could be activated by dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) and could directly inhibit RNA polymerase activity, DADS and DATS, but not DAS prevented 17-β-estradiol (E₂) to bind to DNA. >>>

Restoration of an impaired TGF-β1 autocrine growth-inhibitory circuit results in growth inhibition of ovarian epithelial cancer cells and complete inhibition of their tumorigenicity

Ziad Zeinoun, MS, Erik Teugels, PhD, Joanna Vermeij, MD, Bart Neyns, MD, PhD, Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, Jacques De Grève, MD, PhD

Restoration of the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) autocrine growth-suppresive pathway in ovarian epithelial cancer cells (OVCAR-3) had a potent growth-inhibiting effect on mink lunk epithelial cell lines CCL-64. The in vitro treated OVCAR-3 cells lost their tumorogenicity when injected into nude mice. >>>

Multifactorial activities of nonsteroidal antiestrogens against leukemia

Tamar Hayon, MD, Lena Atlas, MD, Etti Levy, MD, Alexander Dvilansky, MD, Ofer Spilberg, MD, MPH, Ilana Nathan, PhD

A combination of the nonsteroidal antiestrogens (AE) clomophene and genistein resulted in a synergistic effect of cell arrest of G₀/G₁ phase and induction of apoptosis in culture. Apoptosis was induced also by two other AE, clomiphene and nafoxidine, of which nafoxidine was the most potent. Combination of the AE nafoxidine with the classical Pgp modulator verapamil was more beneficial than when each drug was used alone. >>>

Comparison of methods for DNA extraction from paraffin-embedded tissues and buccal cells

Wei Cao, M.D., Ph.D., Mia Hashibe, M.P.H., Jian-Yu Rao, M.D., Hal Morgenstern, Ph.D., Zuo-Feng Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.

Comparison of DNA extraction procedures revealed that the β-globin gene sequence boiling method and the phenol-chloroform method for DNA isolation from paraffin-embedded tissue specimens was better than the DNA Mini Kit. The phenol-chloroform method was preferable for DNA extraction from buccal cells. >>>

Direct comparison of microarray gene expression profiles between non-amplification and a modified cDNA amplification procedure applicable for needle biopsy tissues

Yiwei Li, MD, Shadan Ali, BS, Philip A. Philip, MD, Fazlul H. Sarkar, PhD

The standard procedure for cDNA microarray analysis for more than 5µg of an RNA sample was modified for cDNA synthesis and amplification of 1µg of total RNA. Sensitivity and specificity of both methods were comparable. The modified cDNA amplification method performed as well as the standard cDNA non-amplification method with similar reproducibility. The gene expression profiles of needle biopsy tissue from standard and modified methods showed similar patterns. >>>

Herbert E. Nieburgs, MD
Worcester, MA
2003