Cancer Detection and Prevention Volume 29 / Issue 1 (Jan-Feb 2005)

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.

Analysis of p16INK4A gene promoter in male germ-cell tumors: identification of a new point mutation

Joanna Fombonne; Mojgan Devouassoux-Shisheboran; Raymonde Bouvier; Jean-Pierre Droz; Mohamed Benahmed; Slavica Krantic

In human seminomas the aberrant expression of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKN2) appeared to be related to loss of protein expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p16NK4A. A point mutation was identified at the nucleotide position 1973 relative to the ATG codon at +1. This mutation was not found in 18 of 19 seminoma surrounding nontumoral tissues. >>>

Osteoclast-like giant cell tumor in mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas: an immunohistochemical and molecular analysis

Roland Sedivy MD; Maria Kalipciyan BSc; Peter R. Mazal MD; Brigitte Wolf MSc; F. Wrba MD; Judith Karner-Hanusch MD; Ferdinand Mühlbacher MD; Robert M. Mader PhD

This rare osteoclast-like pancreatic giant cell tumor (OLGT) was associated with a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCC) rather than with the usual ductal adenocarcinoma. Among different cytokines, E-cadherin expression was reduced in different mononuclear cells of OLGT. Vascular endothelial growth factor C was expressed by osteoclast-like giant cells and the podoplanin marker did not reflect lymph vessels within the OLGT. >>>

Cigarette smoking and cancer incidence risk in adult men: National Health Insurance Corporation Study

Young Ho Yun MD, PhD; Kyu Won Jung MPh; Jong-Myon Bae MD, PhD; Jin Soo Lee MD; Soon Ae Shin MPh; Sang Min Park MD, MPh; Taiwoo Yoo MD, PhD; Bong Yul Huh MD, PhD

The age-adjusted smoking-related population attributable risk (PAR) was highest for cancer of the esophagus (98.3%) followed by cancer of the lung (78.7%), larynx (59.5%) and urinary bladder (52.0%). Overall the PAR due to smoking was 30.4% >>>

The associations between psychological distress and cancer prevention practices

Keiko Honda PhD, MPH, Renee D. Goodwin PhD, MPH, Alfred I. Neugut MD, PhD

Psychological distress was associated with high-risk health behaviors that are likely to increase cancer risk. Among such behaviors, smoking cigarettes was most strongly related to psychological distress. Testing the mediational role of risk behaviors on perceived cancer risks indicated that smoking mediated the relation between psychological distress and perceived cancer risk by 19%. The Sobel test (Z=7.32, p<0.001) indicated a significant indirect effect of the psychological distress on perceived cancer risk from smoking. >>>

The relative distributio of oncogenic types of HPV in benign, pre-malignant and malignant cervical biopsies: a study of HPV DNA sequence analysis

S Andersson, MD, PhD; M Mints, PhD; J Sallstrom, MD, PhD; E Wilander, MD, PhD

In a study of 215 HPV-positive biopsies, 24 (11.2%) were benign; 32 (15%) were low squamous intraepithelial lesions, 114 (53%) were high squamous intraepithelial lesions and 45 (21%) were invasive cervical squamous cell carcinomas. A total of 15 different oncogenic HPV types were identified of which 13 types were present in premalignant cervical and 9 in malignant lesions. HPV16 was the most common followed by HPV31, HPV18 and HPV45. >>>

NF-kB dependent cytokine levels in saliva of patients with oral preneoplastic lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma

NL Rhodus, DMD MPH; V Ho, MD; CS Miller, DMD MS; S Myers, DDS MS; F Ondrey, MD PhD

ELISA analysis of whole unstimulated saliva (WUS) revealed a significant increase in levels of all proangiogenic alpha-NF-k-B dependent cytokines in individuals with oral premalignant lesions (OPML) as compared to controls. A significant difference was found in some of the cytokines such as proangiogenic cytokines alpha-TNF and IL-1 in the WUS of oral squamous cell carcinoma compared to inflammatory OPML and controls. >>>

The role of folates in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Madeleine A. Kane MD, PhD

Folate sufficiency was defined by initial tissue folate levels that could not be increased by supplemental folate. Nutritional studies have suggested that folates seemed to be protective against squamous cell cancers of the aerodigestive epithelium. Clinically low folate levels have been associated with cancers of the colon, lung, esophagus, cervix, breast and pancreas. Intracellular folate insufficiency is exacerbated by decreased levels of folate receptor and or folate carrier and possibly polymorphism of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase and folate polyglutamide synthesis. >>>

Spectra of antinuclear antibodies in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and of the head and neck

Félix Fernández Madrid MD, PhD; Robert L. Karvonen PhD; John Ensley MD; Michael Kraut MD; José L. Granda MD, PhD; Huda Alansari PhD; Naimei Tang PhD; John E. Tomkiel PhD

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the sera from patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (LSCC) were compared to ANA in patients with cancer of the head and neck (HNSCC). Results indicate that autoantibodies directed to nuclear antigens had the potential to differentiate LSCC from HNSCC and to distinguish LSCC and HNSCC from normal individuals. >>>

Negative correlation between poly-ADP-ribosylation of spleen cell histone proteins and initial duration of dimethylnitrosamine exposure to mice in vivo measured by Western blot immunoprobe assay: a possible biomarker for cancer detection

Brahmacharimayum J. Devi PhD; Frank H.A. Schneeweiss PhD; Rajeshwar N. Sharan PhD

The suitability of poly-ADP-ribosilation (PAR) as a likely candidate biomarker for cancer detection was tested by treatment of Swiss albino mice with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) for correlation between PAR of spleen histone proteins and the duration of DMN exposure. Results revealed that histones were the main target proteins of PAR mouse spleen cells and that PAR was higher in the controls which exhibited progressive reduction in the level of PAR of different proteins with progression of period of exposure to DMN. >>>

Herbert E. Nieburgs, MD
Worcester, MA
2005