Intraoperative Margin Assessment in Early Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The surgical method of margin sampling affects local control, pathologists’ approach to margin sampling, and clarity of pathology reports. Studies have shown that exclusive reliance on tumor bed margins is associated with worse local control and should be avoided. En bloc resections and margins obtained from the resection specimen remain the “gold standard.” Successful surgical treatment of early carcinomas of the oral cavity relies on close cooperation between surgeons and pathologists on issues of specimen orientation and margin sampling.     

Expression and reception of treatment information in breast cancer support groups: How health self-efficacy moderates effects on emotional well-being

ObjectivesTo examine the effects of exchanging treatment information within computer-mediated breast cancer support groups on emotional well-being, and to explore whether this relationship is moderated by health self-efficacy.MethodsSample: 177 breast cancer patients using an electronic Health (eHealth) program with discussion group. Measure: expression and reception of treatment information; emotional well-being scale (0, 4 months). Analyses: hierarchical regression.ResultsEffects of expression and reception of treatment information on emotional well-being were significantly greater for those who have higher health self-efficacy.ConclusionsResults conditionally support prior research finding positive effects of treatment information exchanges among breast cancer patients. Such exchanges had a positive impact on emotional well-being for those with higher health self-efficacy, but they had a negative influence for those with lower health self-efficacy.Practice implicationsGiven that the association between emotional well-being and exchanging treatment information was moderated by health self-efficacy, clinicians should explain the role of health self-efficacy before encouraging patients to use eHealth systems for treatment exchanges.     

Synergistic Interaction Between Dexmedetomidine and Ulinastatin Against Vincristine-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rats

Antimicrotubulin chemotherapeutic agents such as vincristine (VCR), often induce peripheral neuropathic pain. It is usually permanent and seriously harmful to cancer patients' quality of life and can result in the hampering of clinical treatments. Currently, there is no definitive therapy, and many of the drugs approved for the treatment of other neuropathic pain have shown little or no analgesic effect. It is therefore vital to find new and novel therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from chemotherapeutic agent-induced neuropathic pain to improve patients' quality of life. This study shows that intrathecal injections of dexmedetomidine (DEX), or intraperitoneally administered ulinastatin (UTI) significantly reduces Sprague Dawley rats' mechanical allodynia induced by VCR via upregulation of interleukin-10 expression and activating the α2-adrenergic receptor in dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Moreover, when combined there is a synergistic interaction between DEX and UTI, which acts against VCR-induced neuropathic pain. This synergistic interaction between DEX and UTI may be partly attributed to a common analgesic pathway in which the upregulation of interleukin -10 plays an important role via activating α2-adrenergic receptor in rat dorsal root ganglion. The combined use of DEX and UTI does not affect the rat's blood pressure, heart rate, sedation, motor score, spatial learning, or memory function. All of these show that the combined use of DEX and UTI is an effective method in relieving VCR-induced neuropathic pain in rats.

Polygenic risk scores and risk-stratified breast cancer screening: Familiarity and perspectives of health care professionals

PurposeHealth care professionals are expected to take on an active role in the implementation of risk-based cancer prevention strategies. This study aimed to explore health care professionals’ (1) self-reported familiarity with the concept of polygenic risk score (PRS), (2) perceived level of knowledge regarding risk-stratified breast cancer (BC) screening, and (3) preferences for continuing professional development.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted using a bilingual—English/French—online questionnaire disseminated by health care professional associations across Canada between November 2020 and May 2021.ResultsA total of 593 professionals completed more than 2 items and 453 responded to all questions. A total of 432 (94%) participants were female, 103 (22%) were physicians, and 323 (70%) were nurses. Participants reported to be unfamiliar with (20%), very unfamiliar (32%) with, or did not know (41%) the concept of PRS. Most participants reported not having enough knowledge about risk-stratified BC screening (61%) and that they would require more training (77%). Online courses and webinar conferences were the preferred continuing professional development modalities.ConclusionThe study indicates that health care professionals are currently not familiar with the concept of PRS or a risk-stratified approach for BC screening. Online information and training seem to be an essential knowledge transfer modality.     

Mitochondrial micropeptide STMP1 promotes G1/S transition by enhancing mitochondrial complex IV activity

1. Download : Download high-res image (153KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

cGAS/STING cross-talks with cell cycle and potentiates cancer immunotherapy

1. Download : Download high-res image (110KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Downregulation of a mitochondrial micropeptide,MPM, promotes hepatoma metastasis by enhancing mitochondrial complex I activity

1. Download : Download high-res image (119KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image