Paul H. Levine, Ladan Zolfaghari, Heather Young, Muhannad Hafi, Timothy Cannon, Chitra Ganesan, Carmela Veneroso, Rachel Brem and Mark Sherman
Article: What Is Inflammatory Breast Cancer? Revisiting the Case Definition
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 143-152; doi:10.3390/cancers2010143 - published online 3 March 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: The case definition for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is controversial. The American Joint Committee on Cancer defines IBC as redness, warmth and edema involving at least half the breast. The SEER program relies on a pathologic finding of dermal lymphatic invasion and recently added those with clinical involvement of more than 3/4 of the breast. We established a registry to collect information and specimens from IBC patients to clarify the epidemiology and biology of these tumors. The goals of this report are to suggest improvements regarding case definitions and provide data on the variety of presentations relevant to early diagnosis.

Manoj Kumar Kashyap, Arivusudar Marimuthu, Suraj Peri, Ghantasala S. Sameer Kumar, Harrys K.C. Jacob, Thottethodi Subrahmanya Keshava Prasad, Riaz Mahmood, K. V. Veerendra Kumar, M. Vijaya Kumar, Stephen J. Meltzer, Elizabeth A. Montgomery, Rekha V. Kumar and Akhilesh Pandey
Article: Overexpression of Periostin and Lumican in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 133-142; doi:10.3390/cancers2010133 - published online 1 March 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: To identify biomarkers for early detection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), we previously carried out a genome-wide gene expression profiling study using an oligonucleotide microarray platform. This analysis led to identification of several transcripts that were significantly upregulated in ESCC compared to the adjacent normal epithelium. In the current study, we performed immunohistochemical analyses of protein products for two candidates genes identified from the DNA microarray analysis, periostin (POSTN) and lumican (LUM), using tissue microarrays. Increased expression of both periostin and lumican was observed in 100% of 137 different ESCC samples arrayed on tissue microarrays. Increased expression of periostin and lumican was observed in carcinoma as well as in stromal cell in the large majority of cases. These findings suggest that these candidates can be investigated in the sera of ESCC patients using ELISA or multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) type assays to further explore their utility as biomarkers.

Domenico Ribatti, Tiziana Annese and Vito Longo
Review: Angiogenesis and Melanoma
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 114-132; doi:10.3390/cancers2010114 - published online 25 February 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Angiogenesis occurs in pathological conditions, such as tumors, where a specific critical point in tumor progression is the transition from the avascular to the vascular phase. Tumor angiogenesis depends mainly on the release by neoplastic cells of growth factors specific for endothelial cells, which are able to stimulate the growth of the host’s blood vessels. This article summarizes the literature concerning the relationship between angiogenesis and human melanoma progression. The recent applications of antiangiogenic agents which interfere with melanoma progression are also described.

Emma Dean, Loaie El-Helw and Jurjees Hasan
Review: Targeted Therapies in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 88-113; doi:10.3390/cancers2010088 - published online 23 February 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Molecularly targeted therapy is relatively new to ovarian cancer despite the unquestionable success with these agents in other solid tumours such as breast and colorectal cancer. Advanced ovarian cancer is chemosensitive and patients can survive several years on treatment. However chemotherapy diminishes in efficacy over time whilst toxicities persist. Newer biological agents that target explicit molecular pathways and lack specific chemotherapy toxicities such as myelosuppression offer the advantage of long-term therapy with a manageable toxicity profile enabling patients to enjoy a good quality of life. In this review we appraise the emerging data on novel targeted therapies in ovarian cancer. We discuss the role of these compounds in the front-line treatment of ovarian cancer and in relapsed disease; and describe how the development of predictive clinical, molecular and imaging biomarkers will define the role of biological agents in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Wenqing G. Sun, Christine J. Weydert, Yuping Zhang, Lei Yu, Jingru Liu, Douglas R. Spitz, Joseph J. Cullen and Larry W. Oberley
Article: Superoxide Enhances the Antitumor Combination of AdMnSOD Plus BCNU in Breast Cancer
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 68-87; doi:10.3390/cancers2010068 - published online 12 February 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) can sensitize a variety of cancer cell lines to many anticancer drugs. Recent work has shown that cancer cells can be sensitized to cell killing by raising peroxide levels through increased manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) when combined with inhibition of peroxide removal. Here we utilize the mechanistic property of one such anticancer drug, BCNU, which inhibits glutathione reductase (GR), compromising the glutathione peroxidase system thereby inhibiting peroxide removal. The purpose of this study was to determine if anticancer modalities known to produce superoxide radicals can increase the antitumor effect of MnSOD overexpression when combined with BCNU. To enhance MnSOD, an adenoviral construct containing the cDNA for MnSOD (AdMnSOD) was introduced into human breast cancer cell line, ZR-75-1. AdMnSOD infection alone did not alter cell killing, however when GR was inhibited with either BCNU or siRNA, cytotoxicity increased. Futhermore, when the AdMnSOD + BCNU treatment was combined with agents that enhance steady-state levels of superoxide (TNF-α, antimycin, adriamycin, photosensitizers, and ionizing radiation), both cell cytotoxicity and intracellular peroxide levels increased. These results suggest that the anticancer effect of AdMnSOD combined with BCNU can be enhanced by agents that increase generation of superoxide.

Jinfu Hu, Carlo La Vecchia, Eva Negri and Les Mery
Article: Nutrients and Risk of Colon Cancer
Cancers 2010, 2(1), 51-67; doi:10.3390/cancers2010051 - published online 10 February 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Dietary fats are thought to be important in the etiology of colon cancer. However, the evidence linking them is inconclusive. Studies on dietary protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate and the risk of colon cancer are also inconsistent. This study examined the association between dietary intake of protein, fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates, and the risk of colon cancer. Mailed questionnaires were completed by 1731 individuals with histologically confirmed cases of colon cancer and 3097 population controls between 1994 and 1997 in seven Canadian provinces. Measurements included socio-economic status, lifestyle habits and diet. A 69-item food frequency questionnaire was used to provide data on eating habits from two years before the study. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using unconditional logistic regression. The nutrients were categorized by quartiles based on the distributions among the controls. Intake of polyunsaturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol were significantly associated with the risk of colon cancer; the ORs for the highest quartiles were 1.36 (95% CI, 1.02–1.80), 1.37 (95% CI, 1.10–1.71) and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.10–1.84), respectively. The association was stronger with proximal colon cancer (PCC). An increased risk was also observed with increasing intake of sucrose for both proximal and distal colon cancers; the ORs for the highest quartiles were 1.67 (95% CI, 1.22–2.29) for PCC and 1.58 (95% CI, 1.18–2.10) for distal colon cancer (DCC). An elevated risk of PCC was also found with increased lactose intake. Our findings provide evidence that a diet low in fat and sucrose could reduce the risk of various colon cancers.