WNT10A variants: following the pattern of inheritance in tooth agenesis and self-reported family history of cancer

Clinical Oral Investigations - The aim of this study was the analysis of WNT10A variants in seven families of probands with various forms of tooth agenesis and self-reported family history of...     

Yoga for symptom management in oncology: A review of the evidence base and future directions for research

Because yoga is increasingly recognized as a complementary approach to cancer symptom management, patients/survivors and providers need to understand its potential benefits and limitations both during and after treatment. The authors reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of yoga conducted at these points in the cancer continuum (N = 29; n = 13 during treatment, n = 12 post-treatment, and n = 4 with mixed samples). Findings both during and after treatment demonstrated the efficacy of yoga to improve overall quality of life (QOL), with improvement in subdomains of QOL varying across studies. Fatigue was the most commonly measured outcome, and most RCTs conducted during or after cancer treatment reported improvements in fatigue. Results also suggested that yoga can improve stress/distress during treatment and post-treatment disturbances in sleep and cognition. Several RCTs provided evidence that yoga may improve biomarkers of stress, inflammation, and immune function. Outcomes with limited or mixed findings (eg, anxiety, depression, pain, cancer-specific symptoms, such as lymphedema) and positive psychological outcomes (such as benefit-finding and life satisfaction) warrant further study. Important future directions for yoga research in oncology include: enrolling participants with cancer types other than breast, standardizing self-report assessments, increasing the use of active control groups and objective measures, and addressing the heterogeneity of yoga interventions, which vary in type, key components (movement, meditation, breathing), dose, and delivery mode.     

Sleep Research: A Primer for Media Scholars

ABSTRACT

The average amount of sleep people of all ages get has declined sharply in the past 50 years. The detrimental health effects of sleep deprivation are well documented and substantial. Even though electronic media use often takes place in the hours before sleep, the extent to which media use may interact with sleep is understudied and not well understood. Communication scholars are well positioned to contribute to this area, as a systematic, theoretical understanding of the relationship between media and sleep is still lacking. This primer charts the state of knowledge on electronic media and sleep and explores possible next steps. First, we introduce the problem of sleep deprivation and describe the basic science of sleep with relevant terminology. Then, we review the research on electronic media and sleep and offer an agenda for research.     

Cost-Utility of a Two-Dose Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Programme Added to Cervical Cancer Screening Compared with Cervical Cancer Screening Alone in Korea

Background: Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus and is a leading cause of cancer death amongyoung Korean women. Current screening programmes could benefit from the addition of HPV vaccination into theirschedule to help reduce disease burden. Two-dose vaccination schedules targeting HPV types 16 and 18, which areresponsible for most cervical cancer cases, have recently been approved. Of the two available vaccines, AS04-adjuvantedHPV16/18 vaccine (AS04-HPV16/18v) provides greater protection against non-vaccine oncogenic HPV, whileHPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine (4vHPVv) provides protection against genital warts. Methods: The health and economicconsequences of introducing a two-dose HPV vaccination programme in 12-year-old girls together with screening wereassessed in the Korean healthcare setting using a previously-published Markov model. Results: Compared with screeningalone, AS04-HPV16/18v was cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio below and within the Korean Won[KRW] 20-30 million treshold). When comparing the two vaccines, at 3% discount rate, AS04-HPV16/18v dominated4vHPVv (i.e., provided 174 more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), 304 more life-years (LYs) and cost-savings ofKRW 980 million). At a 5% discount rate, AS04-HPV16/18v provided comparable QALYs (albeit 5 fewer), 105 moreLYs and cost-savings of KRW 292 million compared with 4vHPVv. Results were particularly sensitive to the discountrate used, as the health benefits of preventing cervical cancer are observed much later than those of preventing genitalwarts. Conclusion: For the Korean setting, HPV vaccination with a two-dose schedule is a cost-effective option, andAS04-HPV16/18v is likely to offer better health outcomes at a cost-saving compared with 4vHPVv.     

Bone-Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals as Monotherapy or Combined With Chemotherapy in Patients With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Metastatic to Bone

In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, bone is the most common site for metastases. Because of their osteoblastic character, these lesions are very suitable for treatment with bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals (RPs). Nowadays, radium-223-chloride is the only RP with a proven benefit in overall survival, whereas the β-emitting RPs are used for pain palliation. In the past, many trials that investigated RPs alone, or in combination with chemotherapy have been performed. Because of different designs, characteristics of included patients, and chemotherapeutical and RP regimens, interpretation of the promising data and positioning of RPs in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer has become difficult. In this review, we provide an overview of the existing data per RP with a focus on the different RPs in combination with chemotherapy. Furthermore, we aim to clarify the benefits on pain response and quality of life. Finally, we focus on the optimal timing and use of biomarkers in the treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with RPs.     

A retrospective alternative for active surveillance trials for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is a nonobligate precursor of invasive breast cancer, accounting for 20 % of screen-detected breast cancers. Little is known about the natural progression of DCIS because most patients undergo surgery upon diagnosis. Many DCIS patients are likely being overtreated, as it is believed that only around 50 % of DCIS will progress to invasive carcinoma. Robust prognostic markers for progression to invasive carcinoma are lacking. In the past, studies have investigated women who developed a recurrence after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and compared them with those who did not. However, where there is no recurrence, the patient has probably been adequately treated. The present narrative review advocates a new research strategy, wherein only those patients with a recurrence are studied. Approximately half of the recurrences are invasive cancers, and half are DCIS. So-called “recurrences” are probably most often the result of residual disease. The new approach allows us to ask: why did some residual DCIS evolve to invasive cancers and others not? This novel strategy compares the group of patients that developed in situ recurrence with the group of patients that developed invasive recurrence after BCS. The differences between these groups could then be used to develop a robust risk stratification tool. This tool should estimate the risk of synchronous and metachronous invasive carcinoma when DCIS is diagnosed in a biopsy. Identification of DCIS patients at low risk for developing invasive carcinoma will individualize future therapy and prevent overtreatment.