L Zeng1, X-Q Xie2, D-B Wu3, Y-Z Liu4, J-B Kang5, B-L Qu6, P Ai1, Q Mao9, Y-H Liu9, X Wang9, Y Luo1, L Xie1, P Li1, L Bai1, F Wang1*, X.-F Li7*, J-J Wang8* and W-M Li10 1Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Sichuan, P.R. China 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, P.R. China 3Cancer Hospital, Ansteel Group Hospital, Anshan, Liao Ning, P.R. China 4Department of Radiotherapy, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China 5Department of Radiotherapy, The Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China 6Department of Radiotherapy, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China 7Department of Radiotherapy, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, P.R. China 8Department of Radiation Oncology Cancer Center, Peking University 3rd Hospital, P.R. China 9Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China 10Precision medicine center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Sichuan, P.R. China
Background: Xerostomia is the most common post-radiotherapy (post-RT) complication in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. This longitudinal study evaluated the impact of radiotherapy on saliva flow rate of major salivary glands and patients’ quality of life due to xerostomia. Methods: 27 NPC patients treated by intensity modulated radiotherapy in 2018 were recruited. Resting saliva flow rates of individual saliva gland including parotid and submandibular glands were measured before radiotherapy, at 6-month, 12-month and 18-month post-radiotherapy (postRT). At the same time points, patients’ feedback on the severity of xerostomia was obtained from a validated questionnaire. Trend lines of the saliva flow rate and questionnaire scores were plotted, and the correlations of salivary gland doses and the percentage change of saliva flow rate at the time of greatest impact were also investigated. Results: Similar doses were received by the parotid gland and submandibular gland. The saliva flow rates of the parotid gland and submandibular gland showed significant decrease of over 80% at 6 months post-RT and stayed at similar low level thereafter. There was no significant correlation between post-RT saliva flow rate changes and mean doses received by the glands. For the xerostomia questionnaire scores, the feelings of dryness and comfortability of mouth deteriorated significantly at 6 months post-RT. Great impacts of xerostomia on sleeping, speaking, eating and wearing dentures were also observed at 6 months post-RT and they remained fairly constant afterward. Conclusion: The average mean doses to parotid and submandibular glands were around 35 Gy in IMRT of NPC patients, which significantly reduced the saliva flow rates of the parotid and submandibular glands. The impact was greatest at 6 months post-RT and was long lasting. Patients’ quality of life was affected by the severity of xerostomia and the effects showed similar pattern as the saliva flow rates.
Breast self-examination (BSE) is a "procedure in which a woman inspects and examines her breasts and their accessory structures for evidence of change that could indicate an abnormal process.It is one of the three tests the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends in order to help detect breast cancer in its earliest stages" [8].The breast cancer's severity increase with age and family history of breast cancer so its prognosis will be poor thus the early identification of breast cancer signs by BSE [2,9,10] will decrease the severity of the disease through proper management during early period [7]. JustificationDespite the advent of modern screening methods, more than (90%) of cases of cancers of the breast in Sudan are detected by women themselves, stressing the importance of breast self-examination.Moreover, it is observed that breast cancer presents late in the advanced stages.Hence, in this study, we will assess the knowledge and practice of reproductive age females regarding BSE because it is a very important to reveals breast cancer symptoms on any patient in early stages by herself with less effort and cost. ObjectivesGeneral: To determine knowledge, attitude and practice of village females regarding breast self-examination. Specific:To determine the level of knowledge about self-examination.To determine practice of self-examination.To determine attitude of self-examination.To identify the relationships between sociodemographic variables (age, educational level) and level of knowledge.
Because of the emergence of drug-resistant tumor cells, successful treatments of human malignancies have been difficult to achieve in the clinic. In spite of various approaches to overcome multi drug resistance, it has remained challenging and elusive. It is, therefore, necessary to define and understand the mechanisms of drug-induced tumor cell killing for the future development of anticancer agents and for rationally designed combination chemotherapies. The clinically active antitumor drugs, topotecan, doxorubicin, etoposide, and procarbazine are currently used for the treatment of human tumors. Therefore, a great deal research has been carried to understand mechanisms of actions of these agents both in the laboratory and in the clinic. These drugs are also extensively metabolized in tumor cells to various reactive species and generate oxygen free radical species (ROS) that initiate lipid peroxidation and induce DNA damage. However, the roles of ROS in the mechanism of cytotoxicity remain unappreciated in the clinic. In addition to ROS, various reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are also formed in tumor cells and in vivo. However, the importance of RNS in cancer treatment is not clear and has remained poorly defined. This review discusses the current understanding of the formation and the significance of ROS and RNS in the mechanisms of various clinically active anticancer drugs.
Background: Borderline tumours of the ovary (BOTs) represent a specific group of epithelial ovarian malignancies with a good prognosis that are histologically distinguished from ovarian carcinomas by the absence of stromal invasion.
