Functional Impairments and Caregiver Depressive Symptoms in the Context of Brain Tumour and Other Cancers: A Mediating Effect of Strain
This study aimed to examine the associations among functional impairments, strain and depressive symptoms for caregivers of individuals with brain tumour and other cancers. Sixty-three caregivers (71% female) of individuals with brain tumour (n = 27) and other cancers (n = 36) were recruited from community services. Participants rated their level of depressive symptoms and strain and the functional impairments of the individual with cancer. Overall, approximately 25% of the total caregiver sample was in the clinical range for depressive symptoms. For caregivers of individuals with brain tumour, strain was significantly related to depressive symptoms (r = .57) and the individual's functional impairments (r = -.58); however, level of depressive symptoms was not significantly related to funct......
POSTED 07/01/2009 at 10:34 AM --
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Epidemiology of primary brain tumors in the Middle Eastern population in California, USA 2001–2005
Abstract: Background: The fast growing Middle Eastern (ME) population has rarely been studied in the U.S.. The purpose of this study was to compare the epidemiology of primary brain tumors in this ethnic population with the non-Hispanic, non-Middle Eastern White (NHNMW) in California. Methods: ME cases were identified by surname in the California cancer registry and ME population estimates were based on ancestry. Data for 683 cases of primary brain tumors (429 benign, 238 malignant, 16 uncertain) in the ME and 15,589 cases (8352 benign, 6812 malignant, 425 uncertain) in the NHNMW were available for this study. Results: ME patients were significantly (p (Source: Cancer Detection and Prevention)...
POSTED 07/01/2009 at 10:01 AM --
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Study identifies biomarker that safely monitors tumor response to new brain cancer treatment
(Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) A specific biomarker, a protein released by dying tumor cells, has been identified as an effective tool in an animal model to gauge the response to a novel gene therapy treatment for glioblastoma mulitforme. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 11:00 PM --
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A "Vascular Normalization Index" as Potential Mechanistic Biomarker to Predict Survival after a Single Dose of Cediranib in Recurrent Glioblastoma Patients
Early imaging or blood biomarkers of tumor response are desperately needed to customize antiangiogenic therapy for cancer patients. Anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy can "normalize" brain tumor vasculature by decreasing vessel diameter and permeability, and thinning the abnormally thick basement membrane. We hypothesized that the extent of vascular normalization will be predictive of outcome of anti-VEGF therapy in glioblastoma. We used advanced magnetic resonance imaging methods to monitor vascular parameters and treatment response in 31 recurrent glioblastoma patients enrolled in a phase II trial of cediranib, an oral pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We evaluated the correlation between clinical outcome and magnetic resonance imaging–measured ......
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Plasminogen Kringle 5 Induces Apoptosis of Brain Microvessel Endothelial Cells: Sensitization by Radiation and Requirement for GRP78 and LRP1
Recombinant plasminogen kringle 5 (rK5) has been shown to induce apoptosis of dermal microvessel endothelial cells (MvEC) in a manner that requires glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). As we are interested in antiangiogenic therapy for glioblastoma tumors, and the effectiveness of antiangiogenic therapy can be enhanced when combined with radiation, we investigated the proapoptotic effects of rK5 combined with radiation on brain MvEC. We found that rK5 treatment of brain MvEC induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner and that prior irradiation significantly sensitized (500-fold) the cells to rK5-induced apoptosis. The rK5-induced apoptosis of both unirradiated and irradiated MvEC required expression of GRP78 and the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), a ......
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Molecular epidemiology of primary brain tumors.
Authors: Gu J, Liu Y, Kyritsis AP, Bondy ML
Although primary brain tumors (PBTs) are generally considered to be a multifactorial disorder, understanding the genetic basis and etiology of the disease is essential for PBT risk assessment. Understanding of the genetic susceptibility for PBT has come from studies of rare genetic syndromes, linkage analysis, family aggregation, early-onset pediatric cases, and mutagen sensitivity. There are currently no effective markers to assess biological dose of exposures and genetic heterogeneity. The priorities recently recommended by the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium emphasized the need for expanding research in genetics and molecular epidemiology. In this article, we review the literature to identify molecular epidemiologic case-control studie......
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Recurrent glioblastoma multiforme: ADC histogram analysis predicts response to bevacizumab treatment.
(Source: Clinical Trials And Noteworthy Treatments For Brain Tumors)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 10:24 AM --
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Phase 2 trial of erlotinib plus sirolimus in adults with recurrent glioblastoma.
(Source: Clinical Trials And Noteworthy Treatments For Brain Tumors)...
POSTED 06/30/2009 at 10:24 AM --
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Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors, Physicians, and Researchers Face Long-Term Challenges
(Source: JNCI)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Long-Term Outcomes Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Central Nervous System Malignancies in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Conclusions
Survivors of childhood CNS malignancies are at high risk for late mortality and for developing subsequent neoplasms and chronic medical conditions. Care providers should be informed of these risks so they can provide risk-directed care and develop screening guidelines. (Source: JNCI)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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Highly infiltrative brain tumours show reduced chemosensitivity associated with a stem cell-like phenotype
Conclusions: Highly invasive tumours with a stem-like phenotype are more chemoresistant than angiogenic tumours derived from the same patients. We suggest that treatment resistance in glioblastomas can be related to PI3K/AKT activity in stem-like tumour cells, and that targeted interference with the PI3K/AKT pathway might differentiate and sensitize this subpopulation to chemotherapy. (Source: Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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[Cell_Biology] Activation of tumor cell integrin {alpha}v{beta}3 controls angiogenesis and metastatic growth in the brain
The incidence of brain metastasis is rising and poses a severe clinical problem, as we lack effective therapies and knowledge... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 06:00 PM --
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FAQ:Sir,
I did an MRI of brain last year ( 3rd May, 2008) and it was absolutely normal . Just asking that what can be the t...
(Source: Clinical Trials And Noteworthy Treatments For Brain Tumors)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 03:12 PM --
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Radiation Techniques in Neuro-Oncology
Summary: Radiation therapy plays a critical role in the management of tumors of the brain. A variety of radiotherapy techniques have been used to treat these tumors. This review describes both classic and more recent and advanced techniques available to manage these tumors. Included is a discussion of standard two- and three-dimensional radiation, as well as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and heavy particles. (Source: Neurotherapeutics)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Targeted Therapy for Malignant Glioma Patients: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
We describe how advances from the world of genomics have the potential to transform our approaches toward targeted therapy, and describe how a deeper understanding of the complex nature of cancer, and its adeptness at rewiring molecular circuitry to evade targeted agents, has raised new challenges and identified new leads. (Source: Neurotherapeutics)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Toward Effective Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors
Summary: The immunologic treatment of cancer has long been heralded as a targeted molecular therapeutic with the promise of eradicating tumor cells with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissues. However, a demonstrative example of the efficacy of immunotherapy in modulating cancer progression is still lacking for most human cancers. Recent breakthroughs in our understanding of the mechanisms leading to full T-cell activation, and recognition of the importance of overcoming tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms, have shed new light on how to generate effective anti-tumor immune responses in humans, and sparked a renewed and enthusiastic effort to realize the full potential of cancer immunotherapy. The immunologic treatment of invasive malignant brain tumors has not escaped this re-......
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Gene- and Viral-Based Therapies for Brain Tumors
Summary: Advances in understanding and controlling genes and their expression have set the stage to alter genetic material to fight or prevent disease with brain tumors being among one of the first human malignancies to be targeted by gene therapy. All proteins are coded for by DNA and most neoplastic diseases ultimately result from the expression or lack thereof with one or more proteins (e.g., coded by oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, respectively). In theory, therefore, diseases could be treated by expression of the appropriate protein in the affected cells. Gene therapy is an experimental treatment that involves introducing genetic material (DNA or RNA) into cells, and it has made important advances in the past decade. Within this short time span, it has moved from the conceptual l......
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Oncolytic Viral Therapy of Malignant Glioma
Summary: Novel approaches to treatment of malignant glioma, the most frequently occurring primary brain tumor, have included the use of a wide range of oncolytic viral vectors. These vectors, either naturally tumor-selective, or engineered as such, have shown promise in the handful of phase I and phase II clinical trials conducted in recent years. The strategies developed for each of the different viruses currently being studied and the history of their development are summarized here. In addition, the results of clinical trials in patients and their implication for future trials are also discussed. (Source: Neurotherapeutics)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Pediatric Brain Tumors: Current Treatment Strategies and Future Therapeutic Approaches
This article will outline current and future therapeutic strategies for the most common pediatric CNS tumors, including primitive neuroectodermal tumors such as medulloblastoma, as well as astrocytomas and ependymomas. (Source: Neurotherapeutics)...
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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Current Management of Metastatic Brain Disease
This article reviews current therapeutic management used for brain metastases. To select the appropriate therapy, the physician must consider the extent of the systemic disease, primary histology, and patient age and performance status, as well as the number, size, and location of the brain metastases. Available treatment options include whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), surgery, and chemotherapy. Multidisciplinary approaches such as the combination of WBRT with SRS or surgery have shown superior results in terms of survival time, neurocognitive function, and quality of life. The utility and optimal use of chemotherapy and radiosensitizing agents is less clear. It is hoped that further advances and multidisciplinary approaches currently under study will resu......
POSTED 06/29/2009 at 10:32 AM --
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