Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Lancet Oncol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Oncology, Phase 1 Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: Tisotumab vedotin is a first-in-human antibody-drug conjugate directed against tissue factor, which is expressed across multiple solid tumour types and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. We aimed to establish the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic profile, and antitumour activity of tisotumab vedotin in a mixed population of patients with locally advanced or metastatic (or both) solid tumours known to express tissue factor.

Methods: InnovaTV 201 is a phase 1-2, open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study done at 21 centres in the USA and Europe. Read More

J Pathol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

RECAMO, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.

In this Annual Review Issue of The Journal of Pathology, we present 15 invited reviews on topical aspects of pathology, ranging from the impacts of the microbiome in human disease through mechanisms of cell death and autophagy to recent advances in immunity and the uses of genomics for understanding, classifying and treating human cancers. Each of the reviews is authored by experts in their fields and our intention is to provide comprehensive updates in specific areas of pathology in which there has been considerable recent progress. Read More

Urol Oncol 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Urology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.

Background: Bladder cancer is the ninth most common noncutaneous malignancy worldwide, though a fraction (2%-5%) are diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the Western world. Current understanding is based on small, single-institution studies and SEER-database reviews with conflicting results. We used the National Cancer Database to explore clinical characteristics and outcomes from a large cohort of invasive bladder SCC. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jan 18;12(1). Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.

Urothelial carcinoma with villoglandular differentiation (UCVGD) is a rare aggressive variant of urothelial carcinoma. It is usually associated with high-grade urothelial carcinoma or rarely adenocarcinoma. There is only one other previous report of UCVGD associated with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of urinary bladder. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

The School and Hospital of Stomatology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as an initial factor and promoter in different tumors as a kind of ncRNAs. The length of them is >200 nucleotides opposite small ncRNAs. Increasing researches have proved that dysregulation lncRNA has been implicated in tumorigenesis. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2018 16;2018:4678362. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is grappling with the largest mass poisoning of a population in the world due to contamination of drinking water with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. It is estimated that 75 million people of 59 (out of 64) districts are at risk of drinking contaminated water with arsenic above 50g/L. Long term exposure to arsenic causes cancers, including skin, lung, and bladder. Read More

Cancer Manag Res 2019 28;11:309-316. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Philipps University Hospital, Department of Urology, Marburg, Germany,

Background: Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC), also called transitional cell cancer, occurs significantly more often in males than in females. Essential for the prognosis of recovery is depth of infiltration (muscle-invasive or non-muscle invasive) and tumor-differentiation at initial diagnosis. The current study aimed to explore sex-related differences after initial diagnosis of UCC in Germany. Read More

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2019 Mar 8;49(2):311-323. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Piper Memorial Veterinary Center, 730 Randolph Road, Middletown, CT 06457, USA.

Primary renal tumors are an uncommon diagnosis in small animals. Presentation, treatment, and prognosis depend on tumor type. Surgery with or without chemotherapy are the mainstays of treatment. Read More

Gynecol Oncol Rep 2019 Feb 12;27:38-41. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon.

A 43-year-old woman treated with radical hysterectomy 1 year ago for cervical cancer presented with a suprapubic abdominal mass. A 15 cm necrotic mass from the abdominal wall along with 2 small bowel loops and the dome of the bladder were resected. The peritoneal defect was reconstructed with a pedicled anterolateral thigh and Vastus Lateralis muscle composite flap. Read More

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2019 Mar 24;49(2):247-260. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Department of Pathology and Population Medicine, Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine, 5715 West Utopia Road, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.

Cytologic evaluation of the urinary tract can be diagnostically rewarding in cases of renomegaly or when discrete kidney or bladder masses are identified. Cytology can often help to distinguish between cystic, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders. Various types of cystic and benign urinary tract lesions, diseases associated with urinary tract inflammation, and the cytologic differences between primary and metastatic neoplasms of the kidney and bladder are described. Read More

Ochsner J 2018 ;18(4):370-376

Division of Bone Marrow Transplant and Benign Hematology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Background: Checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the treatment of cancer in adults. This class of drugs has demonstrated encouraging results in various malignancies such as metastatic melanoma, bladder cancer, renal cancer, and non-small cell lung carcinoma. However, researchers have only begun investigating the effectiveness and tolerability of checkpoint inhibitors in pediatric patients. Read More

Can Urol Assoc J 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.

Introduction: Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SmCC) is a rare and aggressive genitourinary malignancy. The paucity of clinical trials and outcome data provide no standard treatment guidelines. Accordingly, patient prognosis is poor. Read More

Int Braz J Urol 2018 Oct 30;44. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Purpose: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in patients with small cell bladder cancer at our institution, including those who received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) for the prevention of intracranial recurrence.

Materials And Methods: Patients with small cell bladder cancer treated at a single institution between January 1990 and August 2015 were identified and analyzed retrospectively for demographics, tumor stage, treatment, and overall survival.

Results: Of 44 patients diagnosed with small cell bladder cancer, 11 (25%) had metastatic disease at the time of presentation. Read More

Neoplasma 2019 Jan 4;66(1):160-165. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Division of Radiation Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.

This paper presents a retrospective report on radiotherapy (RT) in the oligometastastic recurrence of bladder cancer. Thirteen patients treated for low-volume metastatic transitional cell urinary bladder carcinoma (TCC) were reviewed, with the primary endpoint to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RT, proposed as an alternative to systemic treatment and/or to defer commencement of systemic therapy. The inclusion criteria were: patients who received RT without other local/systemic therapy for oligometastatic TCC with lymph node, bone and lung lesions or local recurrence. Read More

Surg J (N Y) 2018 Oct 18;4(4):e201-e204. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Department of Urology, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta.

Although fistulae between the urinary bladder and the gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon, those caused by carcinoma of the urinary bladder are rare. This report describes the case of an 85 years old male who was diagnosed with a mass involving the small bowel and the urinary bladder during the course of investigation for recurrent urinary tract infections. At laparotomy, the presence of an enterovesical fistula involving the ileum and bladder was confirmed. Read More

Case Rep Urol 2018 24;2018:3069294. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is highly aggressive and portends a poor outcome. Herein, we report a patient with recurrent SCC of the urinary bladder who experienced an unusually long-term disease-free duration after radical cystectomy. The patient was a 60-year-old woman who had undergone transurethral resection followed by radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (high-grade urothelial carcinoma with adenocarcinomatous differentiation) 6 years prior; the surgical specimen had a negative surgical margin. Read More

Surg Pathol Clin 2018 Dec 17;11(4):713-723. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Department of Medicine, Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.

Urothelial carcinoma is a morphologically and genomically heterogeneous disease that exhibits a wide spectrum of morphologic features and molecular alterations and subtypes. Classic urothelial carcinoma (not otherwise specified) is the most common tumor type that develops in the urinary bladder but many, well-documented, variant histologies are commonly encountered in approximately one-third of invasive urothelial carcinoma, including squamous, glandular, micropapillary, sarcomatoid, small cell/neuroendocrine, clear cell, lymphoepithelioma-like, and plasmacytoid types, among others. In this review, we provide an update on the molecular advances in urothelial carcinoma and some of its variant histologies. Read More

Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther 2018 Nov 6. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 119435, 10c8 Pogodinskaya St., Moscow, Russia.

Photophysical and in vitro photocytotoxicity studies were performed for the photosensitizer Dimegine, a disodium salt 2.4-di(alpha-methoxyethyl)-deuteroporphyrin-IX with very low systemic toxicity. The singlet oxygen and luminescence quantum yield were Φ = 0,65 ± 0,06, and Φ=0,11 ± 0,01 respectively, and were independent of the excitation wavelength. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2018 Oct 26. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

H-Ras oncogene plays a critical role in the transformation of normal cells to a malignant phenotype through constitutive activation of the GTP bound protein leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation in several human cancers. Thus, H-Ras oncoprotein serves as an excellent target for anticancer drug discovery. To identify novel H-Ras inhibitors, we performed structure-based virtual screening of the Maybridge HitFinderâ„¢ library using Schrodinger suite. Read More

Cancer Manag Res 2018 11;10:4479-4489. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Department of Urology, Subei People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province (Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University), Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China,

Background: Bladder neuroendocrine carcinomas (BNECs) are relatively a rare type of tumor. The aim of this study was to examine the clinicopathological characteristics and predictors of survival outcomes of patients with BNECs based on the analysis of the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Materials And Methods: Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used for survival comparisons. Read More

Urologe A 2018 Nov;57(11):1334-1341

Abteilung für Urologie und Andrologie, Ordensklinikum, Barmherzige Schwestern, Linz, Österreich.

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is difficult to treat in advanced and metastatic stages. Several factors play a role: age, multimorbidity including impaired renal function and neuropathy make access to life-prolonging chemotherapy impossible in many cases. Improvements of response rates and overall survival in the second-line setting are not much different compared to best supportive care. Read More

Clin Chim Acta 2018 Dec 2;487:197-201. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250062, China. Electronic address:

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide with a high risk of incidence and mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to participate in various biological processes, including tumorigenesis and progression. The HOXD-AS1 (also known as HAGLR and Mdgt) gene is located between the HOXD1 and HOXD3 genes in the HOXD cluster and has been reported to play a critical role in the development and progression of cancers. Read More

Oncol Rep 2018 Dec 21;40(6):3543-3550. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)‑β1 is highly expressed in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and is positively associated with tumor grade. TGF‑β1 signaling promotes cell metastasis by inducing epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT), however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Our previous study demonstrated the anti‑metastatic effects of silibinin, a natural flavonoid derived from milk thistle, against TCC. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2018 Sep 21;10(10). Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara 634-8521, Japan.

The nucleus accumbens-associated protein 1 (NACC1) is a transcription factor constitutively expressed in the urothelium, where it regulates cell growth, senescence, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. microRNA (miRNA) constitutes a class of small non-coding RNAs which are involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and progression of tumors. miRNAs and their target molecules are utilized for molecular diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma. Read More

Histopathology 2019 Feb 5;74(3):504-513. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Pathology, Michigan Medicine/University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Aim: Primary cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma, or Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), cannot be distinguished morphologically from small-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (SmCC) from other sites. Immunohistochemistry is required to confirm cutaneous origin, and is also used for detection of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases of MCC. Cytokeratin 20 (CK20) expression is commonly used for these purposes, but is negative in some MCC cases, and has unclear specificity. Read More

Mol Med Rep 2018 Nov 6;18(5):4760-4766. Epub 2018 Sep 6.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, P.R. China.

A previous study indicated that LIM domain containing 2 (LIMD2) is an oncogene in a variety of human cancers, including breast, bladder and thyroid cancers, and melanoma; however, the role of LIMD2 in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) analysis, it was demonstrated that LIMD2 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Consistently, LIMD2 was also upregulated in NSCLC cell lines. Read More

Transl Oncol 2018 Dec 11;11(6):1379-1389. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Cancer Biology Laboratory, DBT-AIST International Laboratory for Advanced Biomedicine (DAILAB), Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam-781039, India. Electronic address:

Sorcin (Soluble resistance related calcium binding protein) is a small soluble penta EF family (PEF) of calcium (Ca) binding protein (22,000 Da). It has been reported to play crucial roles in the regulation of calcium homeostasis, apoptosis, vesicle trafficking, cancer development, and multidrug resistance (MDR). Overexpression of sorcin has been reported to be associated with different cancers such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. Read More

Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove) 2018;61(2):57-59

Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba.

Radiotherapy with systemic corticosteroid therapy has been used to treat intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM), but recovery of function and long-term survival of these patients has been rarely observed. We report herein a small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patient with recurrent thoracic ISCM, who was successfully treated with radiotherapy and systemic corticosteroid therapy. A 70-year-old man, who was diagnosed as having SCLC seven months previously, developed thoracic ISCM. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2018 Oct 16;173:194-195. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

Hospital Ruber Internacional, Department of Neurology, La Masó Street, 38, CP 28034, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

The stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological disorder, difficult to diagnose and to treat. Paraneoplastic patients usually present amphiphysin antibodies but the association with anti-Ri antibodies is less known. We present a case report of paraneoplastic SPS, small cell carcinoma of the bladder and anti-Ri antibodies. Read More

Mol Clin Oncol 2018 Sep 19;9(3):335-338. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

Department of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, P.R. China.

Primary small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) of the urinary bladder is a rare tumor characterized by poor differentiation and high aggressiveness. Only ~150 cases have been reported in the literature to date. We herein present a case of an 87-year-old man who presented with hematuria and was found to have an ill-defined mass in the urinary bladder on computed tomography and cystoscopic examination. Read More

J Gastrointest Oncol 2018 Aug;9(4):610-617

The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, Los Angeles, USA.

Background: The clinical application of targeting checkpoint inhibitors in colorectal cancer (CRC) has largely focused on a subset of microsatellite instable (MSI-high) patients. However, the proposed genotype that sensitizes these patients to immunotherapy is not captured by MSI status alone. Estimation of tumor mutational burden (TMB) from comprehensive genomic profiling is validated against whole exome sequencing and linked to checkpoint response in metastatic melanoma, urothelial bladder cancer and non-small cell lung carcinoma. Read More

PLoS One 2018 24;13(8):e0200906. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Urology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: Urine poses an attractive non-invasive means for obtaining liquid biopsies for oncological diagnostics. Especially molecular analysis on urinary DNA is a rapid growing field. However, optimal and practical storage conditions that result in preservation of urinary DNA, and in particular hypermethylated DNA (hmDNA), are yet to be determined. Read More

Urol Oncol 2018 10 20;36(10):472.e1-472.e9. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: In nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer patients, prediction of pTa and pT1 bladder cancer recurrence and progression must be established. Micropapillary structures have been defined as small clusters of invasive cancer cells having features of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Since the stromal microenvironment helps to induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, interactions between cancer cells and stroma should be closely examined to predict the tumorigenic phenotype of human bladder cancer cells. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2018 Dec 21;44(12):2186-2189. Epub 2018 Aug 21.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.

A 52-year-old woman presented to our hospital complaining of genital bleeding and was found to have a 50-mm vaginal tumor that involved the bladder, rectum, and small bowel and extended to the left pelvic side wall. Her history included a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and a total abdominal hysterectomy for fibroids and endometriosis. She had been prescribed estrogen replacement therapy (1. Read More

Curr Oncol Rep 2018 Aug 20;20(10):77. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute and Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Marburg 149, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Recent whole genome characterizations of primary human bladder cancers revealed that they can be grouped into "intrinsic" basal and luminal molecular subtypes. Here, we provide an overview of the subtypes and discuss their biological and clinical properties.

Recent Findings: Basal cancers are characterized by advanced stage and metastatic disease at presentation. Read More

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2018 Aug 18;18(10):70. Epub 2018 Aug 18.

Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, S73, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.

Purpose Of The Review: Brain metastasis is a common complication of advanced malignancies, especially, lung cancer, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Traditionally surgery, when indicated, and radiation therapy, either as whole-brain radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery, constituted the major treatment options for brain metastases. Until recently, most of the systemic chemotherapy agents had limited activity for brain metastases. Read More

Bladder Cancer 2018 Jul 30;4(3):311-317. Epub 2018 Jul 30.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Purpose: To determine whether total radiation dose affects survival outcomes for patients with small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB).

Methods: We queried the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for patients with limited stage SCCB undergoing multimodality treatment and retrospectively analyzed survival outcomes according to total radiation dose received.

Results: Patients aged 41-79 receiving a total radiation dose of 54 Gy or greater had a significant improvement in overall survival compared to those receiving less than 54 Gy, with a median overall survival of 58. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2018 Aug 12;16(2):1499-1504. Epub 2018 Jun 12.

Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guandong 510630, P.R. China.

MicroRNA (miR)-202 has been reported to be involved in the regulation of human cancer progression including bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, the function of miR-202 in prostate cancer remains largely unknown. The present study demonstrated that miR-202 was downregulated in human prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Read More

World J Urol 2019 Jan 1;37(1):107-114. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

Department of Urologic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Purpose: To provide a comprehensive update of the joint consultation of the International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD) for the diagnosis and management of non-urothelial cancer of the urinary bladder.

Methods: A detailed analysis of the literature was conducted reporting on the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of non-urothelial cancer of the urinary bladder. An international, multidisciplinary expert committee evaluated and graded the evidence according to the Oxford System of Evidence-based Medicine modified by the ICUD. Read More

J Endourol Case Rep 2018 1;4(1):114-116. Epub 2018 Jul 1.

Department of Urology, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, Michigan.

Acquired von Willebrand disease (AvWD) is a rare and often underdiagnosed disease that typically is associated with lymphoproliferative, cardiovascular disease, and myeloproliferative disease. It is challenging to diagnose as it requires a hemostatic challenge to present itself. This is a 46-year-old male with a history of multiple sclerosis complicated by neurogenic bladder who presented with intermittent gross painless hematuria. Read More

J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2018 Oct 30;144(10):2059-2066. Epub 2018 Jul 30.

Outpatient Cancer Treatment Clinic Esslingen, Esslingen, Germany.

Background: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a prior or synchronous second malignancy are generally excluded from clinical trials. Therefore, little is known on prevalence and prognosis of these patients.

Methods: 1252 patients diagnosed with NSCLC in our center from 2006 to 2017 were studied. Read More

Cancer Radiother 2018 Sep 23;22(5):417-422. Epub 2018 Jul 23.

Centre Mohammed-VI pour le traitement des cancers, CHU Ibn-Rochd, quartier des hôpitaux, 20360 Casablanca, Maroc.

Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare and aggressive tumour, accounting for less than 1% of all bladder tumours. Given its rarity and the absence of randomized trials, the therapeutic management of these tumours remains difficult. By analogy with small cell lung cancer, multimodal treatment is often proposed. Read More

Cell Physiol Biochem 2018 20;48(2):815-826. Epub 2018 Jul 20.

Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Background/aims: microRNA (miR)-374a plays a crucial role in cancer progression by promoting the metastasis and proliferation of various types of malignant tumors. Because its role in bladder cancer is unknown, we investigated whether miR-374a affects the progression of bladder cancer and studied the underlying mechanism.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas was used to analyze the clinical relevance of miR-374a. Read More

Australas J Dermatol 2018 Jul 10. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Kingsway Dermatology, Miranda, New South Wales, Australia.

Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of cancer, which may be due to impaired immune surveillance, immune modulatory treatments, chronic inflammation and/or co-risk factors such as obesity. The increase in treatment-independent solid cancers, including urinary/bladder cancers, oropharynx/larynx, liver/gallbladder and colon/rectal cancers, seem to be linked to alcohol and smoking. Lung cancer and nonmelanoma skin cancer are also increased in patients with psoriasis. Read More

Cancer Immunol Immunother 2018 Sep 5;67(9):1331-1348. Epub 2018 Jul 5.

Department of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Checkpoint inhibitors, such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies have changed profoundly the treatment of melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, and bladder cancer. Currently, they are tested in various tumor entities as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapies or targeted therapies. However, only a subgroup of patients benefit from checkpoint blockade (combinations). Read More

Curr Oncol 2018 06 28;25(3):e209-e216. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are demonstrating promising efficacy and appear to be well tolerated in a number of tumour types. In non-small-cell lung cancer, head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma, and urothelial carcinoma, outcomes appear particularly favourable in patients with high PD-L1 expression. However, assays for PD-L1 have been developed for individual agents, and they use different antibody clones, immunohistochemistry staining protocols, scoring algorithms, and cut-offs. Read More

Drug Des Devel Ther 2018 13;12:1727-1742. Epub 2018 Jun 13.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.

Purpose: Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (RTKIs) are used as targeted therapies for patients diagnosed with cancer with highly expressed receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and c-Kit receptor. Resistance to targeted therapies is partially due to the activation of alternative pro-survival signaling pathways, including cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. In this study, we validated the effects of two RTKIs, axitinib and AB1010, in combination with COX inhibitors on the V-akt murine thymoma oncogene homolog 1 (Akt) and COX-2 signaling pathways in bladder cancer cells. Read More

Oncol Lett 2018 Jun 25;15(6):9929-9933. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan.

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), which possess the ability to self-renewal and are multipotent, are regarded as the cause of tumor formation, recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance. It is necessary to understand the properties of CSCs in order to treat them effectively. It has been previously reported that S100 family proteins, which carry calcium-binding EF-hand motifs and are associated with tumorigenic processes, serve crucial roles in maintaining cancer stem-like properties. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2018 Sep 5;105:461-469. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

Department of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, PR China; The Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Institute of Urology of Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, PR China. Electronic address:

Background: Bladder cancer, the ninth-most-common malignancy worldwide with an estimated 356,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually, has a propensity to relapse, requiring lifelong monitoring after diagnosis. 75% patients diagnosed with BC are non-muscle invasive BC and over 50% of them experience recurrences within 6-12 years of initial diagnosis. miRNA are small, noncoding RNA and shown to be oncogenes or anti-oncogenes in bladder cancer, contributing to numerous BC cell processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. Read More

Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2018 08 7;18(8):719-722. Epub 2018 Jun 7.

b Genitourinary Malignancies Branch , National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA.