Experiences of rural women with breast cancer receiving social support via audioconferencing.

We examined the process of social support for breast cancer survivors in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. The subjects were 11 participants in a social support programme that made use of audioconferencing. The core social psychological process by which women received social support consisted of four distinct but overlapping stages: getting connected to the network; finding a voice; connecting with others; and becoming empowered. The findings suggested that support groups facilitated via audioconferencing can transcend geographical distance and permit women living in rural areas to share experiences with each other and to learn from and teach each other. The use of telephone and audioconferencing technologies should be encouraged for the provision of information and support to people in rural settings, where such services may be especially beneficial.

Circulating glucagon-like peptide-1 increases in response to short-term overfeeding in men.

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone secreted from the gastrointestinal tract that facilitates the glucose-dependent insulin response. Additionally, GLP-1 is thought to be involved in energy homeostasis. Currently little is known about GLP-1's responsiveness to an energy surplus, a fundamental cause of obesity and diabetes. Our objective was to examine the response of serum GLP-1 to short-term (7 day) overfeeding in young men. METHODS: Seventy-two young men from the Canadian province of Newfoundland were recruited for the study. For 7-days, the subjects consumed 70% more calories than required at baseline.Various measurements including: anthropometrics, body composition, markers of glucose/lipid metabolism and serum total GLP-1, were taken at a fasted state before (day 1) and after (day 8) the challenge. Paired t-test analyses were used to assess the change in variables after the overfeeding period. Additionally, the relationship between serum GLP-1 and the measured variables at baseline and change due to overfeeding were analyzed. RESULTS: Serum GLP-1 was significantly increased in all groups in response to the 7-day energy surplus, indicating the increase was independent of adiposity status. There was no significant difference in fasting GLP-1 at baseline between the normal weight and overweight/obese groups. At baseline, GLP-1 concentration negatively correlated with HDL-cholesterol and positively correlated with triacylglycerols and markers of insulin resistance in the overweight/obese group. Also GLP-1 was negatively correlated with change in percent gynoid fat in the overweight/obese subjects. Percent change in GLP-1 was negatively associated with percent change in gynoid fat in the normal weight group and positively associated with percent change in cholesterol in the overweight/obese group. Percentage change of circulating triacylglycerols was positively associated with percent change in GLP-1 in both adiposity groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that GLP-1 serum concentration is not a significant factor in determining obesity status. The increase of GLP-1 in all subjects regardless of obesity status, suggest GLP-1 serves as a protective role, counteracting energy surplus.

Increasing public and provider knowledge of lymphedema: evaluation of the lymphedema roadshow.

BACKGROUND: In this pilot study, we evaluated the Lymphedema Roadshow's capacity to increase public and provider awareness of postcancer lymphedema. METHODS: Participants completed preworkshop and postworkshop surveys to determine if the intervention changed their attitudes and knowledge of postcancer lymphedema. RESULTS: The workshop significantly increased 6 of 8 knowledge scores and 2 of 6 attitude scores among public participants and 7 of 8 knowledge scores and 5 of 6 attitude scores among health care providers. CONCLUSIONS: The Lymphedema Roadshow identified and addressed the public's and health care providers' need for greater awareness of postcancer lymphedema.

A new platinum complex of triazine demonstrates G1 arrest with novel biological profile in human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468.

A novel class of platinum(II) complexes of pyridine sulfide derivatives of triazine was synthesized, characterized, and investigated using the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468. S-30 was one of the most potent derivatives of its class (IC(50), 0.39 microM) eliciting the greatest biological response. S-30 induced arrest in the G1 phase and apoptosis (TUNEL assay) in a p53/p21(WAF1/CIP1)-consistent manner. Modeling and docking experiments were performed for three known targets for cisplatin, d(GpG), d(ApG), and a protein (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, SOD) from bovine origin. A Blast search of bovine SOD was performed to identify analogous human protein targets resulting in about 22 human proteins. A multi-sequence alignment of those targets showed >80% sequence identity and >88% similarity. One of them is SOD1 that is differentially expressed (based on global gene expression pattern) in various forms of cancer and other diseases. SOD1 controls apoptosis via p53/BAD/BAX/BCL2 in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathway and is also involved in various other KEGG's pathways. Results suggest that the S-30 is a potential cytotoxic agent.

Prostate cancer screening attitudes and continuing education needs of primary care physicians.

BACKGROUND: In May 2003, a survey questionnaire was distributed to all licensed primary care physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador. The objective was to examine the attitudes, self-reported practices, and continuing medical education (CME) preferences of primary care physicians as they pertain to prostate cancer screening. METHODS: Data was obtained from 485 primary care physicians using self-reports of prostate cancer screening practices, attitudes towards prostate cancer screening, and CME preferences. Respondents' characteristics were also collected (eg, gender, years of experience). RESULTS: A majority of respondents screen asymptomatic male patients for prostate cancer. Screening behaviour was related to high volume practice settings, fee-for-service and increased with patient age. Most common reasons for screening were family history, age of patient, and patient request. Majority of physicians agreed that prostate screening should be routinely performed on all men beginning at age 50, however half of physicians believe there is lack of evidence to support digital rectal examination (DRE) and one-third of physicians do not believe the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nor DRE are accurate screening tests. Areas of greatest interest for CME included topics related to prostate cancer screening effectiveness, strategies for prevention, sexual dysfunction, available treatments and their side effects, and management options. CONCLUSION: Physicians are supportive of the value of screening, however the reliability of and evidence to support DRE and PSA as prostate cancer screening tests are in question. CME which addresses issues surrounding prostate screening and areas related to patient education and counselling are of greatest need.

Identification of myo-inositol 1,2-cyclic monophosphate by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, a major constituent of EGF-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in MDA 468 cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) caused an increase in phosphoinositide (PI) turnover in MDA 468 cells. This EGF-stimulated effect was inhibited by the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin A (LA). MDA 468 cells generated an atypical PI turnover profile. Examination and quantitation of the PI metabolite profile showed that even control cells produced a metabolite which was acid-labile and which formed about 60% of the total PI metabolites. By using the technique of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, we were able to confirm the identity of this acid-labile metabolite through the specific fragmentation as compared with the standard. The precursor molecule fragmented into two distinct productions with molar masses identical to that of the standard myo-inositol 1,2-cyclic monophosphate (cInsP). Changes in the PI turnover profile could be accounted for by the alterations in myo-inositol 1,2-cyclic monophosphate generated in these cells. We thus conclude that, by some as-yet-unidentified mechanism, cyclic inositol monophosphate forms a major constituent of EGF-stimulated PI turnover in MDA 468 cells.