Perceived social support mediates cancer and living meaningfully intervention effects on quality of life after breast cancer surgery.

Aim: To explore the role of perceived social support in enhancing psychological resilience and quality of life in postoperative breast cancer patients. Materials & methods: The Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) intervention was used to improve indicators such as psychological resilience in breast cancer patients, while the role of perceived social support in this was assessed. Results: The intervention group exhibited significant improvements compared with the control group in psychological resilience (F = 9.059, p < 0.01). The analysis showed that increased social support in the control group partly mediated the link between psychological resilience and quality of life. Conclusion: CALM improves overall well-being, indicating that incorporating it into standard care for post-mastectomy patients can positively impact their mental health.

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Genetically evaluating the causal role of peripheral immune cells in colorectal cancer: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Investigating novel therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC) is imperative. However, there is limited research on the use of drugs to target peripheral blood immune cells in this context. To address this gap, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to identify potential therapeutic targets for CRC. METHODS: We applied two-sample MR to identify the causal relationship between peripheral blood immune cells and CRC. GWAS data were obtained from the IEU OPEN GWAS project. Based on the implications from the MR results, we conducted a comprehensive database search and genetic analysis to explore potential underlying mechanisms. We predicted miRNAs for each gene and employed extensive research for potential therapeutic applications. RESULTS: We have identified causal associations between two peripheral immune cells and colorectal cancer. Activated & resting Treg %CD4 + cell was positively associated with the risks of CRC, while DN (CD4-CD8-) %leukocyte cell exhibited a protective role in tumor progression. NEK7 (NIMA related kinase 7) and LHX9 (LIM homeobox 9) expressed in Treg cells were positively associated with CRC risks and may play a vital role in carcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified causal relationship between peripheral immune cell and CRC. Treg and DN T cells were implicated to own promoting and inhibiting effects on CRC progression respectively. NEK7 and LHX9 in Treg cells were identified as potential biotarget for antitumor therapies.

Prioritization of therapeutic targets for cancers using integrative multi-omics analysis.

BACKGROUND: The integration of transcriptomic, proteomic, druggable genetic and metabolomic association studies facilitated a comprehensive investigation of molecular features and shared pathways for cancers' development and progression. METHODS: Comprehensive approaches consisting of transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), proteome-wide association studies (PWAS), summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and MR were performed to identify genes significantly associated with cancers. The results identified in above analyzes were subsequently involved in phenotype scanning and enrichment analyzes to explore the possible health effects and shared pathways. Additionally, we also conducted MR analysis   to investigate metabolic pathways related to cancers. RESULTS: Totally 24 genes (18 transcriptomic, 1 proteomic and 5 druggable genetic) showed significant associations with cancers risk. All genes identified in multiple methods were mainly enriched in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway. Additionally, biosynthesis of ubiquinol and urate were found to play an important role in gastrointestinal tumors. CONCLUSIONS: A set of putatively causal genes and pathways relevant to cancers were identified in this study, shedding light on the shared biological processes for tumorigenesis and providing compelling genetic evidence to prioritize anti-cancer drugs development.

Effects of the CALM intervention on resilience in Chinese patients with early breast cancer: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: Resilience is an important regulating factor for anxiety and depression in breast cancer. The Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) intervention has been confirmed to improve anxiety and depression in patients, but the role of resilience is still unclear. This study explores this issue. METHODS: In this study, a cohort of 124 patients diagnosed with breast cancer was recruited and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (IG) or the control group (CG). In addition, we enrolled a group of cancer-free women (regular control group) and assessed their resilience. All patients were evaluated using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at different time points. The primary outcomes were resilience, quality of life, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the scores of the IG and CG groups. The relationship between resilience and quality of life was analyzed using Pearson's correlation test. The paired-sample t-test was used to compare the changes in each score at different time points. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significant differences in resilience, adamancy, optimism, tenacity, anxiety, depression, perceived stress and QOL scores before and after 6, 12, and 24 weeks (F = 17.411, F = 226.55, F = 29.096, F = 50.67, F = 82.662, F = 105.39, F = 62.66, F = 72.43, F = 34.561, respectively; P < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in resilience and quality of life (t = -11.517, p < 0.001; t = - 4.929, p < 0.001), as well as a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress scores (t = 5.891, p < 0.001; t = 2.654, p < 0.001; t = 4.932, p < 0.001). In the intervention group, a significant positive correlation was observed between resilience in breast cancer survivors and quality of life (QOL) scores. (before CALM treatment: r = 0.3204, P = 0.0111; after 6 weeks: r = 0.3619, P = 0.0038; after 12 weeks: r = 0.3355, P = 0.0077; after 24 weeks: r = 0.2801, P = 0.0274). CONCLUSIONS: A positive impact of the CALM intervention can be seen in improved resilience and reduced anxiety and depression, supporting its use as an effective psychological management tool and intervention strategy in the early stages of long-term breast cancer recovery.

The role of the oxytocin system in the resilience of patients with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a grave traumatic experience that can profoundly compromise patients' psychological resilience, impacting their overall quality of life. The oxytocin system represents one of the essential neurobiological bases of psychological resilience and plays a critical role in regulating resilience in response to social or traumatic events during adulthood. Oxytocin, through its direct interaction with peripheral or central oxytocin receptors, has been found to have a significant impact on regulating social behavior. However, the precise mechanism by which the activation of peripheral oxytocin receptors leads to improved social is still not completely comprehended and requires additional research. Its activation can modulate psychological resilience by influencing estrogen and its receptors, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thyroid function, 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism levels, and arginine pressure release in breast cancer patients. Various interventions, including psychotherapy and behavioral measures, have been employed to improve the psychological resilience of breast cancer patients. The potential effectiveness of such interventions may be underpinned by their ability to modulate oxytocin release levels. This review provides an overview of the oxytocin system and resilience in breast cancer patients and identifies possible future research directions and interventions.

Manganese regulation of COPII condensation controls circulating lipid homeostasis.

Precise control of circulating lipids is instrumental in health and disease. Bulk lipids, carried by specialized lipoproteins, are secreted into the circulation, initially via the coat protein complex II (COPII). How the universal COPII machinery accommodates the abundant yet unconventional lipoproteins remains unclear, let alone its therapeutic translation. Here we report that COPII uses manganese-tuning, self-constrained condensation to selectively drive lipoprotein delivery and set lipid homeostasis in vivo. Serendipitously, adenovirus hijacks the condensation-based transport mechanism, thus enabling the identification of cytosolic manganese as an unexpected control signal. Manganese directly binds the inner COPII coat and enhances its condensation, thereby shifting the assembly-versus-dynamics balance of the transport machinery. Manganese can be mobilized from mitochondria stores to signal COPII, and selectively controls lipoprotein secretion with a distinctive, bell-shaped function. Consequently, dietary titration of manganese enables tailored lipid management that counters pathological dyslipidaemia and atherosclerosis, implicating a condensation-targeting strategy with broad therapeutic potential for cardio-metabolic health.

Music therapy, quality of life and efficacy of immunotherapy for NSCLC.

OBJECTIVE: Our study examines how non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors undergoing immunotherapy can experience reduced anxiety and psychological distress, improved quality of life (QOL) and increased immunotherapy efficacy. METHODS: 133 men and 20 women with NSCLCs were enrolled. In a randomised controlled trial involving a care as usual group (CG) and a music therapy group (MTG), the researchers employed various tools such as the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Symptom Distress Thermometer, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General version 4 and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours. These measures were used to evaluate anxiety, psychological distress, QOL and immunotherapy efficacy in patients undergoing immunotherapy before and after patients' completion. RESULTS: After the intervention, patients in the MTG demonstrated a noteworthy reduction in anxiety (t=6.272, p≤0.001) and distress (t=10.111, p≤0.001), as well as an increase in QOL (t=-7.649, p≤0.001). Moreover, compared with patients in the CG, those in the MTG demonstrated a remarkable drop in anxiety (t=-4.72, p≤0.001) and distress (t=-7.29, p≤0.001), a significant increase in QOL (t=5.363, p≤0.001) and a significant improvement in immunotherapy efficacy (z=-2.18, p≤0.05) after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The use of individual music therapy sessions appears to be effective in reducing anxiety and distress, while also increasing QOL and immunotherapy efficacy in patients with NSCLCs undergoing immunotherapy.

A Predictive Model for the Early Death of Breast Cancer With Synchronous Liver Metastases: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is a severe condition often resulting in early death. The identification of prognostic factors and the construction of accurate predictive models can guide clinical decision-making. METHODS: A large sample of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was analyzed, including 3711 patients diagnosed with de novo BCLM between 2010 and 2015. Predictive models were developed using histograms, and stepwise regression addressed variable collinearity. Internal validation was performed, and results were compared to similar studies. RESULTS: In this study of 3711 BCLM patients, 2571 didn't have early death. Out of the 1164 who died early, 1086 had cancer-specific early death. Prognostic factors for early death, including age, race, tumor size, and lymph node involvement, were identified. A nomogram based on these factors was constructed, accurately predicting early all-cause and cancer-specific death. CONCLUSIONS: Valuable insights into the prognosis of BCLM patients were provided, and important prognostic factors for early death were identified. The developed nomogram can assist clinicians in identifying high-risk patients for early death and inform treatment decisions.

Advances in the study of the molecular biological mechanisms of radiation-induced brain injury.

Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used treatments for head and neck cancers, but it often leads to radiation-induced brain injury. Patients with radiation-induced brain injury have a poorer quality of life, and no effective treatments are available. The pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. This review summarizes the molecular biological mechanism of radiation-induced brain injury and provides research directions for future studies. The molecular mechanisms of radiation-induced brain injury are diverse and complex. Radiation-induced chronic neuroinflammation, destruction of the blood-brain barrier, oxidative stress, neuronal damage, and physiopathological responses caused by specific exosome secretion lead to radiation-induced brain injury.

Effects of CALM intervention on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), fear of cancer recurrence and quality of life in patients with lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and practicability of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) as a psychological intervention to reduce neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), fear of cancer recurrence, general distress, and improve quality of life in lung cancer survivors. METHODS: Eighty lung cancer patients with FCRI severity subscale (≥13 points) were recruited and randomly assigned to CALM or usual care (UC). NLR was recorded before and after treatment. The Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI), Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to evaluate patients at baseline (T0), immediately after treatment (T1), and at 2 (T2) and 4 (T3) months. RESULTS: Compared with UC, NLR was significantly different before and after CALM intervention (z=-5.498; P=0.000). There were significant differences in the scores of QLQ, FCR and general distress before and after the T1, T2 and T3 interventions (F=220.30, F=315.20, F=290.10, respectively; P<0.001). NLR was negatively correlated with QOL both before (r=-0.763; P<0.0001) and after the intervention (r=-0.810, P<0.0001). FCR and general distress were negatively correlated with QOL in CALM (T0: r=-0.726, r=-0.776, respectively; P<0.0001; T1: r=-0.664, r=-0.647, respectively; P<0.0001; T2: r=-0.678, r=-0.695, respectively; P<0.0001; T3: r=-0.511, P = 0.0008; r=-0.650, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: CALM intervention can effectively reduce the NLR, alleviate the recurrence fear and general distress and improve the quality of life in patients. This study suggests that CALM may be an effective psychological intervention for reducing symptoms associated with lung cancer survivors.

Effects of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully on Cancer-Related Fatigue and Cytokine Levels in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of managing cancer and living meaningfully (CALM), a psychological intervention with semi-structured interviews, on cancer-related fatigue (CRF), quality of life (QOL), and sleep quality in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, which may be accompanied by changes in cytokine levels. METHODS: A total of 152 GI cancer patients with CRF were enrolled in the study during treatment. Patients were randomly assigned to CALM or usual care (UC) groups. Patients in the CALM group received 12 weeks of CALM plus usual care, and patients in the UC group received usual care plus usual health education. All study participants were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks using the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale, while cytokine levels were measured. RESULTS: At 12 weeks, the differences in total CRF, QOL, sleep quality, IL-6, IL-4, and TNF-α levels were statistically significant not only in the CALM group compared to patients in the UC group (t = -7.902, t = 2.163, t = -2.187, t = 3.313, t = -4.120, t = -3.853, respectively; P < .05), but also in the CALM group compared to baseline (t = 11.331, t = -5.492, t = 5.450, t = -2.418, t = 2.186, t = 2.699, respectively; P < .05). Additionally, the total CRF at 12 weeks was correlated with IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α levels (r = -.30, r = .31, r = .32, respectively; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: CALM alleviated CRF and improved QOL and sleep quality in patients with GI cancer, and these improvements were accompanied by changes in IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α levels.

Bone Metastasis of Breast Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies.

Bone metastasis is a common complication of many types of advanced cancer, including breast cancer. Bone metastasis may cause severe pain, fractures, and hypercalcemia, rendering clinical management challenging and substantially reducing the quality of life and overall survival (OS) time of breast cancer patients. Studies have revealed that bone metastasis is related to interactions between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment, and involves complex molecular biological mechanisms, including colonization, osteolytic destruction, and an immunosuppressive bone microenvironment. Agents inhibiting bone metastasis (such as bisphosphate and denosumab) alleviate bone destruction and improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients with bone metastasis. However, the prognosis of these patients remains poor, and the specific biological mechanism of bone metastasis is incompletely understood. Additional basic and clinical studies are urgently needed, to further explore the mechanism of bone metastasis and develop new therapeutic drugs. This review presents a summary of the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of bone metastasis of breast cancer, aiming to improve the quality of life and prognosis of breast cancer patients and provide a reference for future research directions.

Sanitation of tomatoes based on a combined approach of washing process and pulsed light in conjunction with selected disinfectants.

In this study, we evaluated the performance of a large-scale decontamination system based on a washing process in combination with pulsed light (PL) exposure and H2O2/chlorine. In order to identify optimum processing condition, we first evaluated the effect of single and combined PL treatments on the inactivation of Salmonella on grape tomatoes using a small sample size of 50 g. Two inoculation methods, spot and dip, were used to simulate different contamination scenarios and two wash water quality, clear tap water and turbid tap water with extremely high levels of organic load and soil, were used to represent clean and very dirty wash water. In general, the combined PL-Chlorine and PL-H2O2 treatments were more or as effective as chlorine washing in killing Salmonella on grape tomatoes and were able to keep residual Salmonella in wash water below the detection limit of 2 CFU/mL. The PL alone and combined PL-H2O2 treatments were chosen and further tested for their decontamination efficacy under turbid wash water condition using large sample sizes, 300, 1000 and 2000 g. Sample size did not negatively affect the single and combined PL treatments on the inactivation of Salmonella on grape tomatoes. The combined PL-H2O2 treatment in general showed better inactivation effect of Salmonella on tomatoes than the PL alone treatment. Additionally, the combined PL-H2O2 treatment reduced Salmonella in turbid wash water below the detection limit of 2 CFU/mL in the majority of cases. In conclusion, the combined PL-H2O2 treatment could potentially be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine washing for tomato decontamination and cleaning.

Strategies to enhance fresh produce decontamination using combined treatments of ultraviolet, washing and disinfectants.

This study investigated the effect of a water-assisted ultraviolet system (WUV; samples were treated by UV while being immersed in agitated water) on the inactivation of Salmonella on baby spinach, iceberg lettuce, blueberry, grape tomato, and baby-cut carrot. The Salmonella inactivation effect of the WUV system was tested in two scales, and three disinfectants, chlorine, peroxyacetic acid (PAA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), were tested in combination with the system to see whether the Salmonella inactivation effect could be enhanced. The fresh produce samples were dip-inoculated with a Salmonella cocktail to final concentrations of 4.6-7.6 log CFU/g. To simulate the washing process in the industry, fresh produce extracts and/or silicon dioxide were added in the wash water to adjust chemical oxygen demand to ~2000 mg/L and turbidity to >60 NTU. In general, the decontamination efficacy of WUV treatments followed this order: Tomato > Carrot > Lettuce ≈ Blueberry > Spinach. In the small-scale study, WUV alone was able to achieve 0.9, 2.6, >3.6, 1.7, and 2.0 log CFU/g reductions of Salmonella on fresh produce for spinach, lettuce, tomato, blueberry, and carrot, respectively. For all fresh produce items, WUV combined with PAA could achieve significantly (P < 0.05) higher Salmonella reduction on fresh produce than chlorine wash and PAA wash. The WUV treatments combined with chlorine or PAA were able to keep residual Salmonella in wash water below the detection limit (2 CFU/mL) for almost all the replicates. Similar Salmonella reductions on fresh produce and in wash water were found in the large-scale study. Considering the decontamination efficacy on fresh produce, the ability to disinfect the wash water, and the cost, we recommend chlorine wash for baby spinach, WUV alone for grape tomato and WUV combined with PAA for iceberg lettuce, blueberry and baby-cut carrot.