A specialized biomarker(s) for lung cancer is imperative owing to its high mortality. Continuing our earlier work demonstrating the role of miR-320a as a tumor suppressor, here we discuss the most recent updates on miR-320a in lung cancer pathogenesis. We found that miR-320a modulates levels of diverse cancer-associated molecules and signaling pathways, and is also involved in modulating the immune microenvironment of lung cancer during its pathogenesis. We also discuss how miR-320a encapsulated in exosomes inhibits invasive phenotypes of lung cancer. Therefore, based on the multimodal role of miR-320a in lung cancer development and progression, we believe that miR-320a may be utilized as a potential diagnostic/prognostic marker and therapeutic target for lung cancer patients.
Lung Neoplasms , MicroRNAs , Humans , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/genetics , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Tumor Microenvironment
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a necessary ancillary technique in surgical pathology laboratories, particularly for oncology tissue specimens. Automation in the IHC technique has an advantage over manual methods in terms of quality, except for the cost of the equipment. Thus, the manual method of IHC staining is the preferred method of choice in countries with limited resources. However, standardization of all steps in the preanalytic phase is critical to obtain reliable immunohistochemistry test results. The current audit was conducted to describe the preanalytic factors affecting manual IHC methods. The most important preanalytic factors were fixative, the composition of dehydrate, pH, drying of sections, and heat-mediated antigen retrieval method (HMAR). The domestic pressure cooker method was found to be the best for HMAR.
Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among the Indian female population. The p16 and p53 genes are frequently mutated in breast cancer. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of p16 and p53 overexpression in breast cancer and their correlation with various traditional prognostic parameters. Total of 100 confirmed cases of breast cancers were selected. Patients who underwent chemotherapy treatment were excluded from the study. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Her2neu immunohistochemistry were performed. The p16 and p53 immunohistochemistry was performed on all cases and association with various clinicopathologic parameters was determined. The mean age of carcinoma breast was 53.3+11.6 with age ranging from 28 to 82 years. On histopathological examination, 93% of cases were of invasive ductal cell carcinoma (IDC) with majority of grade I (43%). Only 14% of cases showed positive p53 expression and 19% of cases showed positive p16 expression. P16 was seen in a very significant correlation with p53 expression in all breast carcinoma cases (<0.002). p53 expression showed a positively significant (<0.05) correlation with age and grade III. The p16 expression was seen significantly correlated with low mitotic activity index (MAI) only. The p53 over-expression was seen in worse prognostic factors such as high tumor grade, Her2neu and triple-negative expression suggested its potential role in pathogenesis of carcinoma breast. In addition, high expression of p16 seen in low mitotic count and Her2neu expression also emphasized the role of this biomarker and recommends further molecular-based research.
Objective Cancer incidence across the geographical area is mercurial and factors like dietary habits, environment, social structure, genetics govern relative incidence. Malwa region of Punjab is one such geographical area of India speculated to have a higher incidence of cancer. The current analysis was done to assess the occurrence of cancer in the region and to analyze the trends and types of carcinoma with age, gender, site, and histopathological type, and to compare with the trends mentioned in the literature. Methods A retrospective analysis was done to collect and collate 2088 cancer patients' pathological records for three years at a tertiary treatment center. The collated data was digitized and used to create tables and histograms. Result Of the 2088 cancer cases, the leading cancer site was breast (24.7%) in females, followed by cancer of female genetic tract (18.9%), whereas in males, the most common site involved was head and neck (17.5%) followed by esophagus (10.3%). The leading cancer type for males was squamous cell carcinoma and for females was infiltrating ductal cell carcinoma. Breast carcinoma was most commonly seen cancer (40.5%) followed by female genital tract carcinoma and esophageal carcinoma in female patients. Whereas in males, head and neck carcinoma was most commonly identified (37.5%) followed by the gastrointestinal tract and esophageal carcinoma. This higher incidence may be attributed to better medical facilities, cancer awareness, and novel government schemes. Conclusion Based on our comprehensive analysis, we conclude that there was a change in trends of all types of carcinomas in males and females except breast carcinoma, which was seen as the most common carcinoma in female patients. Our findings suggest and support the strong implementation of cancer awareness programs and epidemiological studies to know the changing trends of risk factors in the region.
