Anti-tumoral effects of low molecular weight heparins: A focus on the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer globally. With current treatment options, the survival is poor, and there are ongoing efforts to find new and more efficient therapeutic approaches. There are several reports on the anti-tumoral effects of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH). We have assessed the possible survival benefits and underlying mechanisms of LMWHs in malignancies with a focus on esophageal cancer. We conclude that the effects of LMWHs on survival of cancer patients is probably due to a combination of direct anti-tumoral, anti-angiogenic, and immunomodulatory effects and indirect effects on the coagulation system.

Prognostic Significance of Mucinous Histologic Subtype on Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: Mucinous adenocarcinomas account for about 10% of all colorectal cancers. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of mucinous histologic subtype on oncologic outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed at two large tertiary university hospitals. We analyzed the characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival of patients with colorectal cancer who were treated and followed up between 2000 and 2013. RESULTS: Totally, 144 of 1,268 patients with a colorectal adenocarcinoma (11.4%) had mucinous histologic subtype. Statistically significant results found in this research are as follows: Mucinous histologic subtype tended to present in younger patients and to have larger tumor size, higher histologic grade, higher node stage, larger number of positive nodes, and higher rate of perineural invasion compared to nonmucinous histologic subtype. On the univariate analysis, mucinous subtype was a prognostic factor for disease-free and overall survival. On the multivariate analysis, primary tumor location, node stage and lymphatic-vascular invasion were independent prognostic factors for the local control rate. Rectal tumor location, higher disease stage, tumor grade II, and presence of lymphatic-vascular invasion had negative influences on disease-free survival, as did rectal tumor location, higher disease stage and presence of lymphatic-vascular invasion on overall survival. CONCLUSION: Mucinous histologic subtype was associated with some adverse pathologic features in patients with colorectal cancer; however, it was not an independent prognostic factor for oncologic outcome.

Evaluation of estrogen receptor expression and its relationship with clinicopathologic findings in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The presence of estrogen receptor alpha has been reported in the cell and tissue levels in gastric cancer; however, its impact on patients' survival remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of estrogen receptor in gastric carcinoma as well as its relationship with the clinicopathologic findings of the patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on 100 endoscopic biopsies of gastric adenocarcinoma for estrogen receptor expression using an immunohistochemical method, and their relationship with the clinicopathologic findings of the patients, such as age, gender, tumor site, size, grade, depth of tumor invasion (T), and lymphatic status (N), were analyzed using independent sample t-test and Pearson Chi-square test. A P < 0.05 was considered significant in all analyses. RESULTS: Using an immunohistochemical method on endoscopic biopsies of 74 males and 26 females with the mean age of 63 years, estrogen receptor was found to be positive in 41% of patients. No significant difference was found between estrogen receptor expression and other clinicopathologic findings (P = 0.75). There was a significant difference between estrogen receptor (+) and estrogen receptor (-) groups in nodal involvement (P = 0.001). The estrogen receptor (+) patients had more number of lymph nodes involved. CONCLUSION: This study showed that lymph node involvement has a significant relationship with estrogen receptor expression. However, no significant relationship was found between estrogen receptor expression and other clinicopathologic findings such as age, gender, tumor site in stomach, tumor size, tumor grade, and T-stage.

Self-disclosure of breast cancer diagnosis by Iranian women to friends and colleagues.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common form of cancer in Iranian women, and it remains a major health problem. An increasing number of young women are being diagnosed with BC, and therefore, there is an increasing likelihood that more women will survive breast cancer for many years. Many opine that self-disclosure of BC diagnosis is important because talking about cancer helps people to make sense of their experiences; in fact, self-disclosure appears to play an important role in many health outcomes. However, this has not yet been studied in BC patients in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the status of self-disclosure of BC diagnosis by Iranian women to friends and colleagues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All BC records for 2001-2011 of employed women were studied at five hospitals in Mashhad. Data about the self-disclosure of BC diagnosis were gathered through telephone interviews, and the participants filled out a questionnaire about their status of self-disclosure of BC diagnosis to various groups of people. RESULTS: The mean age of employed women at the time of diagnosis was 44.3 ± 6.7 years. Over 60% self-disclosed to work colleagues and over 90% to bosses/managers. Seventy per cent reported that they had support from their family and husband's family, while 95% reported that they had support from parents, siblings, children and friends. CONCLUSIONS: Most employed women self-disclosed freely to family, friends, colleagues and bosses/managers. Apparently, self-disclosure of breast cancer diagnosis may have negative effects at work. About half of patients reported that they had support from family, managers and colleagues; however, for nearly 28% of employed women, disclosure had less positive effects. In particular, it altered their perception of others, produced difficulties with work and family and diminished closeness with the people who were told. However, the stigma of BC is far less than it once was.